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For every child, Health

Jordan’s National Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), established in 1979, originally covered five antigens (Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG), Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (DTP), and Oral Poliovirus Vaccine (OPV)). The country achieved universal child immunization in 1988 and has been polio-free since 1995. Over the years, the EPI program has expanded to include 12 antigens, with plans underway for the introduction of additional new underutilized vaccines yet very important for child survival.

Jordan’s National Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) has made significant strides over the years, achieving high coverage across multiple antigens. Building on this success, the Ministry of Health (MoH), with support from Gavi and UNICEF, is introducing the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) into the National immunization programme, targeting children under one year of age.

To ensure a smooth and effective rollout, UNICEF is providing comprehensive technical assistance to strengthen the immunization system. This includes targeted capacity building, private sector engagement, and the activation of Community Health Committees to new vaccine introduction Messages to the beneficiaries. These efforts aim to not only support the introduction of PCV but also to drive sustainable improvements in routine immunization service delivery across the country.

While national strategies for the PCV rollout are well-defined, ensuring acceptance and uptake at the decentralized level remains critical. Health workers, parents, and caregivers especially in hard to reach and areas with limited access require adequate information, reassurance, and support to the new vaccine rollout.

UNICEF will engage two qualified National consultants to be based in the Northern and Southern regions of Jordan. These consultants will work closely with health directorate EPI focal persons and MOH EPI team to monitor field activities, provide technical support, and build the capacity of health workers and private sector actors involved in the PCV rollout. They will provide real-time field insights, assess health worker and caregiver responses, and identify early implementation challenges to enable timely course correction and ensure optimal vaccine uptake.

How can you make a difference? 

The scope of this assignment will encompass monitoring rollout activities for PCV across selected Health Directorates. The North will include; Irbid, Ramtha, Mafraq, Jarash, and Ajloun and the south will include Agaba, Petra, Ma’an, Tafileh, and Karak in coordination with MoH and UNICEF; conducting structured interviews and focus group discussions with health workers, parents, and local leaders; assessing vaccine availability, health-worker training status, and visibility of communication materials; providing weekly updates that flag operational and perception-related challenges; collaborating with governorate-level EPI officers to troubleshoot emerging issues; supporting the collection and reporting of PCV doses administered, dropout rates, missed opportunities; and submission of detailed field visit reports with key findings and actionable recommendations. The key deliverables are as follows: 

• Support the immunization team in Health directorates in PCV introduction and routine immunization aspects of program design, implementation, and monitoring, including vaccination and cold chain management.
• Provide backstopping to MOH in Vaccine logistics distribution, including the development of a monthly vaccine stock analysis report at the directorate level produced and shared by the 15th of each month
• Collaborate with PHC program to ensure implementation of integrated immunization service delivery in the health directorates. 
• Coordinate with SBC and the communication team to design and implement strategies for demand generation to ensure uptake of PCV and other traditional vaccines.
• Collaborate with Ministry of Health on day-to-day activities related to immunization program 
• Follow up Directorate Immunization liaison officers on PCV introduction and support in resolving programmatic or operational challenges. 
• Regularly review PCV/immunization data and support in consolidation of monthly report on access and utilization of immunization services.
• Support any other work allocated/assigned by the supervisor or as per program priority.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

• A first University degree in one of the disciplines relevant to the following areas: Social Sciences, Medicine, Health, Public Health, Family Health, Child Development, Nursing, or a field relevant to international development assistance in Immunization and Child Survival & Health Care
• A minimum of five years of relevant professional work experience. Experience working in new vaccine introduction and working with MOH Immunization programme is required.
• Experience in knowledge management.
• Training and experience in social welfare, or Immunization/health care.
• Experience in developing dashboards to visualize data is highly desired.
• Additional qualifying experience in cold chain maintenance will be an added advantage. Proficiency in spoken and written English and Arabic is required.
• Proven experience working in multi-stakeholder and multi-cultural settings.
• Experience in training and mentoring health workers.
• Proven track record in working with ministries of health.   
• Reporting writing and data analysis.  
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Proficiency in Arabic language is required.

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about children’s rights and making a lasting difference on children’s lives, one of the global leading entities on children’s rights would like to hear from you.

Applications submitted without a financial proposal will not be considered.  The financial offer should be a lump sum for the whole assignment including Travel if applicable. 

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Sustainability (CRITAS), and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

UNICEF is also proud of a diverse workforce who are profoundly committed to supporting the full realization of children’s rights, and in uplifting a rights-based approach in all that we do.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

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.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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. 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.

Remarks:  

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

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts. 

This consultancy is for Jordanian nationals only.