Re-advertisement: Coordinator (Polio Outbreak Response), P-4, Fixed Term Position, Nairobi, Kenya #00017843

This is a re-advertisement, candidates who have already applied do not need to re-apply.

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to a Future

Despite significant progress, outbreaks of vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) have been reported in over 30 countries since 2020, alongside continued circulation of wild poliovirus in a few regions. In response, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) has extended its 2022–2026 Strategy through 2029. This extension reflects the urgent need to overcome persistent challenges in delivering healthcare in complex settings and to permanently interrupt poliovirus transmission. The updated strategy emphasizes maximizing opportunities to vaccinate children, fostering collective ownership and accountability, and maintaining urgency in line with polio’s designation as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). UNICEF’s efforts are focused on achieving Goal 2 of the strategy: stopping cVDPV transmission and preventing outbreaks in non-endemic countries. Polio eradication remains a top organizational priority in the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) region. A large sub-regional outbreak response is currently underway, coordinated by partner agencies and governments. This includes synchronized supplementary immunization activities (SIAs), strategic communication and social mobilization, vaccine management, and enhanced disease surveillance. Countries without active outbreaks are supported to strengthen their preparedness, while several others are implementing costed polio transition plans with UNICEF’s support. Coordination is also pivotal to ensure routine immunization reaches all eligible, especially those in zero-dose communities, is reinforced, bringing synergies. The Coordinator (Polio Outbreak Response) will lead and coordinate the Regional Office’s polio eradication efforts within the Health Section, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. Despite recent gains, ESA remains vulnerable to polio re-importation, as evidenced by recent outbreaks—including wild poliovirus cases in Malawi and Mozambique, and ongoing cVDPV1 and cVDPV2 outbreaks in several countries. Routine immunization coverage in many Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) countries remains below global targets, particularly at sub-national levels, with progress further set back by systemic challenges and the COVID-19 pandemic. In this context, the Regional Polio Coordinator will play a pivotal role in supporting UNICEF Country Teams and Ministries of Health to strengthen outbreak preparedness and response, and to guide the development of evidence-based communication strategies to boost demand and sustain coverage. This will be complemented by reinforced efforts to strengthen routine immunization, which remains essential for preventing future outbreaks and achieving sustainable impact. 

How can you make a difference

Under the supervision of the Deputy Regional Director, and in close collaboration with the Health teams in the Centers of Excellence and the HARP team in the Regional Office, the Coordinator will provide strategic and technical leadership for UNICEF’s Polio eradication agenda in ESA. Responsibilities include program coordination, policy and strategy development, outbreak preparedness and response planning, and timely technical assistance to countries, including coordination for re-enforced routine immunization. Under delegated authority, the incumbent will oversee all phases of the Regional Office’s Polio program—from formulation to delivery of results—in alignment with UNICEF’s Strategic Plan, performance standards, and accountability frameworks.

Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks:

1. Ensure Strategic Leadership and advocacy through representation of regional perspectives in global Polio eradication initiatives .
2. Provide Technical Expertise to country offices for planning, outbreak response, immunization systems, and transition strategies.
3. Coordinate and Oversee Teams through work plan management and cross-sectoral collaboration.
4. Ensure Program Quality and Accountability via performance tracking, reporting, and evaluations.
5. Promote Innovation and Knowledge Sharing across country offices.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  JD_Coordinator (Polio Outbreak Response), P-4

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in Social Sciences, International Relations, Government, Public Administration, Public Health, Public Policy, Social Policy, Social Development, Community Development, or other relevant disciplines. 
  A Bachelor or equivalent (First Level University Degree) in a relevant area combined with 2 additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree. This is applicable to internal (FT, Continuing and Permanent) staff only.
• Work Experience: A minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible professional work experience at the national and international levels in emergency programming, Public Health Emergencies, programme/project development, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and administration. International and developing country work experience and field work experience is required. Background/familiarity with Emergency Response in a fast-changing environment is required. Experience in management and coordination of technical support in health-related emergency and humanitarian preparedness and response is required. 
• Skills: Communication Skills, Strategic Planning, Problem Solving, Adaptability Skills.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required. 

Desirables:

• Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset, Spanish and French are highly desirable. 
• Knowledge and field experience of UNICEF programmes, as an asset.
• Prior emergency response experience in polio eradication and complex humanitarian environment are an asset.
• Experience in programme/project management, and UN policies and strategy is desirable.
• Experience in large scale Social Behavior Change programmes and /or vaccine supply management is an asset. 
• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts. 

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships
(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
(3) Drive to achieve results for impact
(4) Innovates and embraces change
(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity
(6) Thinks and acts strategically
(7) Works collaboratively with others
(8) Nurtures, leads and manages people

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable male candidates from LACR and EAPR are encouraged to apply

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants' bank account information.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF's Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.