The Position:

The Technical Adviser is the principal adviser at the regional level for integrated technical and programme advice on sustainable financing for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and Gender-based Violence (GBV). The Technical Adviser works in an integrated manner with the technical and programme staff in the Regional office (RO), Sub-regional office (SRO) and Country offices (COs), and reports directly to the Deputy Regional Director.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

In a very diverse region that is home to more than 50% of the world’s population, you will provide strategic technical and programmatic advise to ensure that the RO, SRO and COs are well-equipped to use economics evidence to leverage sustainable financing and investments for SRHR and GBV across the Asia-Pacific region in support of the Sustainable Development Goals and the ICPD Programme of Action. 

You would be responsible for:

The primary focus of this role is to strategically support the implementation of the UNFPA Strategic Plan throughout the region; and your core responsibility is to empower the Regional and Country Offices to successfully secure, leverage and manage sustainable financing and investments crucial for advancing SRHR and tackling GBV across Asia-Pacific. You will also proactively identify emerging needs and develop innovative delivery modalities. This requires cultivating strategic technical partnerships and ensuring that critical knowledge is generated and disseminated to inform effective and impactful technical assistance, build capacity, and shape policy dialogue.

In all activities, you will work within an inter-disciplinary team providing integrated programme and technical support to the region. You will also liaise with other UNFPA units (regional and headquarters) and the UNFPA Technical Network, ensuring the timeliness, relevance and quality of technical support to UNFPA operations.

A. Strategic technical development, monitoring and oversight

• Support UNFPA’s strategic shift from Funding to Funding and Financing and help strengthen a conducive policy environment to deliver the UNFPA Strategic Plan, specifically for Output 3 (Leveraging sustainable financing and investments).
• Provide technical leadership and advice on health financing, universal health coverage and systems within the Asia Pacific region to improve national policy frameworks and equitable and efficient service delivery in areas relevant to UNFPA's mandate with a particular focus on sexual and reproductive health.
• Support UNFPA's engagement in policy dialogue with respective Governments and Development Partners in the Asia Pacific region in areas of UNFPA's comparative advantage, aiming to strengthening financing architectures, promoting innovative financing modalities, and increase domestic resource allocations to ensure sustainable financing for SRHR to accelerate the ICPD agenda. 
• Engage with UNFPA Asia Pacific Regional Office (APRO) staff to provide strategic and evidence-based advice, in the areas of health economics and health financing analysis, to UNFPA Country Offices and to ensure that UNFPA supported Country Programmes contribute to strengthening health systems in the region, particularly in Middle Income Countries. 

B. Quality control of technical support and capacity development

• Initiate, develop, strengthen and monitor substantive and intellectual regional partnerships in health economics and financing, including for South-South technical support to countries and for the implementation of the Asia Pacific Regional Programme. 
• Liaise with respective counterparts in Headquarters and other Regional Offices to identify opportunities for South-South cooperation between regions, including for universal health coverage with a focus on the most vulnerable.
• Design and implement learning programs, such as the Public Financial Management  and Financing for SRHR program, to build staff skills for strategic policy dialogues with key stakeholders. 
• Coach and manage junior professional staff and associates, direct expert consultants and facilitate working groups and task teams, as required. 

C. Evidence, knowledge development and dissemination and networks

• Play a key role in building up, coordinating and monitoring a regional knowledge platform in health economics such as health financing and costing analysis, investment cases and economic analysis  public financial management, reproductive health accounts analysis and health systems strengthening in areas which contribute to achieving the ICPD Programme of Action.
• Collect, analyze and synthesize information/data and experience to be used in regional and global advocacy and for resource mobilization efforts to advance the ICPD agenda.
• Support the development and implementation of tools for tracking public investments to ensure accountability and adequacy and effectiveness of public spending. 
• Lead the analysis and synthesis of substantive trends, emerging needs and research findings in the region in order to produce and disseminate cutting edge technical knowledge, based on most up-to-date methodology and tools including for financing gaps and performance-based financing.
• Collaborate on substantive issues with UN agencies and multilateral partners, academia, research and training institutions, think tanks, centers of excellence and professional societies in the region. 

D. Carry out any other duties as may be required by UNFPA leadership. 

Advanced university degree in public health, health economics, or related disciplines.  
 

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education:  

Advanced university degree in public health, health economics, or related disciplines.  

Knowledge and Experience: 

• At least 10 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in the substantive area, of which seven years at the international level. 
• Proven experience in a lead health economist or health financing role, including health sector reform, public financial management, health systems strengthening. 
• Understanding of areas relevant to UNFPA's mandate such as Family Planning, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Gender-based violence, Population dynamics.
• Demonstrated expertise in policy engagement within developing countries, including Middle Income Countries.
• Established global and regional professional networks related to health economics.
• Strong track record of producing demonstrable results.
• Demonstrated ability to engage effectively with national counterparts, academia and development partners.
• Field experience is required, preferably within the Asia and Pacific region. 

Languages: 

Fluency in English is required.

Required Competencies: 

Values:

Exemplifying integrity, 

Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system, 

Embracing cultural diversity, 

Embracing change

Core Competencies: 

Achieving results,

Being accountable,

Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,

Thinking analytically and strategically,

Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,

Communicating for impact

Functional Competencies:

Strategically positioning UNFPA programmes

Providing conceptual innovation to support programme effectiveness

Generating, managing and promoting the use of knowledge and information

Strengthening the programming capacity of Country offices

Facilitating quality programmatic results

Internal and external communication and advocacy for results mobilization
 

Managerial Competencies (if applicable):

Providing strategic vision and focus

Engaging internal / external partners and stakeholders

Leading, developing and empowering people / creating a culture of performance

Making decisions and exercising judgement

 

Compensation and Benefits:

This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts. 

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.