Programme Lead - Family Planning, Sexual & Reproductive Health & Rights Branch, Nairobi, Kenya, P-6

The Position: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. Family planning is at the heart of UNFPA's mission. UNFPA promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity.Through a new family planning strategy, , UNFPA is reframing its approach to meeting family planning needs in the current decade. Drawing on lessons learned, the strategy focuses on specific strategic shifts to drive progress towards 2030. These shifts include: Building decisive leadership for family planning as the foundation of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), breaking down silos to integrate family planning across the SRHR ecosystem, repositioning family planning as a foundation of health, development and economic growth, expanding the availability of and access to family planning choices, including through self-care interventions and new contraceptive method innovations, strengthening and disaggregating data to assess barriers, identifying opportunities and improve financial tracking, and using tools to generate, analyse and apply evidence in advocacy.The UNFPA Supplies Partnership is a Global Health Initiative that strengthens health systems through improving supply chains, advancing policy, diversifying financing and expanding access to quality-assured contraceptives and maternal health medicines – reaching over 20 million women and girls annually in the lowest-income countries. It is UNFPA's largest thematic trust fund-financed programme. It was established in 2007 to ensure reproductive health commodities were available to women most in need in selected UNFPA partner countries. Over the last 10 years, the programme has broadened its reach, mobilized more funding and introduced innovative funding mechanisms, and undergone a series of reforms aimed at making it more efficient – providing even more value for money. The UNFPA Family Planning Programme Lead will be the lead technical advisor on UNFPA's family planning mandate. S/he will assume full leadership responsibility for the UNFPA Supplies Partnership, consulting as necessary within UNFPA to ensure effective implementation of the UNFPA FP strategy and acceleration plan, working under the overall direction of the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Branch (SRHRB) Chief. The Programme Lead will lead on all aspects of the evolution of the programme and its management, delivery and communications at global, regional and country levels, as well as leading the team through a critical change management process within the programme and representing the programme internally and externally. The Programme Lead will have dual accountability to (a) the UNFPA hierarchy up to the Executive Director and Executive Committee and (b) to the UNFPA Supplies Partnership Steering Committee (SC), including executing decisions made by the SC on key strategic and operational issues for the programme. How you can make a difference:UNFPA is the leading 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 realising the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organisations 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 rights (SRHR), recover lost gains and realise 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 who transform, inspire and deliver high-impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, and exceptional in managing the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results. Job Purpose:The Programme Lead has overall responsibility for leadership, normative and programmatic guidance of the UNFPA's FP strategy and acceleration plan, and the direction of the UNFPA Supplies Partnership. S/He will be accountable for driving measurable results and impact in partner countries, working across the organization as needed, including with Regional Offices.The Programme Lead provides oversight for the management of the UNFPA Supplies Partnership, for the effective and efficient implementation of the programme and for the delivery of its objectives: availability and choice, strengthened supply chains, increased government commitment, and operational effectiveness and efficiency. S/He provides conceptual and operational support to Regional Offices and Country Offices to ensure the realization of agreed-upon results for each business unit receiving support from the partnership, building strong collaborative relationships. In all activities and working closely with the Global Non-Core Funds Management Unit, s/he fosters dialogue for collaboration and shares information with concerned UNFPA HQ Divisions and Branches.The Programme Lead speaks on behalf of the Partnership. S/He takes the lead on representational matters and roles, communication and negotiations with donors and programme partners while ensuring the overall coherence of programme policies and performance. The incumbent's main activities and expected results are:A. Strategic Technical LeadershipProvide authoritative technical advice, guidance and support to UNFPA senior management, HQ Divisions, Regional Offices and Country Offices, and UNFPA Supplies Partnership governance structures.Scan the substantive environment and maintain feedback loops on technical issues related to family planning and contraceptive and fertility choices within the Programme Division, and in coordination with Regional Offices and Country Offices in order to identify potential gaps and needs and address them.Identify and provide advice on UNFPA's comparative and substantive role on family planning and contraceptive and fertility choices and specific contribution in the changing development agenda. B. Programme LeadershipTake overall responsibility and provide oversight for ensuring all aspects of programme management are delivered to a high standard.Coordinate implementation of programme management and governance changes introduced to the UNFPA Supplies Partnership in 2016 and in the design of the third phase (2021-2030).Ensure overall coordination of the UNFPA Supplies Partnership with a view to maximizing the programme's efficiency and effectiveness.Provide technical oversight to the development of HQ work plans financed by the UNFPA Supplies Partnership.Working closely with the Global Non-Core Management Unit, ensure the application of effective planning, monitoring and evaluation to track programme implementation and provide Country Offices with ongoing feedback required for performance excellence. Ensure integration and alignment of UNFPA Supplies Partnership objectives with global UNFPA family planning goals and desired outcomes, and support harmonization of planning and monitoring components of the Supplies programme with