FREELANCER

Pediatrician Consultant

Vacancy Notice: PC_01_GR/25_09

Job Title: Pediatrician Consultant (Full-time)

Location: Home-based with regular meetings at the UNICEF Greece Country Office

Type Of Contract: ICMC (Consultant II)

Starting Date: 20 May 2025

Closing Date For Applications: 05 May 2025

Contract Duration: Until 31 December 2025

About Icmc

The International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) is an international non-governmental organization, whose mission is to protect and serve children as well as uprooted people, including refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced people, victims of human trafficking, and migrants - regardless of faith, race, ethnicity, or nationality.                                                         

ICMC started a partnership with UNICEF in Greece in order to deploy a highly qualified affiliated workforce to assist UNICEF Greece Country Office. 

Scope Of Work

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programme, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfil their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

UNICEF became operational in Greece in early 2016 as an outposted team from the Regional Office of Europe and Central Asia (ECARO) to respond to the significant influx of refugee and migrant children and their families at that time. Following several years of engagement with national stakeholders, UNICEF and the Government of Greece made a decision in January 2020 to formalize the agency’s presence in the country as a full-fledged Country Office. The office falls under the auspices of the UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia located in Geneva, which supports the work of 22 Country Offices within its geographical scope, reporting in turn to global headquarters in New York. Within the framework of a mandate for all children in Greece, UNICEF and Greece are now working to address the needs of all vulnerable, marginalized and left-behind children in the country.

In the context of the Country Programme for Greece (2022-2026) approved by the UNICEF Executive Board in February 2022, UNICEF and the Government of Greece have agreed on national targets for children, concerning health, education, social protection, child protection, justice and youth employability.

Recognizing the immediate need to support young children and their parents, the Ministry of Health and the UNICEF Greece Country Office have launched ‘Promoting of Child and Family Health through the Paediatric Framework” as well as the establishment and operation of the ‘Model Community Mental Health Center’ as two of the three key pillars of the ‘National Action for the Promotion of Family and Child Health in Greece 2023 – 2025’.  Key early mental health activities under the first pillar include the creation of a toolkit for paediatricians to facilitate the early detection of developmental disorders in children and mental health issues (stress, anxiety) for parents/caretakers. These efforts encompass the collection and adaptation of screening tools, preparation of usage guides and mapping of existing relevant mental health services. Regarding the second pillar, key mental health activities include the design and operation of a model community based mental health centre for youth who experience non-suicidal self-injury. This endeavour pertains activities for the design and delivery of specialized trainings to mental health professionals and paraprofessionals, the development of therapeutic protocols, counselling services and awareness raising activities for the public.

Under the guidance of the UNICEF Programme team, the incumbent will provide support with activities focusing on the promotion of family and child health, enhancing paediatric capacity to address the developmental and mental health needs of young children and their families.

Responsibilities

The incumbent will be assigned contributory accountabilities for all or part of the following duties:

• Assist the UNICEF Programme team in the review of the screening tools for the early detection of developmental issues to children and anxiety/depression issues to parents/caregiver and ensure its adaptation to the national context.
• Provide quality assurance of the materials and activities and contribute with the scientific context and resources in identifying and adapting to the Greek context and needs supportive material for families with regards to the developmental stages of children and parenting engagement.
• Contribute and review the development of a training plan and material based on the early detection toolbox for pediatricians.
• Provide technical input and contribute to the development of a short guide of the use of early detection tools for pediatricians which will be available in electronic form (e-book).
• Support in the digitalization of the training material for pediatricians and contribute to raising public awareness of the importance of early detection of developmental disorders and promoting healthy parenting behavior.
• Overall provision of scientific support to UNICEF project team and close collaboration with the scientific team and experts on the side of UNICEF’s implementing partners and stakeholders.
• Participation in technical working groups with UNICEF, MoH, NKUA and other stakeholders, promote the goals of the promotion of family and health programme and foster partnerships with internal and external counterparts, including other UN agencies, national stakeholders, and health professionals. 

Requirements

Education

• Medical School Graduate with a specialisation on pediatrics.

Experience

• A minimum of seven (7) years of relevant professional work experience in paediatrics  with a focus on prevention and response to developmental issues of children and/or public health, mental health and/or parenting/family support.
• Experience in developing and implementing tools and methodologies for early detection of developmental issues and/or family-centered care approaches is highly desirable.
• Experience in developing and delivering training and in the capacity building of professionals, particularly paediatricians and/or other health professionals, is an asset.
• Experience in working with digital applications or tools for health services is an asset.
• Familiarity with multi-sectoral collaboration and experience  with government health systems  is an asset.
• Experience with international organisations is an asset

Language Requirements

Fluency in English and Greek is required.

Evaluation Criteria  

A) Technical Evaluation (75 Points)  

• Education Credentials (25 points) 

• Relevant Work Experience (50 points)  

B) Financial Proposal (25 Points) 

Selected candidates will also undergo a final interview before the selection outcome.  

Ηow to apply

Interested candidates should submit a detailed CV of maximum four pages in English, a motivation letter and two professional references with full and up to date contact details via email, to:

Mr. Akis Papakonstantinou, ICMC HR Officer.

The closing date for receipt of applications is 05/05/2025.

The Vacancy Notice number PC_01_GR/25_09 and the applicant’s full name must be quoted in the email subject line.

Applications will be evaluated upon reception.

DATA PROTECTION

By submitting an application, you agree that ICMC collects and manages the information that you provide. You also agree that your data may be shared with UNICEF. Your personal information will be used for recruitment purposes only. Your application will be treated with strict confidentiality.

Owing to the volume of applications, ICMC regrets that only applicants short-listed for an interview will be notified.

ICMC is committed to equal employment opportunities for all applicants. ICMC does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, color, national origin, religion, physical or mental ability, marital status and age. Applications will be treated with strict confidentiality.

ICMC is committed to a Zero-Tolerance Policy toward sexual exploitation, abuses and all forms of unlawful harassment, including but not limited to sexual harassment. Screening of applications includes the vetting for records of prior misconduct and reference checking. By submitting your application, you declare your consent for your former employer to disclose any details concerning criminal convictions or misconduct.  ICMC can take other necessary measures to ensure that people involved in substantiated cases of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment are not recruited.