Health Specialist, Short-Term

Background

The Cross-River Care Project implemented by UNDP with financial support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and United Kingdom (UK) complements and supports the Government of Moldova’s efforts to achieve the global strategic health objective and to improve the well-being of the population by actively promoting a modern and efficient health system that meets the needs of each individual, leaving no one behind.

The Project will ensure that in the new environment, on one hand, the residents from the left bank (including the refugees) have better, safer and more equitable access to emergency healthcare services. On the other hand, it will help overcome mistrust and thus decrease tensions, building dialogue and constructive engagement.

The strategic goal of the Project is to achieve an enhanced environment of trust and cooperation across the Transnistrian conflict divide through joint work on improving the living standards of men and women from the left bank, via safer and more equitable access to emergency healthcare services.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the guidance of the Programme Specialist/Cluster Lead and overall collaboration with the Project Manager, the Specialist is expected to perform the following tasks:

Provide strategic and technical leadership for strengthening emergency medical services (EMS) across both banks of the Nistru River.

• Provide overall conceptual, methodological, and technical guidance to the project team in the assessment and evaluation of the left bank EMS system, including identification of priority needs for modernization, capacity development, and alignment with international standards.
• Lead and facilitate the work of the joint expert group, ensuring effective coordination and provision of technical recommendations on EMS protocol harmonization, development of training programmes, preparation of a cross-river EMS Roadmap, and ongoing rehabilitation and re-equipping efforts of the Slobozia model emergency unit.
• Guide the identification and prioritization of EMS protocols requiring revision and harmonization, while ensuring methodological oversight and quality assurance throughout the development and validation of the selected priority protocols.
• Provide strategic advice and technical direction to project partners on EMS system strengthening, institutional cooperation, and implementation of internationally recognized standards and practices.

Strengthen institutional capacities and promote inclusive healthcare service delivery.

• Guide the work of the Cross-river Health Platform in planning and implementing capacity-building initiatives for emergency medical personnel, ensuring enhanced preparedness and responsiveness to the healthcare needs of women, men, and children.
• Ensure that all capacity development interventions incorporate gender-responsive and people-centred approaches, promoting equitable access to quality emergency healthcare services.
• Facilitate knowledge exchange and professional cooperation among healthcare institutions and practitioners from both banks of the Nistru River to foster mutual learning and trust-building.
• Support strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and development of a cross-river EMS Roadmap.
• Lead the development of a strategic Roadmap for EMS system strengthening and harmonization, including coordination of consultations with key stakeholders to gather evidence, feedback, and recommendations.
• Build and maintain effective partnerships with relevant national and local authorities, healthcare institutions, professional associations, development partners, and technical experts to support project objectives.
• Provide technical support and advisory services to stakeholders engaged in EMS reform processes, ensuring alignment with project goals and international best practices.

Monitor progress, ensure quality assurance, and support knowledge generation.

• Monitor progress of EMS harmonization and capacity-building activities, ensuring timely delivery of outputs and adherence to agreed quality standards.
• Provide technical review and quality assurance of analytical reports, protocols, training materials, and strategic documents developed under the project.
• Document lessons learned, good practices, and recommendations emerging from project implementation to support evidence-based decision-making and future interventions.
• Contribute to knowledge sharing, advocacy, and dissemination of project achievements, promoting sustainable and inclusive approaches to emergency healthcare cooperation across both banks of the Nistru River.

Institutional Arrangement

The Health Specialist works under the general supervision of Programme Specialist and collaborates closely with the Project Manager and the Project team as well as UNDP Inclusive Growth Cluster management

Competencies

Core Competencies

Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact.

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems.

Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences.

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands.

Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results.

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration.

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies
Business Direction & Strategy - System Thinking

• Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

Business Direction & Strategy - Negotiations and Influence

• Reach a common understanding/agreement.
• Persuade others, resolve points of difference through a dialogue, negotiate mutually acceptable solutions and create ‘win-win’ situations.

Business Development - Knowledge Generation

• Ability to research information and to turn it into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.
• Ability to apply existing concepts to new situations, and to develop new concepts to generate workable solutions and new approaches.
• Knowledge of relevant concepts, conceptual models, and theories that can be useful in addressing new situations.

2030 Agenda: People - Health

• Health emergencies, including surge capacity and support.

2030 Agenda: People - Health

• Health Resilience and Sustainable Systems for Health

2030 Agenda: People - Health

• Procurement services of health products

2030 Agenda: People - Gender

• Gender responsive conflict analysis

Required Skills and Experience

Minimum education requirements

• Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Public Health Management or related field is required, or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Minimum years of relevant work experience

• Minimum 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible relevant experience at the national or international level in providing Public Health Management advisory services, hands-on experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of development projects, and/or leading and managing projects.

Required skills

• Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and web-based management systems, and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.
• Knowledge and experience in public health management advisory services.

Desired skills

• Experience in working, liaising, and collaborating with UN agencies, governments, NGOs, civil society organizations, and public international organizations.
• Experience in developing/adjusting / synchronizing of emergency Medical Services Protocols.
• Experience in evaluations/assessments/studies in the area of public health care institutions management will be considered a strong advantage.

Required Languages

• Fluency in English, Romanian, and Russian is required.
• Working knowledge of one or more minority languages relevant for Moldova, including Russian, Romani, Gagauzian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian and sign language, is an asset.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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