Health Specialist, NOC at the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (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 fulfill 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, NOC

Job Number: 531019
Location: Kaduna, Nigeria
Work Type: Temporary Appointment

For Every Child, Good Health!

Nigeria has the world’s second-highest number of deaths in children under five, losing around 2,700 every day from a ratio of 120 per 1,000 in 2016, although it has declined since 2003 down from more than 200 per 1,000. Only one out of three babies is delivered in a health facility. The poorest among Nigeria’s population continue to be most in peril, whatever their age. While there have been drops of 31 per cent and 26 per cent in under-five and infant mortality rates, respectively, over the last 15 years, the decline in deaths of newborns over the same period is just 20 per cent highlighting an urgent need to scale up interventions targeting the youngest in the country.

UNICEF’s programme in Nigeria supports the government’s vision of Universal Health coverage (UHC) through the revitalization of Primary Health Care) PHC). Our health programme focuses on supporting the federal and state governments to (1) roll out the one Primary Health Care center per ward’ strategy for achieving UHC, (2) Strengthen primary health care service delivery system, including routine immunization across the country (3) Focus on polio eradication and the polio end-game strategy and (4) educate and empower women to make more informed decisions about the health of their children.

How can you make a difference?

A challenging and exciting opportunity has arisen within UNICEF Nigeria for a passionate and committed Health Specialist in the Kaduna Field Office
Reporting to the Chief of Field Office, the Specialist supports the development and preparation of the health programmes/projects and is responsible for managing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating and reporting of progress an integrated health programmes/projects
The Specialist also 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 UNICEF’s Strategic Plans, standards of performance and accountability framework.

Summary of Key Functions / Accountabilities

Support to programmes/projects development and planning
Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results
Technical and operational support to programme implementation
Networking and partnership building
Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

Requirements

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have:

An Advanced University Degree in Public Health, Pediatric Health, Family Health, Health Research, Global / International Health, Health Policy and / or Management, Epidemiology or other health related Sciences
A minimum of 5 years progressive professional experience in Health Systems Strengthening, Primary Health Care, public health, planning and management and/or in relevant areas of health care, health emergency/humanitarian preparedness, at the international level some of which preferably in a developing country is required. Relevant working experience in health care programme/project development and management in any UN system agency or organization is an asset.
Oral and written proficiency in English is required.
Knowledge of another official UN language 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: