Programme Specialist, P-3, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Branch at United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

The Position:

• The Programme Specialist will report directly to the Programme Adviser for Operations under the strategic guidance of the Chief of the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Branch of the Programme Division at UNFPA Headquarters in Nairobi.
• This Programme Specialist will support the UNFPA Supplies Partnership team. UNFPA Supplies, UNFPA’s largest thematic trust fund, helps countries build stronger health systems and widen access to a reliable supply of contraceptives and life- saving medicines for maternal health. Since its inception in 2007, UNFPA Supplies has leveraged over US$1.4 billion in support of national action to reach poor and marginalized women and girls in countries with high unmet need for family planning and high rates of maternal death.

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 strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.
• 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:

• As a part of the UNFPA Supplies Partnership team, you will be responsible for programme management, programme governance and programme operations support. You will build close relationships with stakeholders to support a transparent and effective implementation of the Supplies Partnership’s phase III.

The incumbent will be accountable for managing the UNFPA Supplies Partnership Programme:
Programme Governance

• Act as an administrator to the UNFPA Supplies Partnership Programme to ensure the governance bodies, including the Steering Committee, the Strategy and Planning Committee, the Finance and Risk Committee, and the Leadership Committee of the UNFPA Supplies Programme functions effectively.
• Coordinate with UNFPA Supplies Resources Mobilization Adviser for related donor relation and partnership activities, including donor constituency, committee rotation, organizing steering committee and subcommittee meetings.
• Collaborate with the relevant thematic focal points to provide feedback on technical issues raised by the Supplies Steering Committee.
• Liaise with relevant thematic focal points to organize events and meetings, including preparing background materials, presentations and other necessary documents.
• Provide support functions in the office of the Independent Chair to the UNFPA Supplies Steering Committee.

Programme Management

• Manage the work plan of the Supplies programme team, monitor implementation of activities and budget, support results and expenditure reporting.
• Contribute to planning, implementing, monitoring, reporting, and evaluating the Supplies programme interventions and family planning strategies.
• Provide technical support to identify needs and resources for implementing the recommendations and action items from the Supplies Steering Committee.
• Support resources management of the Supplies programme budget, including reviewing budget allocation, monitoring budget utilization, and conducting budget verification
• Perform oversight function and provide support to country offices, including engaging with implementing partners related to Supplies programme management.
• Support capacity-building activities and knowledge management initiatives.

Programme Operations

• Support human resources management of the Supplies programme and the SRHR branch.
• Provide support on consultancy hiring and oversee contract management
• Support financial management and procurement administration to ensure budgetary tasks, payments, and procurement activities comply with policies and procedures

Communications and Advocacy Efforts

• Contribute to briefing notes, statements, talking points, and correspondence on the Programme; prepare background papers and presentation content for the branch and senior management.
• Administer the UNFPA Supplies Community Page and update information regularly and systematically, ensuring information sharing with relevant stakeholders.
• Support any communications and advocacy efforts of the SRHR branch.

Management of the SRHR Branch Support

• Provide support to the Chief for the management and coordination functions of the branch
• Provide operational support to the branch to ensure internal workstream cohesion and policy compliance.
• Carry out any other duties that the Branch Chief or the Division Director may require.

Qualifications and Experience:
Education:

• Advanced university degree in Social Science, Public Administration, Business Administration, International Relations or other related field

Knowledge and Experience:

• Five years of relevant professional experience with direct experience relating to programme management and development relevant to sexual and reproductive health
• Experience in programme implementation, monitoring and coordination;
• Experience in management of programme budget reporting, especially on impact/ results;
• Excellent organization skills and attention to detail, deadlines and policy compliance;
• Ability to work independently and as part of an integrated, diverse team and be comfortable in multiple, highly varied settings and tight deadlines with different work and learning styles;
• Strong understanding of governance structures and donor relationships in a thematic fund;
• Demonstrated ability to manage multi-stakeholder processes;
• Familiarity with UNFPA/UN systems;
• Proven ability to produce demonstrable results;
• Excellent interpersonal skills;

Languages:

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

Required Competencies:
Values:

• Exemplifying integrity,
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system,
• Embracing cultural diversity,
• Embracing change

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,

Functional Competencies:

• Business acumen - project management and human resources
• Organizational awareness, applying systematic thinking and using sound judgment, using formal structure/hierarchy;
• Promoting results-based management, basic monitoring and implementation of management systems;
• Generating, managing and promoting the use of knowledge and information;
• Job knowledge/technical expertise, in-depth knowledge of own discipline