Job for a Health Specialist at UNICEF

United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (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 fulfil their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. We are recruiting to fill the position below:     Job Title: Health Specialist (Health Systems Strengthening, Emergency and Outbreaks), NOC Job Number: 526034 Location: Abuja, Nigeria Work Type : Temporary Appointment How can you make a difference?

• Under the guidance of the Chief of Health and HIV, provide technical support towards systems strengthening in the outbreaks and humanitarian and emergency context linking with development programming. The strengthening of the service delivery platform across facility and community levels towards building resilience and preparedness of the systems response to outbreaks and in challenging and emergency settings.

• Work closely with the FMOH, NCDC, NPHCDA and partners at federal and State levels towards supporting a systems approach for quality service delivery in challenging situations including emergency and outbreak responses
• Provide technical support to NCDC in building resilient and responsive health systems working closely with surveillance programs and communication teams and ensuring an effective coordinated response
• Provide technical support towards improving health systems for quality delivery of PHC programs with a focus on emergency, humanitarian settings and outbreak responses including leveraging on lessons learnt and best practices
• Serve as the technical lead in working with NCDC across areas focusing on preparedness, coordination and generating evidence towards building stronger service delivery platforms
• Provide technical expertise and maintain a database towards resource mobilization for for accelerating results for women and children in challenging situations like outbreaks, humanitarian and emergency settings
• Ensure linkages within the health and HIV portfolio with development programming and the outbreak responses and emergency and humanitarian programming
• Lead and provide support towards documenting the work and response including lessons learnt and best practice using an evidence based participatory approach
• Support development of policy and program briefs including working closely with academia and professional organizations and partners
• Provide technical support and lead the internal inputs on data from emergency, humanitarian challenges across various States and the outbreak responses and build synergy with the development programming and the PHC revitalization strategy
• Support the field towards building a body of evidence including trends analysis for understanding outbreaks and emerging challenging situations and crisis and its impact on the health sector and the communities.
• Participate in technical meetings, coordination platforms at federal and sub national levels on the outbreaks and emergency and humanitarian programs
• Support conceptualization, development, implementation and monitoring of outbreak responses working closely with different sections internally and partners and stakeholders.
• Other activities and support towards health systems strengthening activities as needed

• A University Degree in Public Health, Medicine, Epidemiology or Public Health related areas.

• A minimum of 5 to 7 years of professional experience in public health programs, planning and management and/or in relevant areas of maternal and child health.
• Experience with outbreak responses and humanitarian settings will be an added advantage
• Relevant experience in health 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

• UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

• View our competency framework at: http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process