[Job Vacancy] Adviser, Science Systems and Services (Pediatrics) at the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)

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The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) is leading the global effort to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Since the first cases of HIV were reported more than 35 years ago, 78 million people have become infected with HIV and 35 million have died from AIDS-related illnesses. Since it started operations in 1996, UNAIDS has led and inspired global, regional, national and local leadership, innovation and partnership to ultimately consign HIV to history.

UNAIDS is a problem-solver. It places people living with HIV and people affected by the virus at the decision-making table and at the centre of designing, delivering and monitoring the AIDS response. It charts paths for countries and communities to get on the Fast-Track to ending AIDS and is a bold advocate for addressing the legal and policy barriers to the AIDS response. UNAIDS provides the strategic direction, advocacy, coordination and technical support needed to catalyse and connect leadership from governments, the private sector and communities to deliver life-saving HIV services. Without UNAIDS, there would be no strategic vision for the AIDS response.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Adviser, Science Systems and Services (Pediatrics) – Nigeria

Vacancy No.: UNAIDS/22/FT62
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Contract type: Fixed-term Appointment
Duration of contract: Two (2) years
Organization unit: AI/RSD Regional Support Team, West and Central Africa (AI/RSD)
Grade: NO-D

Mandate of the Department

• The Country Office provides leadership and coordinates the expanded UN system response in Country. Using an equity and equality lens as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Country Office scales up HIV services focused on key populations and locations most at risk.
• The Country Office promotes effective use of strategic information to better understand and track the epidemic and its trends, and to measure progress and sustainable impact of the response in Country.
• It supports efforts to strengthen the capacities of communities and their meaningful engagement in health, social protection, and human rights mechanisms, and provides support and technical guidance as necessary to national partners and policymakers.
• The Global Science, Systems and Services Practice, which includes Science Systems and Services for All Advisors in country and regional offices, has as its goal the promotion, and acceleration of sustainable transformative actions and equitable, innovative programmatic solutions, strategies, and policies for meeting the targets of the Global AIDS Strategy, especially in supporting delivery of Strategic Priority 1 (maximize equitable and equal access to HIV services and solutions) and Strategic Priority 3 (fully resource and sustain efficient HIV responses and integrate them into systems for health, social protection, humanitarian settings and pandemic responses) and relevant cross-cutting areas of the new Global AIDS Strategy.

The Practice includes:

• Programme Innovation for Prevention, Treatment and Pediatrics, which covers the HIV treatment prevention continuum and focuses on reaching the 95-95-95 target, 95% combination prevention targets and leaving no one behind.
• Global Fund and PEPFAR, which has a strong role in liaising with key partners with a primary function of securing leadership and ownership in countries and problem solving so that the financing investment is maximized.
• Through its work the team helps to build pathways for sustainability. This team has a leadership role on the technical support mechanism which is key for the delivery of tailored services to our regional and country offices.
• Integrated Strategies and Systems for HIV and Health focuses on the importance of multisectoral approaches to HIV and health, and on ensuring that community-led responses are fully integrated in health systems and beyond.
• Working together with the expertise from throughout the Global Practice, regional and country office practice members build on internal and external strategic partnerships to ensure UNAIDS Secretariat leadership on service delivery and system integration to take AIDS out of isolation. Team members work to provide partners and stakeholders with tailored policy guidance and strategic and technical assistance to overcome bottlenecks.
• At the Global Centre, the department will rely on a matrix management approach to enhance its linkages with the following areas: Human Rights, Gender Equality, Communities, and Key Populations; Sustainable Financing for HIV, Pandemics, and Health; Strategic Information, and Resource Mobilization.

Main Tasks and Responsibilities

• Within the matrix management reporting structure of the Country Office, the Advisor, Science Systems and Services for all focuses on a manageable set of deliverables that are aligned with the UNAIDS Global Strategy and the capacity and the needs in Country.

He /she has the following key responsibilities:
Programme Innovation for Prevention, Treatment and Pediatrics:

• Provide thematic leadership on the country office’s activities towards scaling up of combination HIV prevention programmes for key populations
• Provide thematic leadership in the country office’s activities to scale up HIV treatment to achieve 95-95-95 targets and differentiated service delivery models with a focus on those most vulnerable and addressing inequities in service access
• Support national partners in adopting, implementing, monitoring, and reporting strategies and innovations on HIV Combination Prevention, especially interventions related to ARV-based prevention (U=U, PrEP), new prevention technologies and use of virtual space for delivery of services, as well as addressing persistent inequities in access to existing prevention interventions such as condoms and lubricants, and harm reduction services;
• Support national and other health development partners to prioritize and drive innovative and country specific HIV prevention options and solutions for Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) interventions, including areas on Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT), and interventions for boys and men for the prevention of Gender Based Violence (GBV)
• Ensure effective focus of HIV programming at country level for key populations and collaborate with the community advisor on promoting approaches to scale up trusted service access platforms for key populations
• Provide technical and coordination guidance on implementation of national policies and protocol related to Combination HIV prevention, treatment and pediatrics, including advocacy for the introduction of innovations and harmonization to global standards.
• Facilitate advocacy efforts to maintain momentum and prioritization of HIV Combination prevention, treatment and pediatrics including differentiated service delivery approaches
• Provide oversight of the coordination of UN interagency collaboration and UBRAF planning and implementation for HIV Combination prevention, treatment and pediatrics
• Support national partners, civil society and key population communities in scaling up a continuum of HIV Combination prevention, testing, treatment and support services for the five key populations;

