Senior Adviser – Immunization Financing and Systems Strengthening (P-5), FT, PG-Health-Immunization, New York HQ # 00083990

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, … Health…

UNICEF is a leading technical agency for immunization. Together with its partners, UNICEF supplies vaccines to reach approximately 45% of the world’s children under five years. In over 100 countries, UNICEF works with governments, non-governmental organizations, and other UN agencies to procure and distribute vaccines, keep supplies safe and effective, engage communities, and help ensure affordable access.

UNICEF’s support to ensure sustainable financing of child-focused programmes is a crucial part of the organization’s contribution to the fulfillment of every child’s right to survival, development, and good health.  UNICEF aims to improve financial planning, budgeting, and monitoring of Immunization resource flows and ensure financial sustainability to improve equity and effective coverage. UNICEF works closely with other Gavi Alliance partners on immunization economics.

How can you make a difference?

Join Our Team as a Senior Advisor Health!

Under the supervision of the Associate Director for Immunization, you will guide UNICEF’s Regional and Country Offices on sustainable immunization financing policies and practices within the overall health financing agenda. You will support key global health initiatives aimed at increasing sustainable financing towards immunization and broader Primary Health Care and Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (MNCAH) objectives. As the Senior Advisor Health, you will provide strategic guidance and technical support to government officials and UNICEF Country Offices to update and utilize costed immunization plans within broader health sector development plans and oversee efforts to map financial bottlenecks and propose solutions to improve equity and effective coverage in countries with financing challenges. Your work will involve collaboration with other HQ teams and sections, regional and country offices, UN Agencies, Gavi Alliance partners, development banks, and bilateral agencies. Serving as the Organization’s top Advisor for sustainable immunization financing, you will generate dialogue within UNICEF and the international community, and develop partnerships with governments, alliances, and development agencies. This position is critical for achieving UNICEF’s long-term immunization goals.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have to…

In this role, the incumbent will be at the forefront of enhancing immunization services through improved planning and budgeting, optimal fund allocation, and better alignment of external financial support. You will provide critical support and coordination on immunization economics and systems strengthening to UNICEF’s regional and country offices. Your responsibilities will include coordinating the development of National Immunization Strategies, calculating costs, aligning these with Ministry of Health budgets, and mapping financing sources. You will also supervise studies and implementation research to document country-specific lessons and evidence for key initiatives. This includes estimating costs and financial sustainability of interventions to reach zero-dose communities, evaluating the cost-effectiveness of new vaccine introductions, addressing programmatic issues related to expanding vaccination across the life course, and analyzing the links between vaccine stock-outs and public financial management.

As a representative of UNICEF, you will articulate and advocate for the organization’s positions at global meetings, establishing UNICEF as a leader in the international health financing arena for immunization and primary health care. You will build and maintain strong organizational links with counterparts in WHO, Gavi, World Bank, BMGF, CDC, USAID, GPEI, and other key partners. Actively participating in immunization partnerships concerned with systems, economics, and financing, you will represent UNICEF at policy and strategic planning meetings with senior government officials and multilateral and bilateral agencies. Additionally, you will collaborate closely with partners and country and regional offices to coordinate political mobilization strategies, empowering governments, increasing ownership, and ensuring sustainable financing for immunization and primary health care. More details on this role can be found in  83990_P5 SrAdviser_ImmFin updated_2024 for VA.docx

The following minimum requirements:

An Advanced University degree or higher in health economics, public health, health management or other relevant fields is required.

Work Experience:

A minimum of 10 years of solid work experience in the field of health economics, health management and health system at national, regional and/or international levels, including in a low- or middle-income country context is required.

Desirables/Assets:

• Recognized expertise and experience in working with immunization programs as well as broader primary health care programmes.
• Thorough knowledge and understanding of Immunization related issues, particularly financing.
• Experience in cost analysis, policy analysis, health systems analysis, and monitoring and evaluation.
• Proven communication skills and proven record of interaction with the donor community and country governments
• Track record of peer-reviewed publications on health economics and health system with a focus on immunization and/or primary health care.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

• Builds and maintains partnerships
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
• Drive to achieve results for impact
• Innovates and embraces change
• Manages ambiguity and complexity
• Thinks and acts strategically
• Works collaboratively with others

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children.

All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.