Health Officer, Polio Vaccine Management at United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)

United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Health Officer, Polio Vaccine Management

Job no: 580873
Location: Abuja (FCT)
Contract type: Temporary Appointment
Duty Station: Abuja
Level: NO-2
Categories: Health

Purpose Of Assignment

• The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) seeks to ensure that future generations of children will be free from the threat of polio paralysis.
• Achieving this goal depends on ensuring rapid and effective responses to poliovirus outbreaks in polio-free countries. 
• Polio eradication continues to be an organizational priority and, like COVID-19, is a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). 
• The number of outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV2) has far exceeded global expectations in recent years.
• To provide continued support to the Nigeria Polio outbreak response and preparedness, UNICEF is seeking to recruit a Health Officert -Vaccine Management to ensure UNICEF’s accountability during any polio outbreak is best managed as a critical component of the global outbreak Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). With increasing outbreaks and the need to implement a timely response in multiple contexts.
• The staff will provide high-quality technical assistance to the country National EOC to implement data driven polio vaccine management activities including pre-campaign plannings (trainings, Cold chain planning, vaccine availability etc), implementation (supervision, tracking utilization of vaccines, stock management) post implementation (disposal and reporting of all vaccines used) for polio SIA rounds and outbreak responses. 
• He/she will facilitate the use of digital tools and conduct vaccine management-related analyses to ensure the provision of guidance to the national EOC on polio vaccine management-related matters.

Major Responsibilities
Under the supervision of the Health Specialist, Vaccine Management, the staff will perform the following duties and responsibilities:

• Collaborate with EOC logistics team and partners to work on polio vaccine forecasting, develop cold chain and logistics aspects of the country outbreak response plan and adapt the outbreak SOP and the SOP for vaccine management (SOP-VM2) and nOPV2 (SOP-nOPV2) to the country context.
  • Liaise with the UNICEF Programme and Supply unit and support the vaccine logistics teams at the UNICEF country office and EOC to support:
  • Planning, ordering, and arrival of vaccine and consumables (bOPV, nOPV2, Pen markers, etc.) through international or national shipments.
  • In conjunction with the supply unit, track the shipment of polio vaccines and provide feedback to the EOC.
  • Monitor polio vaccines stock in-country arrivals and track delivery to the states as per the distribution.
  • Maintain an inventory of vaccine carriers and other polio-related supplies and provide a gap analysis 3 months before every campaign.
• Support EOC to implement and build capacity for:
  • Proper storage of polio vaccines and related consumables at each level of the supply cold chain. This may include short, medium or long-term cold chain equipment planning.
  • Optimal distribution and utilization of vaccines and consumables as per polio SIA macro- and micro-plans
  • Record stock balance and report on vaccine utilization at all levels of the vaccine supply chain after each polio OBR/SIA round.
  • Providing regular reports on vaccine stocks in the country when submitting requests for additional vaccines.
• Support vaccine accountability processes and ensure the accountability of all polio vaccine vials
  • Maintain stock record of polio vaccines in the country
  • Track accountability of polio vaccines using VAR forms
  • Collect, collate, summarize, and analyze Polio Vaccine accountability report after every round
  • At end of each round ensure all partially used polio vaccine vials are disposed of as per WHO and/or national guidelines and all unopened vials are retrieved at a predetermined level of the supply chain for future use.
  • At end of the final round, all used and unused polio vaccine vials are disposed of as biological waste as per WHO and/or national guidelines and EOC attests to restoration of Polio virus free status for the country.
  • Summarize Form A and facilitate IM signature after every OBR.

Expected Output:

• Detail polio vaccine accountability report at the end of every SIA/OBR (SVAR-, Form A and destruction report).
• Monthly update of polio related cold chain inventory and gap analysis and mitigation measures.
• Weekly and monthly update of polio vaccine stocks (shipment, stock balances, distribution etc).
• Monthly progress report should be provided by each contractor.
• Regular updated Polio VM/RRT dashboard.
• A detailed assignment report will be required at the end of the current contract period.
• End of campaigns report.

Requirements

Education: 

• A University degree in one of the following fields is required: Pharmacy, Medicine, Medical Sciences, Public Health, Engineering or the Physical Sciences and an Advanced degree in a related area of study.
• Equivalent educational qualification in relevant areas (transport or logistics operations/management, supply management etc)

Work Experience:

• Minimum of two (2) years of experience in international public health programme management, including at least one (1) year in immunization, preferably in the areas of:
  •  Polio vaccine management (nOPV2/tOPV/bOPV)
• 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
• Assessing and measuring supply chain performance
• Experience interfacing with national ministries of health, NPHCDA, EOC an advantage.
• Proven experience in strategic negotiations and planning in multi-stakeholder settings
• Experience in writing complex strategic proposals, developing multi-year operational plans
• Experience in training, planning, and delivery of technical assistance
• Effective presenter, including ability to adapt the message and visual aids for multiple audiences to deliver concise, impactful presentations
• Knowledge of supply chain management and operations
• Excellent analytical skills
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multi-cultural environment
• Fluency in written and spoken English and the official UN language of the duty stations is required. Knowledge of local languages is an added value.
• Proficiency in MS Excel, PowerPoint, Word
• Familiarity with ODK, U-Report, DHIS2, eLMIS and field data collection is an asset

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Application Closing Date
15th April, 2025 West Central Africa Standard Time.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online