ROSTER: Routine Immunization Coverage & Equity

Job Posting Organization:
UNICEF, established in 1946, is the world's leading children's rights organization, dedicated to promoting children's survival, protection, and development. With a presence in 190 countries and territories, UNICEF has over 12,000 staff members working to provide essential services such as vaccines, education, and protection from violence and exploitation. The organization is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from individuals, businesses, foundations, and governments, and operates in more than 145 countries, focusing on improving child health and nutrition, education, and sanitation.

Job Overview:
The position involves providing technical assistance to countries in the area of routine immunization coverage and equity, particularly focusing on zero-dose children and underserved populations. The consultant will support the implementation of the Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030) and Gavi 6.0 strategy, which aim to halve the number of unvaccinated children by 203

• The role requires conducting coverage and equity assessments, developing strategies to reach zero-dose children, and ensuring that gender dimensions are integrated into immunization programming. The consultant will work with various stakeholders to analyze data, identify gaps, and implement targeted interventions to improve immunization coverage and equity across different contexts, including urban, rural, and conflict-affected areas.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conduct Coverage and Equity Assessments (CEAs) to identify missed children and recommend strategies to reach them.
• Facilitate multideprivation analyses to understand the barriers faced by zero-dose children and communities.
• Assist countries in developing costed action plans for CEAs and ensure alignment with national immunization strategies.
• Provide technical support for the design and implementation of zero-dose reduction strategies targeting urban, rural, and conflict-affected populations.
• Monitor and evaluate progress in immunization coverage and equity, adapting strategies as necessary.
• Collaborate with regional and country teams to promote cross-country learning and share best practices.
• Document lessons learned and contribute to the development of guidelines and tools for reaching zero-dose children.
• Support the operationalization of catch-up vaccination plans in fragile and humanitarian settings.
• Engage with stakeholders at national and subnational levels to ensure effective implementation of strategies and interventions.

Required Qualifications:

• Advanced university degree in Medicine, Public Health, Health Policy and Management, Social or Behavioural Science, or related fields.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in immunization or health program planning and implementation.
• Strong understanding of national immunization programs and health systems.
• Experience in conducting coverage and equity assessments and developing strategies to reach underserved populations.
• Knowledge of immunization programming in various contexts, including urban, rural, and conflict settings.
• Proficiency in statistical software and strong analytical skills.
• Excellent writing and documentation skills, with the ability to synthesize information from multiple sources.

Educational Background:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree in relevant fields such as Medicine, Public Health, Health Policy and Management, or Social Sciences. Additional qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the university degree, emphasizing the importance of practical knowledge and skills in the field of immunization and health programming.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in planning, management, and implementation of immunization or health programs. Candidates should have a solid understanding of national immunization programs and experience in supporting countries to design and implement coverage and equity assessments, as well as strategies to reach zero-dose and under-vaccinated children. Field experience in various contexts, including urban, remote rural, and conflict settings, is highly advantageous.

Languages:
Fluency in English is required, both spoken and written. Knowledge of French or other UN languages is considered an asset, enhancing the candidate's ability to communicate effectively in diverse environments and with various stakeholders.

Additional Notes:
The consultancy is remote with the possibility of multiple duty stations for deployment as required. The contract duration is from 17 September 2026 to 30 August 202

• Selected candidates will be expected to have current health insurance coverage and must ensure their visa status is valid for the entire contract period. Payment of professional fees will be based on the submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables, and UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment if deliverables do not meet required standards. The selected candidate must also confirm their fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) prior to taking up the assignment, although this requirement does not apply to remote consultants.