TA Programme Officer, NO-A (Health & Nutrition), Maracaibo, Zulia, Venezuela #109203

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a fair chance:

The scale of needs resulting from the outflow of Venezuelans is rapidly surpassing the capacities of receiving countries, further straining already vulnerable host communities. An estimated 2.6 million Venezuelans are currently living abroad, including nearly 2 million in countries within Latin America and the Caribbean. Women, unaccompanied children and indigenous groups are particularly at risk of violence, discrimination, trafficking, exploitation and abuse. More than 600,000 people are estimated to be in need of WASH services throughout the neighboring countries, and the health and nutrition situation of children and lactating women is also deteriorating due to the lack of available quality food and drinking water, and unsanitary conditions. While the situation is evolving and assessments are still ongoing in many of the receiving and transit countries, around 1.4 million people (over 400,000 children), including both migrants and host communities, are estimated to be in need of assistance in Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. Thousands of children are not enjoying their right to education, as they face barriers related to language, legal status or local schools’ absorption capacities given the scale of migration. The dynamic and complex nature of population movements require ongoing monitoring and assessment and a differentiated and flexible response for the diverse group of vulnerable people.

UNICEF is scaling up its response to children and women on the move, seeking to reach 180,000 children by the end of 2018. UNICEF will prioritize its response and scale up its capacities, field presence and programme activities inside Venezuela and bordering countries, while also providing advocacy and technical assistance to these and other receiving countries. The regional strategy promotes cross-sectoral activities such as cash-based programming and community engagement, while also ensuring to link humanitarian and development activities to improve the resilience of communities. UNICEF WASH response will reach nearly 120,000 people with access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene in schools, health centres and communities; UNICEF will also support the governments to ensure health and nutrition preventive and curative services to the most vulnerable populations. To address protection concerns, UNICEF will reach 56,000 children with protection services, including by establishing safe spaces and providing psychological support. More than 145,000 children will benefit from improved education services,including through supplies, learning spaces and enhanced capacities of national and local systems. To respond to emerging needs, UNICEF regional office will support country teams to continuously adapt risk analysis, through multi-sectoral assessments, preparedness plan and propositioning of supplies in the most at-risk areas. UNICEF is actively engaging with government partners, UN agencies as well as civil society organizations, while also to undertaking its coordination role as cluster lead for education, nutrition, WASH and child protection.

How can you make a difference?

The Health & Nutrition Officer reports to the Chief Field Office for close guidance and supervision.The Health & Nutrition Officer provides professional technical, operational and administrative assistance throughout the programming process through the application of theoretical and technical skills in researching, collecting, analyzing, and presenting technical programme information while learning organizational rules, regulations and procedures to support the development and formulation of the Health Programme within the Country Programme.

1. Support of programme development and planning:

• Support the analysis of the education, protection, social and economic development trends in the state of Zulia, from the health and nutrition perpective.
• Collect, analyze, verify, and synthesize information to contribute to the programme development, design and preparation.
• Prepare required technical reports and inputs for programme preparation and documentation, ensuring accuracy, timeliness and relevancy of information.
• Support the technical management teams in the development and establishment of sectoral programme goals, objectives, strategies, and results-based planning through analysis of health and nutrition needs and areas for intervention and submission of assessments for priority and goal setting.
• Provide technical and administrative support throughout all stages of programming processes by executing and administering a variety of technical programme transactions, preparing materials and documentations, and complying with organizational processes and management systems, to support programme planning, results based planning (RBM) and monitoring and evaluation of results in Bolivar.
• Prepare required documentations and materials to facilitate the programme review and approval process in areas of concern.

2. Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results:

• Work closely and collaboratively with colleagues and partners to collect, analyze and share information on implementation issues; suggest solutions on routine programme implementation and submit reports to alert appropriate officials and stakeholders for higher-level intervention and/or decisions. Keep records of reports and assessments for easy reference and/or to capture and institutionalize lessons learned.
• Participate in frequent monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual sectoral reviews with governments and other counterparts and prepare reports on results for follow up action by higher management and other stakeholders.
• Monitor and report on the use of sectoral programme resources (financial, administrative and other assets), and verify compliance with approved allocation and goals, organizational rules, regulations, procedures, as well as donor commitments, standards of accountability, and integrity. Report on issues identified to ensure timely resolution by management and stakeholders. Follow up on unresolved issues to ensure resolution.
• Prepare inputs for sectoral programme donor reporting.

3. Technical and operational support to programme implementation:

• Undertake field visits and surveys, and share information with partners and stakeholders to assess progress and provide technical support and/or refer to relevant officials for resolution. Report on critical issues, bottlenecks and potential problems for timely action to achieve results.
• Provide technical and operational support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners, and other country office partners/donors on the application and understanding of UNICEF policies, strategies, processes, and best practices on health-related issues to support programme implementation, operations and delivery of results.

4. Networking and partnership building:

• Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with health sector government counterparts and national stakeholders through active sharing of information and knowledge to enhance programme implementation and build capacity of stakeholders to deliver concrete and sustainable results.
• Draft when required communication and information materials for CO programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnerships/alliances, and support fund raising for health & nutrition programmes.
• Participate in appropriate inter-agency meetings on health & nutrition programmes to collaborate with inter-agency partners/colleagues on UNDAF operational planning and preparation of health programmes/projects, and to integrate and harmonize UNICEF’s position and strategies with the UNDAF development and planning process.

5. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building:

• Identify, capture, synthesize, and share lessons learned for knowledge development and to build the capacity of stakeholders.
• Apply innovative approaches and promote good practices to support the implementation and delivery of concrete and sustainable programme results.
• Assist with oversight of research and ensure results are available for use in knowledge products.
• Participate as a resource person in capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients and stakeholders.

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

A university degree in one of the following fields is required: public health/nutrition, pediatric health, family health, health research, global/international health, health policy and/or management, environmental health sciences, biostatistics, socio-medical, health education, epidemiology, or another relevant technical field.Postgraduate/specialization in public health/nutrition, neonatal/maternal health, and knowledge in epidemiology are considered as an asset.

Experience:

A minimum of one year of professional experience in at least two of the following areas is required: public health/nutrition planning and management, clinical experience, epidemiology. maternal and neonatal health care, or health emergency/humanitarian preparedness.

Experience working in a developing country is considered as an asset.

Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.

Language Requirements: Fluency in Spanish is required. English skills are considered as an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The competencies required for this post are: Formulating strategies and concepts, Analyzing, Applying technical expertise, Learning and researching, and Planning and organizing.

View our competency framework at:http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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 also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks:

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

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

TO APPLY:

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organization. To apply, click on the following link http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/?job=518883