Vaccine Management Specialist positions in Tanzania

Vaccine Management Specialist positions in Tanzania

Job no: 564309
Contract type: Consultant
Duty Station: Dar-es-Salaam
Level: Consultancy
Location: United Republic of Tanzania
Categories: Health

Vaccine Management Specialist positions : UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone .

Through ongoing surveillance, as part of the global initiative to eradicate polio, recently there has been a detection of a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in Burundi in March 2023 and in the south-western part of Tanzania, in Rukwa region in May 2023. In response to this outbreak, and to interrupt the transmission of the virus, Tanzania is in the process of implementing two rounds of targeted Supplementary Immunization Activities (SIA) covering Kigoma and Kagera as a response to the outbreak in Burundi, and Katavi, Songwe, Rukwa and Mbeya, as a response to the outbreak in Rukwa. The SIA targets children under 8 years old using a novel Oral Polio Virus type 2 Vaccine (nOPV2) and is planned from August 2023./ Vaccine Management Specialist positions

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF intends to recruit 4 vaccine management specialists as full-time individual consultants to be deployed to Rukwa, Songwe, Katavi and Mbeya to provide technical assistance during the campaign. The vaccine management specialists will play a critical role in ensuring efficient and effective management of the nOPV2 vaccines during the campaign in the respective regions. Moreover, the specialist will be responsible for overseeing the planning, implementation, and monitoring of the vaccine distribution and administration, ensuring the availability, quality, accessibility, and accountability of all usable and unusable nOPV2 vaccine vials throughout the campaign.

Scope of work

The individual consultant, under the supervision and overall guidance of the UNICEF Immunization specialist, will provide technical and management support to the Immunization and Vaccine Development program (IVD), MOH PORALG, and Regional and Council Health Management Teams (RHMTs & CHMTs) in Mbeya, Rukwa, Songwe and Katavi, to accelerate the planning and implementation of polio campaign related to nOPV2 vaccines and cold chain management./ Vaccine Management Specialist positions

Job Alert: 5 Consultancy Jobs at UNICEF in Various Locations

 Specific tasks

• Development of a comprehensive effective vaccine management implementation plan with a monitoring framework for the nOPV2 campaign, outlining strategies, timeliness, and responsibilities for vaccine distribution, storage, and administration.

• Provide technical support and guidance to field teams during nOPV campaign, ensuring adherence to national policies, safety standards, and best practices for the effective implementation of SIA.

Monitor and evaluate the implementation of the vaccine management plan, identifying challenges ad proposing corrective measures to optimize the campaign’s impact in subsequent rounds.

• Collaborate with relevant stakeholders including government authorities, healthcare workers, and partners in the respective regions and the EOC, to ensure a coordinated and efficient implementation of the nOPV2 campaign./ Vaccine Management Specialist positions

• Work with MoH and WHO to conduct capacity-building activities for healthcare workers involved in the campaign (RHMTs, CHMTs, district and health facility team supervisors, Vaccine Accountability monitors and partners), focusing on vaccine management protocols, cold chain maintenance, and proper administration techniques.

Work with RHMT and CHMT (RIVOs, DIVO, VAM) to ensure continuous availability of nOPV2 vaccines and related supplies to all vaccination teams during the campaign and take appropriate measures to replenish the stock when there is a shortage/stock out.

• Collaborate with data management teams to ensure accurate and timely reporting on vaccine utilization, wastage, and coverage rates during the campaign.

• Using the available tools to provide technical leadership in nOPV2 monitoring and accountability of usable and unusable vaccines vials and ensure submission of the equivalent number of nOPV2 vials (used & unusable) to regional/national level at the end of the SIA./ Vaccine Management Specialist positions

• Work with MoH and relevant authorities to ensure retrieval and destruction of all unusable vials at the end of the campaign.

Documentation and reporting: Preparing a comprehensive report on effective vaccine management during the implementation of the SIA and documentation of the lessons learnt. This includes the development of UNICEF information products related to the response including situation reports.

• Perform other duties as assigned within the scope of this work by the supervisor.

Qualification for the Vaccine Management Specialist positions

1. Advanced university degree (master level) in Public Health, Epidemiology, and other relevant fields with a background in health (MD, Nursing, Pharmacy or other relevant health disciplines)

2. Five (5) years of professional work experience in health programming, implementation monitoring and/or evaluation of health programmes

3. Proven expertise in vaccine management, cold chain, and logistics

4. Experience of working with the national Immunization and Vaccine Development Department (IVD) in Tanzania mainland.

5. Proven work relations with national (MoH, PORALG), regional, district and sub-district structures (RHMT and CHMT level).

6. Excellent communication skills (both written and verbal) to be able to liaise with a wide variety of people, good attention to detail

7. Excellent facilitation skills, negotiation skills, and oral and written communication

8. Fluency in written and spoken English and Swahili is required
Strong analytical skills

Click here and apply: jobs.unicef.org

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