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Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

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For every child, Hope

How can you make a difference?

To provide technical support and assistance for UNICEF’s overall vaccine management for north wester immunization service delivery and operations.

Timely and equitable immunization services are amongst the most cost-effective development interventions with sustained and long-term health and economic dividends for nations. And effective end-to-end vaccine stock management is at its core, ensuring life-saving vaccines are always available up to the last mile, coverage goals are met, and no child is left behind.

However, each year at least one-third of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) experience one or more vaccine stockouts lasting for one month or more. By reviewing annual government reported supply chain indicators over the last ten years, LMICs have seen an increase in the number of stock outs of at least one routine antigen from 30% in 2010 to 45% in 2019.

Sub-optimal stock management not only increases the operational and opportunity costs of vaccination but can also play a significant role in broadening inequities and stagnating demand, specifically affecting under-served, urban poor, insecure and hard-to-reach populations. UNICEF and WHO Joint Reporting Form (JRF) analysis indicate 46% of developing countries has witnessed service interruptions due to stock outs in 2019, an increase from 30% in 2014.

UNICEF Gaziantep, in collaboration with the Syrian Immunization Group (SIG), has taken the lead to implement COVID-19 response, routine EPI & Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI), Measles and any other campaigns.

To proactively address stock management (COVID-19, polio and RI) challenges and ensure relevant national and subnational authorities have adequate capacity to received, store, distribute and monitor the upcoming major surge in COVID-19 vaccines, UNICEF would like to deploy vaccine management (VM) specialist at national office.

Scope of Work:

Under the overall supervision of health specialist, the VM specialist will be accountable for the following key deliverables:

1. Ensure issues in vaccine management are identified and actively addressed at local level.

2. Support revalidation of Supply Chain and Waste Management section of Northwest Syria National Deployment and Vaccination Plan (NDVP) for COVID-19.

3. Support EOC / SIG / UNICEF to effectively manage the arrivals, storage, temperature monitoring and control during storage and distribution and redistribution, vaccine accountability, disposal and waste management for COVID-19, Polio and routine vaccines.

4. Plan, receive, store, deploy and monitor COVID-19 related logistics (CCE, UCC equipment, shippers) including    waste management as per manufacturer’s guidelines.

5. Facilitate Syrian Immunization Group (SIG) / EOC to access to up-to-date stock management data including on forecast/actual quantities, stock-on-hand, consumption rates, expiry dates, open and closed vial wastage, critical operational challenges and data use for action.

6. Lead the development of monthly vaccine accountability reports at national and subnational levels, including stock receipts, distribution, utilization, and wastage rates.

7. Support the deployment or where exist the strengthening of vaccine inventory system to collect data on vaccine arrivals, dispatch, and closed vial wastage. Develop/adopt relevant SOPs and guidelines.

8. Support vaccine forecasting, data triangulation of stock, consumption, and coverage at all levels of the supply chain, considering data use barriers and mitigation strategies.

9. Coordinate with GAVI, UNICEF office and other implementing partners (NGOs / INGOs) on day-to-day basis for the requirements and allocation of vaccines for NWS.

10. Update CCE inventories on quarterly basis. Document and follow-up including UCC maintenance and waste     management plans.

11. Support the integration and deployment of vaccine verification systems and organize capacity development events and devise on-the-job training plans for key partners at Gaziantep and inside NWS.

12. Support immunization partners to conduct focused evaluations and monitor cold chain performance, particularly in stock management, in accordance with EVM2.0 guidelines. This should be coupled with the iterative development and implementation of improvement plans.

13. VM Specialist will work in collaboration with SIG and key stakeholders (WHO, SIG and EPI implementing partners).

14. VM specialist will make sure that districts and populations with poor access are identified and utilization of immunization services are mapped.

15. VM specialist will also contribute to the COVID-19 & polio vaccination campaign including EPI programme planning, implementation, and monitoring.

16. Will support the planning and implementation of health system strengthening strategies an activity which increase and sustain EPI performance especially in high focus areas of NW Syria.

17. Will provide all donor reports on time, special focus on COVID-19 funding and their utilization reports.

18. Will support the development of programme and financial proposals for RI and SIAs (vaccines, operations, cold chain management, staff support).

19. Provide technical support in development of micro/macro plan for COVAX, routine EPI and polio campaigns.

20. Preparedness for meetings with SIG, WHO and other immunization implementing partners.

21.  Any other relevant activities in consultation and discussion with the supervisor(s).

Deliverables:

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

• University degree is required (Advanced degree an advantage), preferably in relevant field (e.g., business planning, supply chain management, economics, international development studies,
• At least (8) years of experience in international public health programme management including at least three (3) years in immunization, with experience in low- and middle-income countries, preferably in the areas of:
•  Logistics management systems
• Supply chain bottleneck and root cause analysis
• Familiarity with inventory policies, allocation, ordering and distribution strategies and other supply chain operations
• Health systems strengthening
• Experience working with GAVI
• Assessing and measuring supply chain performance
• Experience interfacing with national health NGOs an advantage.
• Working experience in NWS XB context is an asset.

Languages: Proficiency in both written and spoken English is required. Familiarity with Arabic language will be considered a significant asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit  here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

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. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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.

Remarks: 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.