Early Childhood Development Specialist, NOC, Fixed-Term, #127736, Lilongwe, Malawi (Open to Malawian nationals only)

UNICEF works in among the world’s hardest locations, to succeed in the world’s most deprived kids. To avoid wasting their lives. To defend their rights. To assist them fulfill their potential.

Throughout 190 nations and territories, we work for each baby, in all places, daily, to construct a greater world for everybody.

And we by no means hand over.

For each baby, each proper

The UNICEF Malawi Nation Programme (2024-2028) works via a One-UN strategy based mostly on the brand new United Nations Sustainable Improvement Cooperation Framework (UNSCDF) Strategic Priorities. 2024-2028).  All 4 strategic priorities of the UNSCDF2024-2028 maintain significance to UNICEF and the priorities recognized for kids: i) Financial Improvement, ii) Governance, iii) Human Capital Improvement, and iv) Local weather Change. UNICEF co-leads the additional elaboration and leads to growing the Human Capital Improvement strategic precedence. The intent of the UNICEF CPD 2024-2028 is absolutely aligned with these priorities, that are additionally straight linked to the pillars of Malawi Imaginative and prescient 2063, and the Malawi Implementation Plan (MIP, 2030). To this extent, UNICEF’s technique for the CPD consists of Little one Survival and Improvement (Well being, Vitamin and WASH), Schooling, Studying and Little one Safety, Social Coverage (Social Safety and Public Finance for Youngsters), Gender Equality, Inclusion and Innovation inside a sturdy evidence-informed setting. These are focus areas below the Human Capital Improvement Enabler of the MIP (2030). The Nation Programme envisages the progressive fulfilment of the rights to survival, growth, training, safety and participation of all kids, together with adolescents, particularly essentially the most susceptible and people prone to being left behind, in an inclusive, resilient and protecting setting. Apart from Malawi’s 2063 imaginative and prescient and 2021–2030 implementation plan (MIP), the African Union’s Agenda 2063; UNICEF’s Strategic Plan, Gender Motion Plan III, Innovation Technique; and the SDGs. The nation programme consists of baby survival and growth, studying, expertise growth and safety, and social coverage. All elements are supported by the programme and operational effectiveness and effectivity imperatives. Danger-informed programming throughout the humanitarian and growth nexus in all three final result areas will strengthen catastrophe preparedness, improve local weather adaptation/mitigation and response, and improve the resilience capability of establishments, communities and younger individuals. Programming aligns with UNICEF Core Commitments for Youngsters in Humanitarian Motion and the Inter-Company Standing Committee’s Transformative Agenda.

UNICEF Malawi’s Nation Programme technique for Early Childhood Improvement (ECD) is focused at early childhood, from start to 5 years, with a complete deal with survival, development, growth, safety, and early studying. Particular emphasis is positioned on kids aged 0-3 years, recognizing this era as essential for mind growth. The interventions throughout these years are thus very important, as they’ve a direct and lasting impact on kids’s studying and pondering expertise, in addition to their social, language, emotional, and resilience capabilities. UNICEF Malawi has subsequently embraced a holistic and cross-sectoral strategy to reinforce the general influence on ECD, together with advocating for coverage reforms and elevated public funding for built-in ECD interventions.

The coordination of the ECD Nurturing Care Framework will proceed to be housed throughout the Vitamin part. This choice leverages the Vitamin part’s distinctive place to interact with multisectoral ministries, work carefully with communities, and construct on the progress achieved throughout the earlier nation programme. This association underscores the comparative benefit UNICEF holds in main main growth sectors, highlighting ECD as a important precedence.

As our Early Childhood Improvement (ECD) Specialist, your robust management expertise, strategic pondering, and intensive expertise with the ECD Nurturing Care Framework will play an important position within the success of Little one Survival and Improvement programme. It’s your duty to coordinate and be sure that inside UNICEF programmes, all kids obtain nurturing care via entry to optimum well being, diet, early studying, and baby safety providers as outlined in ECD Nurturing Care Framework. Moreover, your efforts to advertise optimistic parenting and responsive caregiving are important for kids to thrive and attain their full potential. Your hands-on expertise on the decentralized degree will present worthwhile sensible insights and a grounded strategy to successfully implementing our programme aims.

How are you going to make a distinction?

Because the Early Childhood Improvement (ECD) Specialist within the Vitamin part and significantly the Little one Survival and Improvement staff, your position will contain complete coordination of all features of the ECD Nurturing Care Framework. This consists of making certain good well being, sufficient diet, alternatives for early studying, security, safety, and responsive caregiving. Because the staff lead for the ECD Job Group, you’ll oversee the combination and coordination of holistic early childhood growth throughout the Malawi Nation Workplace.

Reporting to the Chief of Vitamin, you’ll lead the UNICEF Malawi Nation Workplace’s ECD programme execution and coordination. Collaboration with all ECD stakeholders might be essential in supporting the Authorities of Malawi in advancing its ECD agenda, which goals to allow kids to outlive, thrive, and attain their full potential. Your position might be important in making certain equitable entry to high-quality main well being care, HIV/AIDS, diet, ECD, and climate-resilient WASH providers for susceptible teams. Moreover, you’ll contribute to selling optimistic health-seeking, parenting, and hygiene practices.

