Role Specification
The Position:
The Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and Family Planning Specialist manages UNFPA’s work at the State level on sexual and reproductive health and family planning, for accelerating achievement of the ICPD Programme of Action and Agenda 2030. You will provide technical and policy advice in the areas of sexual and reproductive health and family planning, and help to strategically position UNFPA’s work, ensuring linkages with other programme components on adolescents and youth, gender equality and population dynamics.
You will report directly to the Head of Office with a strong working relationship with the SRHR Specialist in the Country Office in New Delhi.
Rotation
This post is non-rotational.
Background Information
Duty Station: Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
Duration: One year, renewable
Post Type: Full time, Service Contract
Closing Date: Monday, 06 December 2021
Organizational Setting
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 if 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 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 delivering excellence in programme results.
Main Tasks & Responsibilities
Job Purpose:
In response to the national priority of addressing the high unmet need for family planning, and as a contribution to reducing maternal mortality and advancing gender equality, UNFPA has been actively engaging with the Government of India to enhance the capacities of the health system at the national level and in selected states to provide high quality reproductive health and family planning services, with a focus on young women and adolescent girls.
UNFPA has been a partner of the Government of India and People since 1974 and is now on its 9th five-year Country Programme. The Country Programme leverages large-scale government programmes to strengthen the maternal and reproductive health in districts. These include Aspirational district programme, Ayushman Bharat, and Mission Parivaar Vikas (for strengthening family planning services in 146 districts with high fertility). UNFPA is providing support to improving the access and quality of maternal and newborn care services, expansion of contraceptive choices, and strengthening the quality and reproductive rights within SRH services. Additionally, UNFPA is providing technical support for RMNCAH services in Health and Wellness Centers in selected districts in its focus states.
You will manage the sexual and reproductive health and family planning programme in the State, providing high-quality technical assistance and results-based programme management, strengthen partnerships and provide policy advice and advocacy to leverage financial and technical resources for accelerated achievement of UNFPA’s transformative results and the ICPD Programme of Action. You will engage with other programme units at State and national levels.
You would be responsible for:
A. Programme Management and Coordination:
- Support the implementation of UNFPA supported programming in the area of sexual and reproductive health and family planning, applying appropriate strategies and interventions relevant to the State, and for achieving Country Programme results.
- Ensure application of appropriate programme policies and procedures, including those related to monitoring and oversight.
- Contribute to the formulation of the annual work plans for the State in the area of sexual and reproductive health and family planning, ensuring that approaches are grounded in reproductive rights and gender equality.
- Monitor the day-to-day implementation of work plans through consultations, correspondence and field visits.
- Contribute to humanitarian preparedness and response interventions in the State, ensuring adequate attention given to the needs of women and girls during emergencies.
B. Policy Dialogue and Technical Support:
- Contribute to policy dialogue with Government counterparts and UN and other development partners working at the State level to facilitate the incorporation of sexual and reproductive health and family planning into State plans and strategies, UN systems initiatives and development frameworks.
- Stay up-to-date with UNFPA corporate technical and programme policies and guidelines. Assess implications of new policy developments and strategies on programme execution, and ensure their application as relevant.
- Provide technical guidance to ensure that programmes are rights-based, gender-responsive and inclusive.
- Support integration of state-of-the-art thinking and research within UNFPA’s sexual and reproductive health and rights programme implementation.
- Develop and participate in state level technical networks on sexual and reproductive health and rights.
C. Advocacy and Resource Mobilization:
- Represent UNFPA in meetings with senior and technical government officials as well as multi-lateral, bi-lateral agencies, non-governmental organizations and maintain an effective working relationship with them, advocating for sexual and reproductive health and family planning.
- Provide technical inputs towards advocacy efforts of the Country Office, contributing to project summaries, conference papers, speeches, donor profiles and participating in state level donor meetings and public information events.
- Contribute technical inputs to evidence-based advocacy messages on sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights to promote UNFPA programme goals considering the local context of the respective State.
- Engage in and strengthen technical partnerships and alliances to advocate for sexual and reproductive health and family planning.
- Contribute to CO resource mobilization initiatives, including providing inputs to proposals and identifying opportunities to leverage funding from government budgets and private sector.
- Support CO communications providing technical inputs and updates for use in media and visibility material.
Carry out any other duties as may be required by UNFPA leadership.
Qualifications and Experience
Education:
Advanced degree in Public Health, Medicine, Sociology, Health Economics, International Development, Development Management or related disciplines;
Knowledge and Experience:
- Five years of increasingly responsible professional experience at the advisory/technical level in the field of sexual and reproductive health programmes, with special focus on maternal health and family planning;
- Strong understanding of reproductive rights and gender equality dimensions in policy and programme formulation, implementation and monitoring;
- Proven experience in coordinating/managing a multi-disciplinary team of experts and consultants;
- Ability to communicate in a clear and articulated manner, on technical and complex issues to different types of audiences;
- Demonstrated ability to network within the health sector;
- Possess excellent interpersonal, negotiating, intercultural communication skills and political acumen;
- Good emotional intelligence;
- Experience in planning and responding to humanitarian crisis is highly desirable.
Languages:
Fluency in English is mandatory. Working knowledge of Hindi and/or other local language is highly desirable.
Required Competencies
Values:
- Exemplifying integrity,
- Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system,
- Embracing cultural diversity,
- Embracing change
Functional Competencies:
- Advocacy/ Advancing a policy-oriented agenda
- Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners/ building strategic alliances and partnerships
- Delivering results-based programme
- Internal and external communication and advocacy for results mobilisation
Core Competencies:
- Achieving results,
- Being accountable,
- Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
- Thinking analytically and strategically,
- Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,
- Communicating for impact
Compensation and Benefits
This position offers an attractive remuneration package range starting from INR 2,562,938 (gross) annual, health insurance, pension and other benefits as applicable.
Disclaimer
WARNING TO APPLICANTS: UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you have received a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web. Should you feel that you have received a fraudulent notice, letter or offer that makes use of the name or logo of UNFPA, you may submit a report through the UNFPA fraud hotline http://www.unfpa.org/help/hotline.cfm
HOW TO APPLY:
UNFPA has established an electronic application management system. This allows applicants to create a candidate profile, which can be updated regularly and submitted for more than one vacancy. Download the Step by Step Guide to Applying in the E-Recruit System of UNFPA at http://www.unfpa.org/employment. Please print out the Guide for your reference during the registration and application process.
Notice: There is no application, processing or other fee at any stage of the application process. UNFPA does not solicit or screen for information in respect of HIV or AIDS and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.
