About The Position
The Global Programme Division (GPD) plays a central role in driving programme excellence across UNICEF. It provides global strategic leadership and policy direction, develops and monitors frameworks and standards, and ensures coherence and alignment across sectors, regions and partners. GPD generates high-impact, evidence-based solutions and serves as a hub of specialized expertise, offering technical guidance on policy reform and scalable programming. GPD leads UNICEF’s policies, standards and negotiations for programme, ensuring the organization’s assets and priorities are aligned with and contribute to child development goals. In addition, GPD strengthens country-level implementation through integrated technical support, linking global policy with on-the-ground action to deliver results for children at scale. As part of this structure, UNICEF has established Centres of Excellence (CoEs) to provide high-quality, demand-driven technical assistance to Country and Regional Offices, and their governments and partners. Located strategically in Nairobi, Panama, Amman and Bangkok, the CoEs bring together cross-cutting expertise across time zones. Global Programme Practices in CoEs function as a single point of entry for support, delivering tailored assistance in priority areas such as policy reform in matters that advance the wellbeing of children, at-scale programme design, public finance, workforce development and institutional strengthening, and timely humanitarian response while promoting resilient development. In so doing, the CoEs also contribute to global policy standards ensuring that UNICEF’s support is grounded in practical knowledge. The UNICEF Strategic Plan 2026–2029 positions maternal and newborn health (MNH) as a cornerstone of Impact Result 1: Every child survives and thrives, with MNH programming contributing directly to saving lives, reducing stillbirths, reducing the risk of death beyond the newborn period, and closing equity gaps in health outcomes. Strengthened country-level implementation, systematic monitoring, and coherent partner coordination are critical to reaching the SDG targets by 2030. Join UNICEF’s Global Programme Division as a Health Specialist (Maternal and Newborn Health) and help accelerate progress toward ending preventable maternal and newborn deaths. In this role, you will advance UNICEF’s technical assistance for MNH by driving EWENE‑CSA progress tracking, validating UNIGME and country data, and producing regional, data‑driven profiles and analyses. As stated in the JD, the specialist “plays a pivotal role in advancing UNICEF’s technical assistance for maternal and newborn health” and supports “systematic monitoring of progress toward EWENE‑CSA and SDG 2030 targets.” Your work spans four key areas: EWENE‑CSA progress tracking, Programme technical support, Global partnerships for MNH, and MNCAH monitoring and reporting. You will strengthen accountability, guide acceleration plans across 60+ countries, coordinate the EWENE Country Implementation Group, and support donor reporting and knowledge management. This role directly contributes to UNICEF’s Strategic Plan 2026–2029 and global MNH impact.
Requirements
- Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in Environment, Environmental Applied Engineering, Environmental Science/Health, Public Health, Social Sciences, International Relations, Government, Public Administration, Public Policy, Social Policy, Social Development, Community Development, or another relevant technical field.
- At least 5 years of relevant work experience at the national and/or international levels in planning, programme management and multi-country grants management of maternal newborn and adolescent health is required.
- Data validation for quality assurance
- Monitoring of annual MNH workplans
- Coordination of EWENE activities
- Documenting and disseminating case studies
- Quality assurance of donor reports
- Fluency in English is required.
Nice To Haves
- Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).
- Previous UNICEF work experience would be an asset.
- Development and reporting of SP indicators for MNCAH, multi‑country grants management, coordination of global partnerships
Benefits
- paid parental leave
- breastfeeding breaks
- reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
