Sexual & Reproductive Health Specialist, International Consultant, Paramaribo, Suriname

The Position:

Under the overall guidance of the Director & Representative for the Sub-regional Office for the Caribbean, the International Consultant will work under the direct supervision of the UNFPA Technical SRH Adviser, currently based in Guyana, responsible for providing technical leadership in Belize and Suriname.

The SRH Specialist, based in Paramaribo, Suriname is responsible for providing technical leadership in both Belize and Suriname, working closely with Liaison officers in each country. The incumbent will provide technical support to various implementing partners in the two countries, as well as RHCS technical support for the Sub-region.

You will report to Technical SRH Adviser

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:

The SRH Specialist provides technical and programmatic leadership for the adolescent prevention project to ensure that capacity building, advocacy and policy dialogue work reflect UNFPA’s policy and programme as well as current thinking and academic advancements in substantive areas affecting the ICPD Programme of Action. S/he maintains primary responsibility for the coordination of the provision of technical assistance and programmatic support under the guidance of the SRH technical advisor.

You would be responsible for:

• Provide both technical and project management support for project implementation, including partner engagement and the planning and implementation roadmap, ensuring alignment with project objectives and key deliverables.
• Establish clear monitoring frameworks, facilitate regular progress reviews, and provide guidance on reporting mechanisms to track implementation outcomes, ensuring effective project implementation, including the development of a multi-year work plan.
• Provide technical leadership in the establishment of the adolescent girls mentorship programme, building on best practices and working closely with implementing partners, taking into account the local context in each country; including by integrating innovative approaches to ensure an ecosystem approach to empowering girls.
• Support implementing partners (IPs) in developing comprehensive work plans that align with project objectives and the Project Performance Management Framework (PMF).
• Support the capacity building of partners in comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), both in and out of school, in alignment with international guidelines. Ensure that training and implementation are culturally sensitive and contextually appropriate while promoting evidence-based approaches.
• Provide technical support to the Ministry of Health in both countries to enhance adolescent-friendly health services and ensure accessibility, quality, and responsiveness to young people's needs.
• Provide technical assistance to Ministries of Health to effectively forecast, procure, distribute and track the delivery of sexual and reproductive health commodities, as well as capacity building in the last mile assurance and provide guidance on third-party procurement in collaboration with the Supply Chain Management Unit (SCMU).
• Support the capacity building of health care providers on the provision of rights-based voluntary family planning with a focus on adolescents and marginalised populations, including capacity building in the provision of Long-acting and reversible Contraceptives (LARCS).
• Support advocacy efforts and policy dialogue initiatives to create an enabling policy environment that ensures young people have access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services and information.
• Ensure synergies and alignment, and contribute to the SROC advocacy initiatives at the policy and programme level to advance the three transformative results of ending preventable Maternal death, ending unmet need for family planning and ending gender based violence.
• Support the preparation of donor reports to ensure compliance with donor reporting requirements.
• Support evidence generation and knowledge management to inform policy and programme within the broader SROC programme.
• Support innovation to drive results, including involving young people as innovators through hackathons and booth camps.
• Provide technical guidance to SROC in the management of RH commodities, including last-mile assurance activities
• Carry out any other duties as may be requested by the office of the SROC Director.

Qualifications and Experience:

Education:

• Advanced university degree in Social Science, Public Health, or related field.

Knowledge and Experience:

• At least five years of progressively responsible professional working experience at national and international levels in programme planning, management, monitoring, and evaluation, in sexual and reproductive health.
• Experience in reproductive health commodity security management and supply chain strengthening.
• Experience in SRH, youth development and empowerment programming is essential.
• Current knowledge of the latest developments in adolescent programming and Youth Empowerment.
• Experience working in the Caribbean sub-region and with indigenous communities is an asset.
• Good analytical skills and ability to interpret complex socio-cultural backgrounds, as well as quickly obtain an overview of a variety of activities and approaches of national and international actors.
• Demonstrated leadership, facilitation, and teamwork skills and the ability to establish harmonious working relations in a multicultural environment.
• Demonstrated ability to transfer and enhance skills.
• Excellent communication skills are essential.
• Previous experience with the UN and specifically UNFPA will be an added advantage

Languages:

• Fluency in spoken and written English
• Knowledge of the Dutch language would be an advantage

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:

• Client orientation
• Organizational Awareness
• Job knowledge/Technical expertise
• Good organisational and analytical skills, accuracy, discretion, and a sense of confidentiality, Ability to propose solutions and improvements.
• The proposed consultants' willingness to comply with UNFPA’s confidentiality and conflict-of-interest rules.

Managerial Competencies (if applicable):

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.