Contract type: Temporary Appointment, Consultant
Level: P-3
Location: Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Comoros, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Seychelles
Categories: Health, Emergency
Seeking external candidates only
Contract Type: Temporary Appointment (TA) or Consultancy
Duration: 3 months to 364 days
Location: Countries based in Eastern and Southern Africa
Job Description
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, hope
Since two years, countries in the ESA region have experienced an alarming increase in the number of new, or re-emerging humanitarian emergencies, including public health (including Ebola, Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever, yellow fever, wild poliovirus, and Cholera), armed conflicts and natural disasters emergencies.
An outbreak of Sudan Ebola Virus (SDV) started in September 2022 and spread to 9 districts in Uganda, elevating the risk for cross border spread to neighboring countries (Tanzania, Rwanda, South-Sudan, Burundi, Kenya and DR Congo).
UNICEF ESAR has prioritized the critical need to support countries to rapidly scale up capacity to prevent, mitigate, and manage ongoing and anticipated emergencies as well as to enhance capacity for preparedness and response to these emergencies.
Purpose
The purpose of this external announcement is to attract suitable Health/Epidemiology Specialist candidates interested in working in any of the countries within UNICEF’s East and Southern Africa region to respond to Ebola outbreaks for the next 36 months. The countries within each region are listed on the following website: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/index.html.
How can you make a difference?
Key activities & duties
- Under the framework of national and district surveillance/laboratory pillar, provide support to Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) and DHMTs for case detection/referral, and community contact tracing and follow up in affected districts.
- Provide real time technical support and advice to the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) in responding to urgent emerging issues relating to the EVD to ensure effective, timely and quality response as may be required
- Based on the identified needs, and in coordination with other UNICEF’s relevant sections – particularly CSD, C4D , Child Protection, and implementing partners, develop and implement strategies and plans to:
- Reach affected populations/communities with culturally appropriate and gender sensitive interventions to mitigate transmission and reduce health risks with reference to both physical and behavioral aspects, through effective contact tracing/case detection and follow up of Ebola case contacts to ensure early detection and referral in affected communities
- In collaboration with MOHS, WHO and other partners develop a simplified user friendly implementation and monitoring plan/protocol to follow up and report regularly on the status of listed contacts within 21 days of exposure
- Undertake any other related responsibility as may be required by the EPI/Health Specialist, Chief of CSD and/or the country office senior management.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Education-
- Advanced university degree in Public Health with specialization in Epidemiology or equivalent experience in control of viral hemorrhagic fever or diseases outbreak response.
Work Experience-
- A minimum of 5 years of experience with either the UN, and/or emergency health NGOs.
- Working experience in West Africa, or previously Ebola affected African countries preferred, although not essential.
- Excellent planning and coordination skills, with proven ability to work within a team setting, with multiple stakeholders and in a multi-cultural working environment.
- Experience working in emergency response an advantage.
Language Requirement:-
- Fluency in verbal and written English or French (depending on the country office’s official language).
- Knowledge of another UN language 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: https://uni.cf/UNICEFValues
UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
- Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
- Works Collaboratively with others (1)
- Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
- Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
- Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
- Drive to achieve impactful results (1)
During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.
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.
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 promote the protection and safeguarding of all children.
All selected candidates will, therefore, 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.
Remarks:
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government 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.
Deadline: E. Africa Standard Time