Facilitation of partnerships between governments, ministries and key partners (including specifically The Global Fund and PEPFAR):

• Manages the day-to-day partnerships with Global Fund (GF) and PEPFAR at the country level, including participating and supporting the Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM), POART and other partners’ forums as needed.
• Maintain optimal two-way communication with the RST and Global Center on Global Fund’s latest developments or processes such as new GF grant applications and PEPFAR’s processes (including PEPFAR Country Operational Plans) to help inform RST and Global Center’ interactions with the Global Fund at regional and global center and follow up on specific programme areas by co-sponsors
• Contributes to ensure an alignment of PEPFAR and GF investments and overall cost-effectiveness of programme activities.
• Participate and contribute to the development of knowledge management activities to support country stakeholders accessing and implementing PEPFAR and GF grants.
• Promote domestic resource mobilization for a fully funded and sustained HIV programme.
• Facilitate strong and strategic engagement of UNAIDS country office with the Global Fund country team and PEPFAR country team, to promote country ownership, leadership and alignment of funding with country priorities and national health systems for sustainability of the HIV programme.
• Provides direct support to country stakeholders to access and implement GF and PEPFAR funding to address the most urgent gaps and inequalities, and deliver the greatest impact, building national financial capacity and strengthening national systems to sustainably deliver effective, resilient, inclusive and equitable HIV responses, and incorporate the latest HIV technical guidance and best practices.
• Systematically monitor progress and identify issues arising in GF and PEPFAR processes at country level through open exchange of views with the Global Fund and PEPFAR Country Teams, Country Coordinating Mechanism representatives, Principal and Sub-Recipients, PEPFAR Implementing Partners and other relevant country stakeholders, and coordinates UNAIDS’ country support in collaboration with UCO and co-sponsor colleagues.
• Advises on UNAIDS’ country support and any additional technical support needs at country level that can be addressed through TSM assignments at country level.

Promotion of integrated services and systems for health and HIV:

• Support national partners to integrate and institutionalize HIV into national efforts for health systems strengthening (HSS) and community systems strengthening (CSS), including facilitating discussions (in collaboration with the sustainable financing practice) of Sustainability of HIV Financing into national Universal Health Coverage agenda and other social protection measures,
• Facilitate the work on people-centred and context-specific strategies and systems for HIV and health (including data and information systems) and programmes for addressing comorbidities, coinfections and other health needs with a particular focus on health and HIV service access of people living with HIV, key populations and other priority populations for the HIV response
• Support national initiatives that integrate HIV into multi-sectoral approaches, including programmes related to urban settings.

Community-led responses:

• Provide thematic leadership in the national response in scaling up effective community-led service delivery approaches.
• Collaborate with Advisors for key populations in the Department and in the Knowledge and Advocacy Branch in promoting trusted community access platforms for HIV prevention, testing and treatment for the five key populations.

Required Qualifications
Education:

• Essential: Advanced University Degree in Public Health, International Health, Social or Political Science.
• For internal candidates only: A relevant First University Degree and 9 years of relevant work experience will be considered as equivalent.

Experience:

• Essential: At least 7 of experience at national or international level in the area of programme development, evidence, policy analysis and monitoring and evaluation. Demonstrated knowledge and sound understanding of the United Nations Joint Programming on HIV.
• Desirable: Experience in programme data analysis and preparation and implementation of evidence informed programmes; knowledge of the HIV epidemic and its impact.

Languages:

• Essential: Fluency in English.
• Desirable: Knowledge of additional UN official languages.

Competencies:
UNAIDS Values:

• Commitment to the AIDS response.
• Integrity
• Respect for diversity

Core Competencies:

• Working in teams
• Communicating with impact
• Applying expertise
• Delivering results
• Driving change and innovation
• Being accountable

Managerial Competencies:

• Leading teams
• Building relationships and networks
• Developing and empowering others
• Managing performance and resources
• Vision and strategic thinking
• Exercising sound judgement

Salary
N28,111,328 annally (Net of tax) at single rate.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply

Application Deadline  8th October, 2022.

Note

• Applicants will be required to take a test.
• Applicants will be contacted directly if selected for an interview.
• Applications from people living with HIV are particularly welcome.
• Applications from women and from nationals of non- and under-represented member states are particularly encouraged.
• Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to the Staff Regulations and Rules of the World Health Organization (WHO) adjusted, as necessary, to take into account the particular operational needs of UNAIDS, and any subsequent amendments.
• Online applications are strongly encouraged to enable UNAIDS to store your profile in a permanent database.
• The system provides instructions for online application procedures.
• All applicants are encouraged to apply online as soon as possible after the vacancy has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the vacancy announcement.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• Only nationals of Nigeria are eligible to apply.You are required to reside within reasonable commuting distance of the UNAIDS office located in Abuja.
• A valid passport will be requested. Furthermore, only online applications will be accepted.
• Other similar positions at the same level may be filled from this vacancy notice.
• The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer or promotion of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity.
• The medical criterion for recruitment is fitness to work in the particular post.
• The United Nations HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy clearly stipulates that no staff and/or potential candidates shall be discriminated against on the basis of real or perceived HIV status. HIV infection, in itself, does not constitute lack of fitness to work. There is no obligation to disclose HIV-related personal information