Maternal and Reproductive Health Specialist

Job title:                                              Maternal and Reproductive Health Specialist

Level:                                                    NOC

Position Number:                              00059328

Location:                                              Freetown, Sierra Leone
Full/Part time:                                    Full-Time

Fixed term/Temporary:                     Fixed Term

Rotational/Non Rotational:             Non-Rotational

Duration:                                             One year (renewable)

The position

The Maternal and Reproductive Health Specialist will support the implementation of UNFPA’s interventions aimed at reducing preventable maternal deaths in Sierra Leone as well as the integration of SRHR in the broader national development plans and health sector strategies, and will work under overall guidance of the Deputy Representative and the direct supervision of the Maternal and Reproductive Health Technical Specialist.

S/he will substantively contribute to the effective management of UNFPA programmes in support of national efforts to strengthen integrated sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and reducing preventable maternal mortality, with specific focus on emergency obstetric care, maternal death surveillance and response, obstetric fistula management and midwifery services support. S/he will support initiatives and provide technical support in key areas of results-based programme and project management of UNFPA’s SRHR programme and projects.

The Maternal and Reproductive Health Specialist will support the establishment of partnership, synergy and strategic alliances with counterparts in government, multi-lateral and bi-lateral agencies, civil society organisations, academia, and professional bodies, to address emerging issues and to facilitate program delivery. S/he will also contribute to the UN system coordination through participation in policy dialogue and advocacy initiatives as well as support for capacity development, service delivery and knowledge management efforts.

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 (2022 - 2025), focuses on three transformative results of accelerating the reduction of preventable maternal deaths; unmet need for family planning; and 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 Country Office environment, you will provide technical support in the planning, conceptualization, implementation and monitoring of SRH interventions of the country programme.

You would be responsible for:

• Providing substantive technical leadership and inputs into the design and formulation of innovative strategies, approaches and policies, with a particular focus to maternal health in general and emergency obstetric care, maternal death surveillance and response, obstetric fistula management and midwifery services support in particular
• Analysing and interpret the political, social and economic context relevant for RMNCAH, and identify opportunities to strengthen UNFPA assistance and intervention;
• Providing substantive inputs for the formulation, management, monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of maternal health programme related interventions
• Ensuring the inclusion of lessons learnt and new policies and best practices in the development of the UNFPA assistance to Sierra Leone, as well as to establish appropriate mechanisms and systems for its implementation, monitoring and evaluation
• Facilitating linkages with the implementation of the UNFPA programmes to ensure a holistic approach to SRHR, including for adolescents
• Analysing and identify opportunities for integration across various SRH thematic areas across the policies, strategies, guidelines, and service delivery areas within the health system, to ensure holistic, life-course oriented and evidence-based programming for SRH
• Providing technical assistance to national partners to scale-up the quality of care initiatives to ensure universal access to SRH;
• Identifying, developing and/or adapting technical documents such as SRH strategies, clinical guidelines,  training materials, and Job aids, in UNFPA focus areas, to ensure their availability for capacity development;
• Advocating for the incorporation of evaluation results and lessons learned in the updating of strategies and approaches, in order to improve the effectiveness of UNFPA operations
• Contributing to the resource mobilization strategy by analyzing information on potential donors, preparing substantive briefs and project proposals in line with donor priorities, creating feedback mechanisms and providing information on progress of donor funded projects.
• Developing and managing substantive knowledge sharing partnerships and collaborations with other UN agencies in the context of the national development frameworks, UNSDCF, and UNFPA Strategic Plan and Country Programme.

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education:  

Master’s degree in public health, medicine, nursing, midwifery or other related fields.

Knowledge and Experience: 

• 5 years of increasingly responsible professional experience with strong technical knowledge in the management of SRH programmes including but not limited to Family Planning, maternal health, adolescent health, human resource for health, HIV, SGBV.  
• Demonstrated ability to refine programme design to ensure alignment of programme objectives to national priorities and capacities;
• Demonstrable experience in results based programming
• Proven ability to lead and manage teams to achieve demonstrable results;
• Extensive knowledge of the principles and operational aspects of integrated reproductive health programming;
• Demonstrated ability to work with governments, network within the academic and development community.
• Understanding of Human Rights dimensions of SRHR is an asset

Required Competencies: 

Compensation and Benefits:
This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus,  health insurance, and other benefits as applicable.

Disclaimer: 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Fraudulent notices, letters or offers may be submitted to the UNFPA fraud hotline http://www.unfpa.org/help/hotline.cfm

In accordance with the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations, persons applying to posts in the international Professional category, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.