National Midwifery Officer (Education)

Host entity: UNFPA

Volunteer type: National

Areas of expertise: Administration, Community development, Nursing, midwifery, paramedics, medical technology

Application deadline: 08/10/2026

Mission and objectives

UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency with the mission to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA calls for the realization of reproductive rights for all and supports access to a wide range of sexual and reproductive health services – including voluntary family planning, maternal health care and comprehensive sexuality education.

UNFPA has been active in Bangladesh since 1974 to achieve the three transformative results - ambitions that promise to change the world for every man, woman and young person to 1) end unmet need for family planning, 2) to end preventable maternal death, and 3) to end gender-based violence and harmful practices. Currently, UNFPA is implementing 10th Country Programme (2022-2026) in Bangladesh. UNFPA’s main office is in Dhaka, while there is a sub-office in Cox’s Bazar to coordinate UNFPA’s humanitarian efforts in response to the Rohingya refugee crisis.

Assignment context

The United Nations Population Fund (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. In Bangladesh, UNFPA partners with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) and the Directorate General of Nursing and Midwifery (DGNM) to strengthen the national health system, with a strong emphasis on establishing and expanding a competent midwifery workforce within the heath cadres to improve the Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRHR) outcomes.

While midwifery programme has made significant progress in the country, the institutional arrangement to manage it has not kept pace with the needs of the programme. As a result, there is a perceptible gap in DGNM at the national level to coordinate and manage different components and stakeholders of the programme, including maintaining uninterrupted communication with 172 midwifery schools across all 64 districts.
With the rapidly evolving programme, there is a need for a managerial support to DGNM to strengthen its governance structure and capacity to progressively improve the quality of midwifery education, regulation and service delivery.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the Programme Analyst – Midwifery and with overall guidance of the Chief of Health, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

● Review and assist in updating the national pre-service midwifery curriculum to ensure alignment with International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) and World Health Organization (WHO) standards. The UNFPA ICM model curriculum should be the main guide for this work.

● Supporting Bangladesh Nursing and Midwifery Council (BNMC) and DGNM in transitioning from diploma to BSc course and exploring the need for a bridging course for the current diploma holders to transition to BSc level and providing necessary support for the same (this to be done in consultation with BNMC, DGNM and other key stakeholders).

● Provide technical support to midwifery faculty to enhance their pedagogical skills, particularly in clinical skills lab instruction and objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE).

● Facilitate Training of Trainers (ToT) and refresher training sessions / orientations on evidence-based midwifery practices, respectful maternity care and other relevant topics for midwifery educators.

● Provide necessary Support to the midwifery faculty for implementation of quality assurance activities as part of preparation for accreditation.

● Provide technical support to the national and district level DGNM authority.

● Support the implementation of quality assurance standards at service delivery points.

● Coordination with DGNM, DGHS & DGFP to strengthen the implementation and scale up of midwifery led SRHR services through DGHS & DGFP facilities.

● Work with UNFPA Midwifery Analyst and other relevant staff members of the health unit to effectively implement DGNM work plan supported by UNFPA.

● Ensure UNFPA policy and procedure guidelines are adhered to and all reporting requirements, including assurance activities are complied with.

● Perform activities that may be assigned from time to time to ensure the success of the working team.

● Any other activities assigned to strengthen Midwifery programme delivery.

The UNV will be part of the UNFPA SRHR Team under the overall direction of Chief of Health and the direct supervision by the Programme Analyst - Midwifery.

Skills and experience

Experience Description:

● A minimum of 7 years of progressive clinical experience in midwifery education and practice including a strong background in midwifery education, curriculum development and clinical preceptor programs.
● Extensive experience working as a clinical preceptor, educator, or mentor in diverse clinical settings.
● Experience in health systems strengthening and policy advocacy within developing country contexts.
● Clear understanding of the government of Bangladesh’s Health Systems and structures of public health facilities at different levels.
● Prior experience collaborating with government health ministries or Directorates and development organizations is highly desirable.
● Proven track record in developing educational material, clinical guidelines, protocols, and training manuals.
● Proven ability to communicate effectively one-to-one and in large groups of people
● Demonstrated ability to work in teams and harmony with persons of different national backgrounds and cultures.

Computer Skills:
• Proficient in computer applications (MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint)

Competencies and values

• Accountability
• Adaptability and flexibility
• Creativity
• Judgement and decision-making
• Planning and organising
• Professionalism
• Self-management

Living conditions

Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is a family duty station. The UN Volunteer will be based at the UNDP Bangladesh Country Office in Dhaka, with regular travel within the city and occasional travel within Bangladesh as required.

The security situation is generally stable; however, demonstrations, strikes, and traffic disruptions may occur. All UN personnel must comply with UN security regulations, complete mandatory security training (BSAFE), and follow UNDSS advisories.

Dhaka offers adequate housing, banking, telecommunications, internet, and healthcare services. Bangladesh is a culturally diverse and predominantly Muslim country where respect for local customs and cultural sensitivity are expected.

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the incumbent must be a Bangladeshi national or have legal authorization to work in Bangladesh and be based in, or able to relocate to, Dhaka for the duration of the assignment.

A customized Living Allowance equivalent to 200% of the National UN Volunteer Specialist VLA will be provided for this assignment.

You can check duty station entitlements using the UNV Entitlements Calculator at https://app.unv.org/calculator.

For additional information, please refer to the complete UNV Conditions of Service at https://explore.unv.org/cos.

Full eligibility requirements, conditions of service and application instructions are available on the official UNV platform.