** The vacancy is only open for Nationals of Republic of Marshall Islands**
** UNFPA offers NOC Step 1 level for this role, for more information on the salary scale, visit the UN Salaries website**

The Position:

The post of Programme Specialist is located in the Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI) as part of the UNFPA Pacific Sub-Regional Office (PSRO) in Fiji.  Under the supervision of the Multi-Country Programme Coordinator in PSRO, and the guidance by the PSRO Senior Management Team, this position is responsible for the design, development, and management of an innovative and responsive country programme in RMI, in order to deliver on UNFPA’s 7th Pacific Multi-Country Programme (2023-2027). You will lead the UNFPA team in the Republic of Marshall Islands in devising tangible solutions and results, in line with national, sub-regional and global UNFPA targets, to contribute to the country’s national development goals.

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 global Strategic Plan (2022-2025) 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 UNFPA’s strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action in the last Decade of Action to achieve Agenda 2030 including the SDGs. UNFPA Strategic Plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of health pandemics and climate crises on women’s and young people’s access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) 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 Programme Specialist will support the implementation of UNFPA’s interventions at the national and sub-national levels and to ensure that the agreed strategic interventions are implemented in line with UNFPA’s 7th Pacific Multi-Country Programme (2023-2027) for 14 Pacific Island Countries and Territories including RMI, and the Pacific UN system-wide Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, as well as the UNFPA Strategic Plan at the global level, in the context of the 2030 Agenda, the ICPD Programme of Action, and the Pacific regional 2050 Strategy. The Programme Specialist helps make sure that UNFPA’s interventions in RMI  are aligned with the national development priorities.

The position is expected to support close engagement with the Government line ministries (particularly the Ministry of Health), academic and research institutions, relevant civil society organizations and non-governmental organizations, the bilateral partners resident in country, UN agencies and other international development agencies and financial institutions, to ensure effective programme implementation as per the agreed strategic direction and work plan results framework and timeframe.

S/he would also contribute towards the analysis of political, social and economic trends, the formulation, management and evaluation of programme activities at a national level and the provision of integrated programme and operational support.

You would be responsible for:

• Supporting PSRO in coordinating the results-based implementation of the 7th Multi-Country Programme 2023-2027 in RMI, including through coordination with the Government and other Implementing Partners, capacity development support, and advocacy.
• Representing UNFPA in RMI for programme and operations matters, vis a vis the Government partners including Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ministry of Health and Human Services, Ministry of Education, Sports and Training, Ministry of Culture and Internal Affairs, and other Development Partners, as requested by PSRO.
• Ensuring that relevant Government ministries, civil society partners and bilateral/multilateral partners are kept abreast of UNFPA’s work and priorities in RMI.
• Contributing to UNFPA’s inputs to One UN by coordinating with relevant UN Agencies operating in RMI.
• Supporting the planning, coordination, delivery, monitoring, reporting of UNFPA’s country level programme results, particularly for universal access to SRH information and services and towards the elimination of preventable maternal deaths,  unmet need for family planning, and gender-based violence, both under Regular Resources funded activities and other donor-funded initiatives such as the Transformative Agenda programme;
• Assisting in positioning of UNFPA and advocacy for universal access to SRH in national and sub-national policy dialogue;
• Supporting evidence generation, analysis and utilization of data for planning, monitoring, review and evaluation of UNFPA’s programme in RMI;
• Providing day-to day support to UNFPA’s implementing partners and all other relevant stakeholders about work plan development and implementation;
• Ensure effective budget monitoring, financial reporting and accountability procedures of UNFPA are met, on time and with high quality reports;
• Supporting the active engagement of all relevant partners in a robust national SRH/RMNCAH coordination mechanism under the leadership of the Ministry of Health and Human Services;
• Providing support for capacity development of the health sector workforce to deliver 5 modern methods of family planning and selected SRH services
• Providing systematic monitoring and reporting of the central pharmacy / medical stores and service delivery points at all levels, to ensure zero stock outs of RH commodities.

Qualifications and Experience 

Education:  

• A University degree (Bachelors) in Management, International Development, Medicine, Public Health, Sociology, Gender Studies, Economics, Demography, International Relations, Public Administration,  or other related fields is required.

Knowledge and Experience: 

• Minimum of seven (7) years professional experience preferably in programme/project management in the public or private sector especially in International Development
• Substantive knowledge and practical experience in population, reproductive and sexual health programming.
• Sound knowledge of the social and cultural realities of the region.
• Strong research and analytical skills.
• Field experience is an asset.
• Familiarity with UN procedures and working methods, particularly with UNFPA’s agenda, policies and procedures, is highly desirable.
• Proficiency in MS Office Packages, database management and the Internet.

Languages: 

Fluency in English is required. Fluency in the local language is an advantage.

Required Competencies 

Compensation and Benefits 

This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance, pension, dependency allowances, annual/sick leave and other benefits as applicable.

Disclaimer 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Fraudulent notices, letters or offers may be submitted to the UNFPA fraud hotline http://www.unfpa.org/help/hotline.cfm

In accordance with the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations, persons applying to posts in the international Professional category, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.