Country Implementation Support Senior Specialist at United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)

Assignments could include (but are not limited to) the facilitation of the following:

• Comprehensive review of country programme documentation (Malaria programme review and other assessment reports; strategic plans; operational plans, workplans, gap analyses, epidemiological data etc.) to identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, duplication, and missed opportunities, and assess alignment with the WHO Global Technical Strategy for Malaria and national health priorities;
• Develop  Country Operational Optimised Plans (COOPs) that reflect clear prioritisation of how the NSP will be operationalized, financed, and linked to the monitoring and evaluation framework and available funding envelopes;
• Identify  programmatic and financial gaps, and recommend optimisation strategies (e.g., integration, efficiency gains, or prioritisation);
• Provide mentoring and knowledge transfer to national teams to institutionalize the COOP development process;
• Facilitate workshops and consultations with senior management, national stakeholders, financial and technical partners to ensure alignment, consistency, and consensus on priority intervention areas, strategic direction, and implementation approaches; 
• Map potential integration opportunities with other health programmes (e.g. RMNCAH, immunization, community health) and propose practical mechanisms for integration at service delivery and system levels;
• Review cost and efficiencies of programs and identify areas for potential resource reallocation and improved return on investment;
• Provide technical inputs to the development of high-quality funding applications (e.g. Global Fund funding requests), including integration of cross-cutting components;
• Provide technical inputs to the country dialogue and partner coordination processes related to GC8 development.

Monitoring and Progress Controls

Key Deliverables:

• To be determined based on the specific assignment, possible examples:
• Costed Operational Optimised Plan( COOP) and scenarios, cost analyses report, grant proposal, strategic plan including epi data analysis;
• Final report submitted to the NMCP Manager/Director outlining the support provided, with an analysis of results, key lessons learned, and actionable recommendations to inform and strengthen future program implementation and external support coordination;
• Final report to CRSPC Manager and co-chairs  analyzing support provided including recommendations for improving future support to countries.

Education

• Advanced university (master’s) degree desired, preferably in public health, or epidemiology, or social science or related field. A Bachelor’s degree with additional 2 years of relevant experience may be considered in lieu of the requirement of a master’s degree.

Experience 

• Essential:  
• Minimum seven (7) years of experience in at least one of the following areas is required:
• malaria program implementation, 
• technical coordination, 
• global health partnerships; 
• Experience in planning / implementing / evaluating technical malaria control strategies; 
• Demonstrated experience in developing or supporting national strategic and operational plans development;
• Knowledge of international normative guidance (WHO,etc.);
• Knowledge of new malaria tools and technologies (e.g. vaccines, diagnostics, vector control products) and expertise in guiding evidence-based decision-making processes for their adoption, scale-up, and integration—ensuring national prioritization and stakeholder buy-in;
• Experience working with Ministries of Health and multilateral stakeholders at the national level;