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For every child, the right to HOPE! 

Vacancy Announcement: Consultant

Consultancy Title: Scaling Oxygen Access – Country Support Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station:  PG Health, MNCAH

Duration: September 2025 to August 2026

Home/ Office Based: REMOTE

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/Assignment: 

Over the past five years, triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF has exponentially increased its support to scaling oxygen access in low and middle income countries, building a portfolio of end to end support from planning, procurement of a wide range of oxygen equipment (including about 150 oxygen plants), installation/operation and maintenance of equipment to ensuring oxygen therapy is embedded in routine maternal, newborn and child health services and available for pandemic surge needs. In total, UNICEF reached over 100 countries, with close coordination between its Health Programme and Supply Division, with Regional and country offices, and with partners under the Global Oxygen Alliance (GO2AL).

For 2025 and 2026, UNICEF is focusing all our efforts on finishing the still ongoing critical activities in about 45 countries focusing on three critical elements: 1. Completing the ongoing installation of about 60 oxygen generating plants and the introduction of new generations of oxygen concentrators,  2. drive sustainability efforts for oxygen plants including maintenance capacity, exploring private sector business models for equipment operations and oxygen distribution, introducing innovations to optimize power supply for oxygen plants and 3. demonstrating impact on patient care in MNCH services.

The MNCAH Section in UNICEF’s Health Programme supports the overall coordination of these efforts, especially with regional offices, through identifying technical assistance needs and providing remote and in-person support to country offices. The section also works with partners to advance cross cutting systems bottlenecks to oxygen access, such as the development of oxygen strategies, improving measurement, and ensuring oxygen is embedded in relevant efforts to improve MNCAH services. All teams collaborate on resource mobilization to ensure continued capacity and ability for UNICEF to finish its ongoing efforts and to remain a strong partner in oxygen scale up.

The consultant based in UNICEF’s Health Programme, MNCAH Section and working in close collaboration with UNICEF’s Supply Division, will support this oxygen scale up efforts and serve as liaison for country offices as well as selected collaborative efforts with partners.

In addition, the consultant will provide support, as needed, to broader efforts in scaling essential MNCH commodities to support acceleration of mortality reduction towards the SDGs.

Scope of Work:

Under the supervision of the Child Health Specialist, Child Health Unit, the consultant will support the following activities

1.         Provide remote and on-site technical support to approx. 40 countries finishing ongoing oxygen scale up activities, including:

•           Support integration of oxygen into existing health system strengthening efforts at policy and implementation level

•           Development of oxygen strategies and roadmaps

•           Ensuring oxygen access and improved oxygen therapy in MNCAH services at facilities where UNICEF installed oxygen plants or concentrators

•           Strengthening monitoring of oxygen access/oxygen therapy

•           Support supply division team with implementing sustainability measures for oxygen equipment in countries where UNICEF implemented oxygen plants including engineering capacity, PPP models, etc.

2.         Support the hiring manager with convening of the global and regional UNICEF oxygen technical team on a monthly basis, including liaison with UNICEF Supply Division

•           Collate and compile updates on progress across regions and countries

•           Identify bottlenecks and issues for discussion and action

•           Follow up on action items

•           Support country engagement and technical support in collaboration with counterparts in UNICEF Supply Division

•           Support efforts to align, within UNICEF, efforts around health infrastructure and equipment maintenance

3.         Participate in the country implementation working group of the Global Oxygen Alliance

•           Attend bi-weekly meetings

•           Support oxygen strategy development in selected countries

•           Support mapping and identification of opportunities to integrate hypoxemia management and oxygen therapy in relevant strategies, guidelines, training and operational tools especially for MNCAH.

4.         Support ongoing resource mobilization efforts

•           Provide inputs/support the development of concept notes and country proposals

5.         Support ongoing work around essential MNCH commodities

•           Map UNICEF’s ongoing support to scaling Amoxicillin dispersible tablets and ORS/ZN in terms of quantification, forecasting, procurement and last mile delivery across selected high mortality countries and make recommendations for improvement

•           Support, as needed, efforts under a UNICEF-led MNCH accelerator aimed at increasing access to MNCH commodities 

Terms of Reference / Deliverables

Provide remote and on-site technical assistance to approx. 40 countries  

• Written updates to oxygen technical team (add to country progress tracker), mission reports

15 September 2026

Support convening of the UNICEF global and regional oxygen technical team on a monthly basis and support technical liaison with UNICEF Supply Division  

• Minutes and action items of monthly technical team meetings    

15 September 2026

Participate in the country implementation working group of the Global Oxygen Alliance

• Written updates to supervisor on action points relevant for UNICEF

15 August 2026

Support Resource mobilization 

• At least 2 concept notes/country proposals        

15 August 2026

Support ongoing work around essential MNCH commodities     

• Summary report or presentation for UNICEF’s efforts to support scale up of ORS/Zn and Amox DT across selected countries        

15 September 2026

Qualifications

(1) Education

Advanced university degree (Masters, MD) in Public Health, Medicine, Global/International Health or other related health sciences is required; PhD is an asset.

(2) Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

•     At least 8 years of demonstrated international professional experience in Public Health, especially around strategy, planning, budgeting and implementation around MNCH programming and access to essential child health commodities, especially oxygen and antibiotics

•     Preferred experience working in low- and middle-income country context with experience in policy, programme design and implementation.

•     Clinical experience in child health programming is an asset.

•     Experience working in the UN system is an asset.

Fluency in English is required.  Knowledge of another official UN language, especially French, is an asset.

Requirements: 

Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and

• Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :
  • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

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

For every Child, you demonstrate… UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:  

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, are encourage to apply are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (if applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.