This place subsequently gives a singular alternative for a professional, pushed, and devoted particular person to make a considerable influence on the lives of kids and moms, significantly these in distant and hard-to-reach areas, together with humanitarian settings.By excelling on this position, you’ll contribute to attaining transformative outcomes for kids throughout numerous key areas of duty, however not restricted to:  

1. Help within the growth and planning of ECD programmes and tasks.
2. Handle, monitor, and ship outcomes of the ECD Programmes.
3. Present technical and operational assist for programme implementation.
4. Set up networks and construct partnerships to reinforce the attain and influence of ECD programmes.
5. Drive innovation inside ECD programmes, handle information successfully, and improve capacity-building initiatives to enhance programme outcomes.

You might be inspired to obtain the detailed job description  MLW24005 – GJP – ECD Specialist Level 3 Lilongwe Malawi.docwith the intention to view the total position and its necessities.

To qualify as a champion for each baby you’ll have…

 Schooling:

• A sophisticated college diploma in one of many following fields is required: training, public well being, diet, psychology, sociology, human growth, baby growth, household research or one other related technical discipline.
• A primary College Diploma in a related discipline mixed with 2 extra years {of professional} expertise could also be accepted in lieu of a sophisticated college diploma.

Expertise:

• A minimal of 5 years of related skilled work expertise is required in social growth planning and administration in early childhood growth associated areas is required.
• Expertise in implementation of ECD Nurturing Care Framework is required.
• Expertise working carefully with Authorities is taken into account as an asset.
• Related expertise in a UN system company or group is taken into account as an asset.
• Expertise working in a growing nation is taken into account as a robust asset.
• Background and/or familiarity with emergency is taken into account as an asset.

Technical information and expertise:

• Demonstrated expertise to coordinate combine ECD programme inside multi stakeholder setting is required.
• Sturdy information of ECD programmes built-in inside Vitamin, Well being, Schooling, WASH and Little one Safety is an asset.
• Sturdy information of parenting and early stimulation programmes is desired.

Language:

• Fluency in English and Chichewa, each robust verbal and written expertise, are important.

For each Little one, you reveal…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Belief and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin all the things we do and the way we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Constitution: https://uni.cf/UNICEFValues

UNICEF competencies required for this publish are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and moral consciousness (3) Drive to realize outcomes for influence (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

Through the recruitment course of, we take a look at candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize your self with our competency framework and its completely different ranges: competency framework here.

UNICEF is right here to serve the world’s most deprived kids and our international workforce should replicate the variety of these kids. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, regardless of their race/ethnicity, age, incapacity, gender identification, sexual orientation, faith, nationality, socio-economic background, or another private attribute.

We provide a wide range of benefits to our staff, together with paid parental depart, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages using versatile working preparations.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance coverage on conduct that’s incompatible with the goals and aims of the United Nations and UNICEF, together with sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF is dedicated to advertise the safety and safeguarding of all kids. All chosen candidates will, subsequently, bear rigorous reference and background checks, and might be anticipated to stick to those requirements and rules. Background checks will embrace the verification of educational credential(s) and employment historical past. Chosen candidates could also be required to offer extra data to conduct a background verify.

Remarks:

The place is just not thought of an elevated threat position. Nonetheless, UNICEF reserves the best to conduct additional vetting/evaluation throughout the scope of kid safeguarding as applicable.

UNICEF’s lively dedication in direction of variety and inclusion is important to ship one of the best outcomes for kids. For this place, eligible and appropriate feminine candidates and appropriate individuals residing with incapacity are inspired to use.

UNICEF appointments are topic to medical clearance.  Appointments can also be topic to inoculation (vaccination) necessities, together with towards SARS-CoV-2 (COVID).

Authorities staff which might be thought of for employment with UNICEF are usually required to resign from their authorities earlier than taking on an task with UNICEF.

UNICEF reserves the best to withdraw a proposal of appointment, with out compensation, if medical clearance is just not obtained, or needed inoculation necessities aren’t met, inside an affordable interval for any cause.

UNICEF solely considers increased instructional {qualifications} obtained from an establishment accredited/acknowledged within the World Larger Schooling Database (WHED), an inventory up to date by the Worldwide Affiliation of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Instructional, Scientific and Cultural Group (UNESCO). The record might be accessed at http://www.whed.net/.

The emptiness announcement is open to inner UNICEF workers holding everlasting, persevering with and stuck time period appointments and suitably certified and skilled exterior candidates.

Solely shortlisted candidates might be contacted and advance to the subsequent stage of the choice course of.

To successfully contribute to the supply of outcomes for the kids of Malawi, the UNICEF Malawi Nation Workplace operates inside a dynamic and results-oriented setting. We foster an setting characterised by creativity, innovation, collaboration, teamwork, a dedication to skilled development, and a protected workspace. Consequently, we’re actively looking for people who’re pushed to enact tangible change and devoted to serving Malawi’s kids with resourcefulness, resilience, agility, and a dedication to skilled excellence.