Job Purpose:

The Maternal Health Technical Specialist will play a key role in improving programme coordination, partnership and advocacy, and in ensuring the sound management of financial resources in the office. You will provide strategic technical, policy and programmatic leadership for the country office in the area of Sexual and Reproductive Health. You will be responsible for analyzing current trends in SRH related issues and contribute to strategic action and providing strategic guidance in shaping national development frameworks and programmes with a focus on the achievement of the SDGs and ICPD Programme of Action. You will maintain primary responsibility for the provision of technical assistance, advocacy, policy and programme support.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s new strategic plan (2018-2021), focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

The Position:

The Maternal Health Technical Specialist ensures the effective management of UNFPA activities in the area of sexual and reproductive health (SRH). S/he oversees SRH project formulation and evaluation and represent UNFPA in joint programming initiatives and the elaboration of national development frameworks.

S/he will lead the SRH programme team, while working under the leadership and direct supervision of the UNPFA Resident Representative.

Qualifications and Experience

Education: 

Advanced university degree in Medicine, Public Health, Nursing, Midwifery or any other related fields.  A medical doctorate degree is preferable.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Five years of increasingly responsible professional experience in development work, with strong technical knowledge in the management of maternal health/SRH programmes;
• Demonstrated ability to refine programme design to ensure alignment of programme objectives to national priorities and capacities;
• Ability to work with a variety of stakeholders including government, civil society, development partners and the academia;
• Extensive knowledge of the principles and operational aspects of integrated reproductive health programming;
• Strong interpersonal and communications skills;
• Excellent report writing and presentation skills;
• UN system experience, especially field experience, is highly desirable.

Languages:

Fluency in French is required. A working knowledge of English or Portuguese is desirable.