Director Mca, Maternal, Newborn, Child

**Grade**: D2

**Contractual Arrangement**: Fixed-term appointment

**Contract Duration (Years, Months, Days)**: 12 months

**Job Posting**: Oct 15, 2024, 5:11:01 AM

**Closing Date**: Nov 5, 2024, 4:59:00 PM

**Primary Location**: Switzerland-Geneva

**Organization**: HQ/MCA Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health & Ageing

**Schedule**: Full-time

***OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME**:
WHO supports countries to strengthen their health systems to progress towards achieving universal health coverage (UHC), the essence of which is universal access to a strong and resilient, people-centered health system, with primary care as its foundation. The overall objective of WHO Division of Universal Health Coverage through the Life-Course (UHL) is to provide global policy, programme, and technical and scientific leadership for universal health coverage and for a primary health care approach to its achievement, working in close partnership with WHO regional and country offices and other partners, with the ultimate goal of all people accessing quality health services without experiencing financial hardship. Within the UHL Division, the vision of MCA Department is a world where every woman, newborn, child, adolescent and aging person in every setting realizes their rights to physical and mental health and well-being. The MCA Department leads WHO's work on the life course aiming at ensuring that every pregnant woman, mother, newborn, child, adolescent, and older person will survive, thrive and enjoy health and well-being. The Department provides support to countries with a focus on high burden countries to ensure evidence-based policies and strategies are in place to achieve universal access to high quality health services for maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and for ageing (MNCAH&A), and increase coverage and quality of effective MNCAH&A interventions among pregnant women, newborns, children, adolescents, young adults and older people, and to create mechanisms to measure the impact of those strategies.

**DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES**:

- Leads the Department in providing technical expertise to Member States and other Stakeholders with guidance and technical data required for the development, implementation, and monitoring of national and/or global policies and programmes.
- Provides the overall leadership, management accountability, and direction of the Department in delivering its objectives through managing and galvanizing a diverse workforce and financial resources to optimize the department deliverables and mandate.
- Oversees the monitoring and evaluation and reporting of the Department's area of work to ensure development of key performance indicators and global reporting requirements and mechanisms to ensure optimal performance of Department deliverables.
- Directs and leads overall establishment and development of the Department's evidence-based policies and strategies for roll out and delivery for Regional and Country Office implementation.
- Operationalizes the life course approach by optimizing health trajectories across the life course, connecting life stages including the first and second halves of life.
- Provides senior level technical advice and expertise to Senior Management in the area of assigned responsibilities in order to position the Department and Organization as a leader in the respective area.
- Serves as the scientific/technical reference among UN Agencies and other key players in the respective areas.
- Promotes the integration of Regional and Country Office perspectives and operational capacities into the Department's programme area of work.
- Represents the Organization and Department area of work in a diverse array of global fora to position WHO as a leader in the global health community.
- Performs all other related duties as assigned.

***REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS**:
***Education**:
**Essential**: An advanced level university degree (Master's level or above) in public health, medicine, maternal, newborn, child or adolescent health, ageing, or other related discipline relevant to the functions of the position.

**Desirable**: A PhD in one of the above-mentioned fields.

**Experience**:
**Essential**:

- A minimum of 15 years of professional experience in the management of primary health care, and/or maternal, newborn, child or adolescent health and/or ageing including experience providing senior level advice and guidance to Senior Management/Decision makers, managing human and financial resources, as well as experience in the area of developing and establishing policies and strategies.
- Demonstrated experience at the international and national levels, including in low
- and middle-income countries.

**Desirable**:

- Recognized internationally as an expert in areas related to maternal, newborn, child or adolescent health or ageing.
- Familiarity with WHO HQ, Regional and Country Offices and with other UN bodies and NGOs.

***Skills***:

- Expert knowledge in maternal, newborn, chi