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.
And we never give up.
For every child, Survival
Nigeria Country Office is one of the largest operations of UNICEF and the largest in the West and Central African Region. The country programming is complex as it has development programming, with major disparities between the North and the South, North being relatively deprived and poor, while majority of the population is concentrated in the North. The country is further challenged with ethnic and religious divide coupled with governance issues particularly financial management.
While the Country Programme is geared towards achieving the nexus between humanitarian and development programming, due to the enormous multidimensional and complex socio-economic, extremism and political challenges the management and oversight of the delivery of the programmes often permeates into managing two parallel programming to respond to the humanitarian crisis in the North East spreading into North Central and North West and regular programming in the rest of the country.
For more information about UNICEF Nigeria please click here.
How can you make a difference?
The Health Specialist reports to the Chief Health for guidance and general supervision. The Specialist supports the development and preparation of the health program/s and is responsible for managing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating and reporting of program progress of a sector of the health and HIV program ( health systems strengthening in the context of maternal, neonatal, child survival/development) program/s within the country program. The Specialist provides technical guidance and management support throughout the programming processes to facilitate the administration and achievement of concrete and sustainable results according to plans, allocation, results based-management approaches and methodology (RBM) and organizational Strategic Plans and goals, standards of performance and accountability framework.
Summary of key functions/accountabilities :
Vacancy Announcement Health Specialist HSS NO3.pdf
- Support to program development and planning : Participate in strategic program discussion on the planning of health program. Formulate, design and prepare health program proposals, ensuring alignment with the overall UNICEF’s Strategic Plans and Country Program and coherence/integration with UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDF), regional strategies and national priorities, plans and competencies ;
- Program management, monitoring and delivery of results : Plan and/or collaborate with internal and external partners to establish monitoring benchmarks, performance indicators and other UNICEF/UN system indicators and measurement to assess/strengthen performance accountability, coherence and delivery of concrete and sustainable results for the assigned sector in health programs ;
- Technical and operational support to program implementation : Provide technical guidance and operational support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners and other country office partners/donors on interpretation, application and understanding of UNICEF policies, strategies, processes and best practices and approaches on health and related issues to support program development planning, management, implementation and delivery of results ;
- Networking and partnership building : Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with health sector government counterparts, national stakeholders and global partners/allies/donors/academia through active networking, advocacy and effective communication to build capacity and exchange knowledge/expertise to facilitate the achievement of program goals on children rights and social justice/equity ;
- Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building : Apply/introduce innovative approaches and good practice to build the capacity of partners and stakeholders and to support the implementation and delivery of concrete and sustainable program results.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
- An Advanced University Degree in public health/nutrition, pediatric health, family health, health research, global/international health, health policy and/or management, environmental health sciences, biostatistics, socio-medical, health education, epidemiology or other health related science is required ;
- A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in public health/nutrition planning and management in relevant areas of health systems strengthening in the context of maternal, neonatal, child survival/development, and health emergency/ humanitarian preparedness ;
- Relevant experience in health/nutrition program/project development and management in any UN system agency or organization is an asset ;
- Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language or a local language is an asset ;
- Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset ;
- Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.
The functional competencies required for this post are :
- Leading and supervising (I) ;
- Formulating strategies and concepts (II) ;
- Analyzing (III) ;
- Relating and networking (II) ;
- Deciding and Initiating action (II) ;
- Applying technical expertise ((III).
View our competency framework at : UNICEF_Competencies.pdf
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.
UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.
Remarks :
This advert is ONLY open to UNICEF staff and personnel with an ongoing employment relationship with UNICEF, including staff members on a continuing, fixed term and temporary appointment, individual contractors and full-time time-based consultants, and UNV and who are Nigerian Nationals. It does not include interns and employees of external entities performing duties for UNICEF.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.