Socio-Economic Policy Advisor Job in Johannesburg | UNFPA | JobsNoti

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The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is a UN agency aimed at improving reproductive and maternal health worldwide. Its work includes developing national healthcare strategies and protocols, increasing access to birth control, and leading campaigns against child marriage, gender-based violence, obstetric fistula, and female genital mutilation.

Job Information:

  • Job Title: Socio-Economic Policy Advisor (Protocol)
  • Job Identification: 30238
  • Posting Date: 11/25/2025, 06:41 PM
  • Apply Before: 12/11/2025, 03:29 AM
  • Job Schedule: Full time
  • Locations: Johannesburg, South Africa
  • Grade: P5
  • Vacancy Type: Fixed Term
  • Rotational/Non Rotational: Non-Rotational
  • Contract Duration; 1 Year with Possibility for extension
  • Required Languages: English
  • Desired Languages: Portuguese, French
  • Vacancy Timeline: 2 Weeks

Job Purpose:

The position of Socio-Economic Policy Advisor in the East and Southern Africa region will lead the Middle Income Country Hub (MIC-Hub) composed of a multi-disciplinary Expert Team and will report to the Deputy Regional Director. S/He, as part of the team, will also provide tailored technical, policy, programme support and guidance to the selected middle-income countries in an integrated, responsive and coordinated manner. As the Head of the MIC-Hub, the incumbent will ensure coherence of UNFPA’s technical engagement, knowledge generation and policy support across the selected MICs, with a focus on advancing inclusive socio-economic policies, demographic dividend strategies and sustainable financing approaches.

Responsibilities:

Under the overall guidance of the ESARO Senior Management Team and in close collaboration with the Management teams of the abovementioned Country Offices located in selected MICs, the incumbent will lead socio-economic policy development and key relationships for the following responsibilities within the MIC-Hub.

01. Policy and Programme Development

  • Ensure UNFPA supported programmes are strategically aligned with and contribute to the strengthening of (i) health financing and delivery systems; (ii) relevant social systems and (iii) broader public financial management system and reforms underway in MICs, and through this help to build strong links between the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Development Planning (and equivalents), and others where needed, for ICPD related policies, strategies and programmes;
  • Serve as a key technical resource to the Country offices and to line Ministries through tailored evidence-based advocacy and policy arguments around the economics of health care, sustainable financing, investment cases for SRHR, and the demographic and economic returns of investing in youth and women’s empowerment;
  • Advise and collaborate in the development, implementation and evaluation of technical cooperation programmes in the areas of sustainable financing in alignment with efficiency and equity goals and geared towards strengthening of relevant national systems required to advance the ICPD agenda, including, Universal Health Coverage, social protection expansion and policies that reduce inequality and enhance social inclusion;
  • Assist the country and regional institutions with preparation, implementation and review of annual budgets, resource tracking and accountability, linking sectoral financing strategies to demographic and equity priorities;
  • Provide evidence-based policy advice integrating population dynamics into fiscal and macroeconomic frameworks, to strengthen links between demographic change, economic growth and social investment.

02. Tailored Capacity development & partnerships

  • Foster multisectoral partnerships and assist in policy dialogues for action within the region to further the advancement of the ICPD Programme of Action, including engagement with Ministries of Finance, Labour, Youth, and Social Development and Education to embed SRHR, gender equality and social inclusion within national financing dialogues;
  • Advise and provide technical cooperation to Ministries of Health and other relevant line Ministries to strengthen countries’ institutional capacity in the design, implementation and monitoring of health and related financing policies, to increase financial risk protection, reduce out-of-pocket expenditures and to ensure efficiency gains in the use of resources, purchasing arrangements and service delivery;
  • Collaborate with the UNFPA country offices, other UN agencies, multilateral and bilateral agencies and international financial institutions in the development of programmes required to strengthen national capacity in the areas of health economics, sustainable financing for SRHR, economic evaluation and research, investment cases and costing of relevant strategies and plans, as well as monitoring cost-effectiveness of public policies that advance equity and resilience;
  • Contribute to broader SRHR research and analytical work within and beyond the health sector, as requested by the Country office management, including demographic and socio-economic analysis relevant to inclusive development.

03. Partnerships and Sustainable Financing

  • Promote and develop collaborative actions with national governments, the UN system, multilateral and bilateral partners, professional and academic organizations to promote the development, implementation, monitoring and reporting of integrated responsive and tailored programme models to further advance the ICPD agenda;
  • Provide support to the UNFPA Representative and/or Heads of Offices in partnership efforts required to mobilize sustainable and innovative financing, including domestic resource mobilization, blended instruments and private-sector engagement to achieve the desired results in respective countries, ensuring that such mechanisms strengthen national ownership and equitable outcomes.

04. Leadership and Effective management

  • Supervise and mentor professional staff within the MIC-Hub, promoting accountability, collaboration and a results-oriented culture and ensure that all staff under her/his supervision have a clear understanding of their individual responsibilities and accountability to the team in accordance with UNFPA’s established Policies and Procedures;
  • Provide leadership to the preparation of the MIC Technical Expert Team’s Annual Work Plan, budget requirements, monitoring and annual reports, ensuring coherence with regional priorities on demographic change, equity and sustainable financing;
  • Promote the mobilization of domestic and external resources in support of the Country Offices’ programmes and MIC Expert team’s targeted programmes as applicable; and
  • Provide oversight to the effective coordination of the planning and delivery of integrated policy, programme and technical support and advice to Country Offices within the region including transitioning MICs.

Undertake any other relevant actions as may be requested by the Deputy Regional Director, Country Representatives and/or Heads of Offices in support of country programme development and implementation.

Qualifications and Experience:

Education

  • Master’s Degree in public health, medicine, demography, economics, international development, public administration, management or other related fields.

Knowledge and Experience

  • 10 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in managing and leading development programmes and inclusive policy actions relevant to addressing the socio-economic dimensions of SRHR, including health economics, health financing, social policy and financing, social protection, and related areas.
  • Substantive knowledge and practical application of UNFPA’s mandate, particularly in sexual and reproductive health, rights-based family planning, gender-based violence, and population dynamics.
  • Proven ability to think strategically, conceptualize and integrate knowledge with broader policy and operational objectives, and analyze complex policy arguments to provide reasoned, evidence-based advice.
  • Demonstrated ability to build strategic partnerships and engage effectively with national governments, regional bodies, academia, and development partners, supported by strong negotiating skills and established engagement within relevant global and regional professional networks.
  • Strong track record of producing demonstrable results, including the ability to produce high-quality advisory reports and knowledge products and to communicate complex information effectively to diverse audiences.
  • Experience in promoting a culture of knowledge management and continuous learning, with the ability to work collaboratively and effectively in inter-disciplinary and multicultural teams.
  • Field experience in managing complex programmes or policy engagement in middle income or transitioning contexts across multiple countries is strongly desirable.

Languages

  • Fluency in English is required; working knowledge of another UN language, particularly French and/ or Portuguese, is an asset.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should send their application through Online [Apply-Now]. For more details visit official website: www.unfpa.org