Senior Adviser Health – Gender Programming for Immunization (P-5), PG Health Immunization (Co-located with GAVI), Geneva – Switzerland #00129494

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For every child, … good health….!

Immunization is often viewed as gender neutral; however, gender barriers and power dynamics significantly impact access to vaccination and health services, particularly for women and children. The Global Immunization Equity Reference Group (ERG) emphasizes that these inequities hinder immunization coverage and contribute to the number of under-immunized children. To address this, UNICEF has invested in developing tools and strategies to create gender-responsive health programs. In this context, UNICEF has established a Senior Gender Adviser position within Gavi-supported initiatives at the Global Health Campus in Geneva. This role aims to enhance gender-responsive approaches in immunization efforts by collaborating with Gavi and leveraging UNICEF’s expertise to improve implementation and monitoring in priority countries, ensuring that the needs of all genders are considered in health systems.

How can you make a difference?

The Senior Adviser Health will be instrumental in embedding gender considerations into immunization program design, implementation, and monitoring for Gavi-supported initiatives. This pivotal role involves conducting timely gender analyses to identify barriers to accessing immunization and Primary Health Care services, developing actionable solutions, and establishing robust monitoring systems to evaluate progress. The Adviser will collaborate closely with teams across UNICEF’s New York headquarters, regional, and country offices, as well as with the Gavi Secretariat, ensuring a coordinated approach to enhancing gender equity in health services. Reporting to both the Associate Director of Immunization and the Associate Director of Gender Equality, this position offers a unique opportunity to shape impactful gender programming within global health efforts. Join us in making a significant difference in the lives of vulnerable populations!

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

Programme planning, monitoring, documentation, and learning.

• Develop the Gender Implementation Plan, and coordinate and facilitate its testing in priority countries identified jointly with Gavi Secretariat’s teams.
• Facilitate the identification, collection and monitoring of gender indicators, mainly in priority countries leveraging UNICEF structures and capacities, and allowing UNICEF and the Secretariat to identify challenges and course correct on timely basis.
• Identify opportunities to support countries with robust and timely gender analysis linked to Full Portfolio Planning and Gavi applications, preparation and implementation monitoring of Joint Appraisals and operational plans at country level. Provide technical support to selected countries, including through joint technical missions, recurring calls between UNICEF country offices and Gavi secretariat, regular touch points between UNICEF CO, RO, HQ and gender technical team at the Secretariat.
• Develop case studies, document success stories and gender responsive approaches supported by Gavi, to showcase the effectiveness of this support, lessons learned and to support the diffusion of practice across regions and countries. Map and document existing capacities, tools, approaches, and gaps to gender responsive and gender programming developed by UNICEF within Gavi supported programmes.
• Building on the ERG, UNICEF and other available resources, systematize global programmatic evidence of what works in different settings with a special focus on fragility, and other programming learning; package and disseminate evidence and resources to countries and Alliance partners including through the Gavi’s dissemination plan and digital community of practice platforms.
• Develop and maintain gender programming tracker covering the work of UNICEF in support of gender analysis, implementation, monitoring, learning etc. efforts for Gavi Alliance perusal (e.g. APPT, PPC, Board meetings).

Capacity building

• Jointly with Gavi secretariat, design capacity building tools and approaches, and deliver orientation sessions and technical clinics for Government and partners including CSOs on gender responsive strategies on both supply and demand aspects of gender responsive programme delivery.

Advocacy and Influence

• Advocate for the adoption of gender-responsive/transformative policies and practices to increase the equity and effectiveness of immunization programs, strategies and operations at the global, regional, and country levels.
• Develop and implement strategies and approaches to influence increased investments by countries in addressing gender and social norms to improve vaccine uptake in zero dose communities and under-vaccinated areas.

Promote and strengthen linkages within and across teams in UNICEF, Gavi secretariat, and partners

• Reach out and leverage UNICEF’s muti-sectoral structures and staff capacity on gender, SBC, education, adolescent health, etc. to promote and support the implementation of gender responsive strategies to improve vaccine uptake in zero-dose/missed communities in Gavi supported countries.
• Leverage UNICEF’s advocacy and programmatic investments into Primary Health Care, including community platforms to engage with communities and promote gender responsive vaccine demand.
• Ensure that voices of young girls and women are considered in developing and co-creating people centred strategies.
• Promote and use HPV and Malaria vaccine introduction as entry points for gender responsive, integrated programming and multisectoral approaches.

The following minimum requirements:

An advanced University degree in Public Health, Gender Studies, Social Sciences, or another relevant field or related technical areas is required.

Work Experience:

A minimum of 10 years of senior level experience in development and gender programming, with a strong preference for experience in health or immunization programs is required.

Desirables/Assets:

• Experience with developing, implementing, and monitoring gender responsive programs and strategies at country level, preferably in low- and lower-income settings.
• Proven experience in advocacy, capacity building, and working with diverse stakeholders.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered an asset.
• Strong commitment to gender equality and understanding of gender mainstreaming and gender transformative strategies.
• Excellent communication, coordination, and influencing skills.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking.
• Ability to evaluate and synthesize complex challenges; and to translate data and analysis into programmatic strategies.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a complex, multicultural environment.

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.