The Position:

The Adolescent and Youth Reproductive Health and Rights Technical Advisor is responsible for the strategic accompaniment of the program of “Extension and Strengthening of the Sexual and Reproductive Programme of Adolescent and Youth in Benin”, funded by the Netherlands as a direct contribution to the National Strategy for Sexual Health Education for Young People. S/he will support the coordination of the reproductive health sector in Benin.

The Technical Advisor will ensure the full synergy of programme interventions with the others normative frameworks of the Government of Benin and the interventions of other technical and financial partners. In this context, s/he will ensure the implementation of appropriate strategic and operational coordination mechanisms for a synergy of interventions and results, with a human rights and gender based approach. The advisor will also nurture the development of strategic partnerships to support national efforts to explore innovative ways to scale up results, including with enhanced use of social and/or digital innovations, and enable the sector to go from funding to financing.

S/he will report directly to the UNFPA Representative and will work closely with General Directors in charge of adolescent health at the Ministry of Health and Ministry of education.

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.

Job Purpose:

Working within a diverse and dynamic Country Office (CO) environment, you will ensure the development and support to strategic partnerships in the area of adolescent and youth reproductive health and Rights, with a strong gender lens.

You will establish, nurture and develop collaborative and innovative partnerships with counterparts in government, multi-lateral and bilateral donor agencies and civil society to address emerging issues, and effectively influence diverse stakeholders to contribute to achieving the program’s objectives.

In collaboration with the national counterparts and partners, you will contribute substantially to increasing coverage of Comprehensive sexual education for reduced early pregnancies and contraceptives unmet needs and improving the availability and accessibility of reproductive health services quality, with active youth/girls empowerment and community involvement.

Employing your programme management experience, you will guide the work of the programme team as well as consultants, advisors, and experts and support the quality of interventions and outcomes : (i) best practices and lessons learned in the management of the work plan , (ii) leadership, governance, coordination , monitoring and evaluation at all levels of the health pyramid for the promotion of Family Planning, and Gender for accelerating unmet family planning needs and Benin’s sustainable development goals.

Qualification and Experience

Education: 

Advanced university degree in Public Health, Medicine, Sociology, Gender, International Development, or other related social science fields

Knowledge and Experience:

• Minimum of seven (7) years of increasingly responsible professional experience in management and development of programmes relevant to health, education, gender, population and development, including three years at the international level;
• Demonstrated programme and technical expertise in the substantive area of work with field experience;
• Proven track record of performance and ability to produce demonstrable results;
• Demonstrated ability to network within the development, academic, business and innovation communities;
• Familiarity with management and monitoring tools
• Strong communication skills (both verbal and written) in French and English;
• Computer Skills:  Proficiency in MS Office packages, database and the internet.

Languages:

Fluency in French; knowledge of other official UN languages, preferably English and/or Spanish, is desirable.