Programme Specialist, Commodities, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Branch, Programme Division, P-4, Nairobi, HQ

The Position:

The Programme Specialist, Commodities, will be based in the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Branch (SRHRB) of the Programme Division (PD) in Nairobi, Kenya. The incumbent will support the UNFPA Supplies Partnership, the largest thematic trust fund of UNFPA, as part of UNFPA’s Family Planning Programme. The UNFPA Supplies Partnership is a Global Health Initiative that strengthens health systems by improving supply chains, advancing policy, diversifying financing, and expanding access to quality-assured contraceptives and maternal health medicines, reaching over 20 million women and girls annually in 54 of the lowest-income countries. This directly contributes to the outcomes identified in UNFPA’s Strategic Plan (2026-2029) to accelerate progress toward meeting the unmet need for family planning and ending preventable maternal deaths.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. The UNFPA Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 articulates the organization’s response to a complex global environment, providing a roadmap for resilience and renewal. It is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This mandate is pursued through a focus on four interconnected outcomes: ending the unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal deaths; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies.

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 who transform, inspire, and deliver high-impact and sustained results and ensure effective external relations, communications, and partnership-building and resource mobilization in a rapidly changing development and funding landscape. We need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them, and who commit to delivering excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

Under the overall supervision of the Programme Adviser, Commodities, the incumbent will provide advice and support to expand access to a broader mix of reproductive health (RH) commodities (contraceptives and life-saving maternal health medicines); coordinate and liaise with various units and levels at headquarters including the Supply Chain Management Unit, Programme Division, Regional Offices and Country Offices; and coordinate and liaise with the SRHRB team members to ensure effective planning, coordination, implementation, monitoring and reporting. The incumbent will be responsible for leading the coordination and management of a multi-stakeholder Gates Foundation grant, providing technical support to the UNFPA Supplies Partnership and UNFPA’s Family Planning programme.

You would be responsible for:

Grant coordination and oversight

• Act as project manager for a multi-country Gates Foundation grant. Key responsibilities will include aligning programme approaches and driving results across diverse teams (country and regional teams and the Supply Chain Management Unit); prioritizing and addressing key implementation issues; and leading the preparation and coordination of regular meetings with the donor and all key UNFPA stakeholders.
• Coordinate and manage the development of the annual work plan, monitor implementation of activities and budget, and compile comprehensive reporting on activities and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• Ensure that implementation is on track and problem-solve with regional and country offices where deliverables are not on track.
• Contribute to briefing notes, statements, talking points and correspondence on the multi-stakeholder Gates grant and commodity management activities; and prepare background papers and presentation content for internal and external audiences.

Technical programme management

• Provide technical support to UNFPA regional and country offices on method mix and choice, and their utilization of the RH commodity budget.
• Provide technical support to UNFPA regional and country offices on health system strengthening interventions related to RH commodity availability and access.
• Deliver sound and expeditious management of RH commodity procurement plans and approval of validated commodity requests in line with allocated budgets and domestic financing requirements.
• Perform oversight functions and provide support to regional and country offices in regulating and managing RH commodity needs and gaps in close coordination with the Demand and Supply Planning team in the Supply Chain Management Unit.
• Monitor and analyze RH commodity procurement trends and patterns in method mix and choice in UNFPA Supplies Partnership countries.
• Provide evidence-based capacity-building activities to regional and country offices to enable adequate method mix and commodity choice.

Communications and advocacy efforts

• Support communication and advocacy efforts related to reproductive health commodities.
• Capture learning and share knowledge, e.g. documenting approaches to reaching women and girls most in need, identifying good practices, and distilling lessons learned around commodity access and availability.

Perform any other duties that may be required.

Qualifications and Experience:

Education:

• Advanced university degree in public health, pharmacy, supply chain management, social science, public administration, management or other related fields.

Knowledge and Experience:

• At least 7 years of progressively responsible relevant experience, preferably in family planning, preferably including RH commodity planning and management, supply chain management, and/or new product introduction.
• Demonstrated expertise in RH commodity security, access and availability of RH commodities.
• Strong professional oral and writing skills including the development of reports, oral presentations, briefing notes and technical documents for consideration at the highest level of the organization and external audiences.
• Ability to synthesize ideas and messages into digestible presentations and documents for non-technical audiences.
• Demonstrated capacities in program management, technical and financial programme monitoring. and results-based management principles.

Languages:

• Fluency in English; Knowledge of other official UN languages is an asset.

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:

• Accountability and results-based management
• Advocacy/advancing a policy-oriented agenda
• Innovation and marketing of new approaches
• Technical expertise in reproductive health commodities
• Experience working at country-level
• Promoting results-based management, basic monitoring and implementation of management systems
• Generating, managing and promoting the use of knowledge and information.

Compensation and Benefits:

This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements.

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.