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At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture., coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to care.

UNICEF is at the forefront of global efforts to eliminate vertical transmission of HIV, a critical component of its mission to improve child health and survival. The prevention of vertical transmission of HIV initiative is integral to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. In Fiji, prevention of vertical transmission of HIV is part of the broader Triple Elimination agenda, which aims to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B. A national plan of preventing vertical transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B, and Syphilis is developed to that effect and launched in June 2025.

The National Plan for the triple elimination of vertical transmission of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B in Fiji is a proactive initiative aimed at addressing the existing bottlenecks to triple elimination agenda and delineate critical actions necessary for Fiji to meet the World Health Organization's validation indicators for the triple elimination by 2029. This national plan is aligned with global health, regional and national frameworks and strategies, and best practices for the elimination of vertical transmission of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B. It builds upon existing maternal and child health strategies, national HIV prevention frameworks and emphasizes the importance of collaboration among various stakeholders.

Fiji is a low HIV prevalence country, but available data suggests that the HIV epidemic in Fiji has been growing in recent years. UNAIDS estimates show Since 2014, number of new HIV infections in Fiji has risen by an alarming 10-fold. Just 10 years later, that number was 5900 [4500–8900]. This made Fiji the second fastest growing epidemic in the Asia Pacific region In 2024, only 36% [27–54%] of people living with HIV in Fiji were aware of their HIV status, and only 24% [18–36%] were receiving treatment. While data for 2024 from the Ministry of Health show that among newly diagnosed with HIV who are currently receiving antiretroviral therapy, half contracted HIV through sharing needles, but an increase in reported cases of mother-to-child transmission is also a significant concern (UNAIDS July 2025).

The national plan set the framework for the triple elimination agenda, the principles of action, and outlined the strategic priorities for interventions and action, setting the country in clear path towards realization of the triple elimination agenda.

The consultant will play a pivotal role in costing the Fiji national plan on prevention of vertical transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B and Syphilis with a costing focus on all those actions in the plan, including procurement of services, goods, supplies, costs of actions as well as costed monitoring and evaluation framework, among others. This consultancy aims to strengthen the implementation and monitoring of all prevention of vertical transmission if HIV, Hepatitis B and Syphilis interventions. The costing needs to focus on clinical care, community interventions, documentation, and coordination, ensuring they are effective, sustainable, and culturally sensitive. By leveraging global best practices and innovative solutions, the consultant will contribute to the ultimate goal of eliminating new HIV, Hepatitis B, and Syphillis infections among children and improving the health outcomes of mothers living with HIV in Fiji.

How can you make a difference? 

The objective of this consultancy is to develop a comprehensive and evidence-based costing framework for the National Prevention of Vertical Transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B and Syphilis Plan. The consultancy will assess current and projected health service delivery needs, identify cost drivers across key programmatic areas, and produce detailed cost estimates aligned with national strategic priorities, key actions and interventions proposed in the document. This will enable policymakers and stakeholders to make informed decisions regarding budgeting, financing, and implementation of the plan, ensuring sustainability and impact in improving health outcomes of targeted groups.

The Scope of work includes:

• Review the “National Plan for Triple Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis B in Fiji 2025-2029”.
• Define the costing scope (e.g., HIV, Syphilis, Hepatitis  B, national vs. sub-national).
• Select and apply an appropriate costing methodology.
• Collect and validate data from health facilities, programs, and partners.
• Develop a costing model and conduct scenario analyses.
• Present findings to stakeholders and revise based on feedback.

Please refer to the  TOR Costing Prevention of Vertical.pdf for further information on the deliverables and the timelines. 

GUIDANCE FOR APPLICANTS:  

• Please submit a separate financial offer along with your application. The financial proposal should be a lump sum amount for all the deliverables and should show a break down for the following:
• Monthly / Daily fees– based on the deliverables in the Terms of Reference above

 

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

Minimum requirements:

Education:

• An advanced degree (Masters) in Health Economics, public health, Medicine, epidemiology, or a related field.

Experience & Skills:

• At least 5 years of experience in HIV/AIDS programs, with a specific focus on costing and financing.
• Strong knowledge of triple elimination agenda on HIV, Hepatitis B, and Syphilis strategies, global guidelines, and best practices.
• Proven experience in capacity building, training, and mentorship of healthcare providers.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to quickly grasp the local context and provide the contextualized technical support.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team
• Proficiency in data analysis and the use of relevant software tools for financing and costing.

Language:

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

 

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

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 

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, eligible and suitable candidates 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.

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.