UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

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 Health

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been certified free of wild poliovirus since November 2015, but outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV1 and cVDPV2) continue to pose a major public health risk. Between 2017 and 2025, the DRC reported 1,292 variant poliovirus cases. Thanks to intensified response efforts, cases declined significantly, from 540 in 2022 to 18 in 2025.

In 2026, surveillance confirmed four cVDPV2 cases in Maniema, while the last cVDPV1 case was reported in June 2025 in Tshopo. Despite this progress, the DRC remains one of the highest-risk countries in the African region due to persistent virus circulation in several provinces. This situation requires continued mass vaccination campaigns alongside stronger routine immunization.

Routine immunization still faces major bottlenecks, including limited cold chain capacity, weak stock management, inadequate temperature monitoring, insufficient equipment maintenance, periodic stock-outs, and inconsistent data quality. These challenges directly affect vaccine availability and potency and weaken immunization programme performance.

In this context, continued support from GPEI partners remains essential to sustain campaign quality, strengthen outbreak response, and consolidate progress toward polio eradication. To support the government’s response, UNICEF DRC has established a Polio Programme and requires strong vaccine management capacity over the coming years.

The Vaccine Management and Cold Chain Logistics Specialist will support both routine immunization and outbreak response, helping improve coordination, integration, and sustainable capacity building within the provincial EPI system. Under the administrative supervision of the Chief of Field Office in Kalémie and the technical guidance of the Immunization Supply Chain Manager in Kinshasa, the incumbent will support the Ministry of Health at provincial level and contribute to UNICEF’s strategic engagement in coordination and decision-making platforms related to immunization, vaccine logistics, and cold chain management.

How can you make a difference? 

The Vaccine Management and Cold Chain Logistics Specialist will ensure effective coordination and implementation of vaccine management and cold chain activities in the supported provinces for routine immunization, supplementary immunization activities, and outbreak response. The post is expected to deliver measurable improvements in vaccine availability, stock management, forecasting, cold chain functionality, temperature monitoring, data quality, campaign waste management and provincial capacity building. Key performance indicators will include reduced stock-out and wastage rates, improved stock record accuracy, timely vaccine distribution, increased functionality of cold chain equipment, improved completeness and timeliness of reporting, and strengthened capacity of provincial EPI teams through training, supervision, and coordination supp. The VMCCL Specialist will work under the supervision of the Chief of Field Office and technical guidance from the Immunization Supply Chain Manager.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: [ Cold Chain Logistic Specialist (Vaccine Management), P3, Kalemie, DRC, ( 6 months).docx]

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

Minimum requirements:

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master’s level or equivalent) in Public Health, Pharmacy, Health Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Immunization, or relevant field.

Experience:

• Minimum of five (5) years’ experience in vaccine/cold chain system management, or public health logistics, and other health emergencies in developing countries.
• Experience in routine immunization programme and campaigns, experience with nOPV2 campaigns in developing countries.
• Proven experience in integrated approach (Health, nutrition, wash, SBC, protection)
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or international organizations is considered as an asset
• Proven experience in coordinating and managing field teams in the GPEI and other accelerated vaccine-preventable disease initiatives.

Skills:

• Strong experience in vaccine logistics, cold chain optimization, stock management, temperature monitoring, and supportive supervision.
• Experience in data analysis and use of digital monitoring tools.
• Strong coordination, communication, and team management skills.
• Ability to work in complex and challenging environments.

Language:

• Fluency in French is required.
• Proficiency in English is required.
• Knowledge of a local language (Swahili, Lingala,Etc…) 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.

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.

Eligible staff members on fixed-term, continuing or permanent contracts applying to IP TA positions in a duty station designated as L2/L3, may be able to retain a lien and their fixed-term entitlements, subject to approval by their Head of Office. The conditions of the temporary assignment will vary depending on the status of their post and relocation entitlements may be limited as per the relevant policies.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.