corporate UNFPA reporting mechanisms such as MyResults. C. Technical RepresentationAct as the visible leader of the UNFPA Supplies Partnership for all partners, speaking on behalf of UNFPA on all matters related to the Partnership (delegating as appropriate).Maintain and foster intellectual global partnerships in family planning for advancing state-of-the-art knowledge.Contribute to substantive family planning technical capacity development of international institutions.Coordinate the UNFPA technical network in family planning, maintaining communication and feedback loops on all substantive work.Foster and grow partnerships and collaboration at the global level, including within the UN system, foundations, the private sector and NGOs, to ensure a functioning network that facilitates access to financial and technical resources, and broad-based knowledge management and knowledge sharing in FP and reproductive health commodity security.Share lessons learned by the UNFPA Supplies Partnership.Present briefing and background materials on the UNFPA Supplies Partnership for senior management governing bodies and others as needed. D. Team Management and Capacity DevelopmentEstablish and maintain a harmonious working environment; lead the team through the process of change management; promote communication; encourage innovations; strengthen team building through active participation and interaction at all levels; and foster staff engagement, development and empowerment; promote an ethics-based approach in the Partnership towards the management of human and financial resources.Direct, manage and supervise staff of the UNFPA Supplies Global Operations Team, including working closely with direct reports and relevant Regional Offices staff, to ensure countries are properly supported and that country programming is aligned with the UNFPA Supplies Partnership strategy, that policy guidance is provided, external partnerships are managed, innovation is supported, and knowledge & tools are developed and shared.In collaboration with the SRHRB Chief, provide input to DHR on selection of UNFPA staffing for the UNFPA Supplies Partnership, and provide input into performance appraisal reviews of relevant staff working in other business units.Maintain an overview of the capacity required by UNFPA and its implementing partners to ensure the delivery of UNFPA Supplies Partnership objectives and the achievement of critical results.Work across the organization and with donors and other partners to identify capacity needs and take steps to address gaps.Identify staff training needs, develop and deliver training packages in support of technical capability development including for UNFPA Supplies Global Operations, Regional Offices and Country Offices to ensure effective programming.Share lessons learned from the UNFPA Supplies Partnership, and in coordination with relevant technical staff, ensure their incorporation into the UNFPA family planning and SRHR knowledge products, and UNFPA knowledge management system. E. Stakeholder Relations and EngagementAct as the visible leader of the UNFPA Supplies Partnership for all parts of the UNFPA system for the broader UN system, countries and for all Partnership donors and stakeholders.Engage with the Steering Committee Independent Chairperson as needed to provide programmatic updates.Lead on fostering and strengthening strategic partnerships with key stakeholders, regional and international actors and development partners.Oversee the development of fund-raising strategies and approaches for the UNFPA Supplies Partnership.Engage with key internal and external partners on a day-to-day basis in representation of the UNFPA Supplies Partnership.Identify potential partnerships and collaborations with other UN agencies (WHO; World Bank; etc.) and other partners (FP2020; USAID; IPPF, etc.) and develop them in coordination with the SRHRB Chief, and the Division for Communication and Strategic Partnerships (DCS).Lead the necessary assessment of regional and country interventions for the purpose of technical partnerships.Collaborate with UN agencies, academia, research and training institutions, professional societies, and act as focal points for inter-agency working groups in the substantive area. F. Resource Mobilization and ManagementAssume responsibility for overseeing financial resource management to achieve the expected results of the UNFPA Supplies Partnership and provide regular reporting within UNFPA as identified and agreed upon internally.Ensure the financial sustainability of the Partnership through working closely with DCS to ensure financial oversight of the programme, including regularly conducting projections of mobilized resources versus targets.Propose and recommend financial requirements for the work of the UNFPA Supplies Global Operations team and monitor the use of external resources to ensure sound financial management in compliance with UNFPA rules, regulations, and procedures.Oversee the functioning of the various governance mechanisms of the Steering Committee (Strategy and Planning Subcommittee, Finance and Risk Subcommittee)Lead on the implementation of relevant audit recommendations for the UNFPA Supplies Partnership. Qualifications, Experience, Knowledge and Skills Required Education:Advanced University degree in Public Health, Medicine, Sociology, Demography, International Relations, International Development, Economics, Public Administration.Management or other field directly related to the substantive area of work. Knowledge and Experience:15 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, family planning and international development, of which at least eight years are in health and other development areas at the international level.Strong management experience leading diverse technical teams towards bold targets and goals.Proven skills and experience interacting with and being held accountable by donors and other partners.Leadership experience is essential and demonstrating change management experience from a position of leadership is highly preferable.Experience managing complex processes in multi-centered organizations across many countries.Operational and managerial experience working specifically with demand for and supply of reproductive health commodities (or other health commodities) at the field level would be a strong advantage.Have an extensive network within the academic and development community.Field experience is essential.Strong interest in development work, especially the mission of the United Nations Population Fund and dedication to the principles of the United Nations. Languages:Fluency in English is required.Working knowledge of another official UN language, preferably French, is desirable.