Health Specialist (Health Systems Strengthening) 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 (Health Systems Strengthening)

Job no: 577824
Location: Abuja
Contract type: Temporary Appointment
Level: P-4
Categories: Health

Purpose for the Job

• The government of Nigeria has renewed its commitment to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and has adopted Primary Health Care as a key pillar in its strategy to meet UHC goals.
• The Health Specialist (System Strengthening) will support UNICEF Nigeria’s Health Section in implementing Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) policies and related health reforms, with a focus on enhancing access, equity, and the quality of healthcare services for children and vulnerable populations in Nigeria.
• This role will also contribute to creating a coordinated and sustainable healthcare system, ensuring that child and maternal health initiatives are integrated into broader national health reforms. Key responsibilities include providing technical support to government agencies on primary healthcare reforms at both the federal and sub-national levels.
• The Health Specialist will also collaborate with key partners, including government ministries, UN agencies, international financial institutions, and other stakeholders, to ensure effective coordination in health system strengthening. Furthermore, the specialist will work closely with UNICEF Nigeria’s Social Policy section to assess, design, and implement health insurance schemes at the community and state levels.

Key function, accountabilities, and related duties/tasks
Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

• Programme development and planning
• Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results.
• Data-driven health financing and spending
• Improving use of health sector public financial resources
• Advocacy, networking, and partnership building
• Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

Programme development and planning:

• Plan and provide technical support and guidance for the preparation, design and updating of the situation analysis to establish a comprehensive and updated strategic plan for development, design, and management of health-related programmes. Keep abreast of development trends to enhance programme management, efficiency, and delivery.
• Prepare, coordinate and/or supervise the formulation of health programme recommendations and related documentations as a component of the Country Programme, establishing clear programme goals, objectives, strategies, and results-based planning terminology and methodology (RBM).
• Under the overall guidance of the Manager, Health System Strengthening (HSS/PHC) and Chief Health, provide technical, policy and programming support to Field Offices, Ministry of Health and other collaborating partners for ongoing reforms SWAp.
• Lead and manage country-level Global Fund grants, focusing on health system strengthening and digital health, collaborating with partners, government agencies, and other stakeholders.
• Ensure alignment of the sectoral programme with UNICEF’s Strategic Plans, Country Programme, UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDF), regional strategies as well as national priorities, plans and competencies.

Programme 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 measurements to assess and strengthen performance accountability, coherence and delivery of concrete and sustainable results for the assigned sector in health programmes.
• Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual sectoral reviews with the government and other counterparts to assess progress and to determine required action/interventions to achieve results.
• Prepare and assess monitoring and evaluation reports to identify gaps, strengths and/or weaknesses in programme management, identify lessons learned and use knowledge gained for development planning and timely intervention to achieve goals.
• Actively monitor programmes/projects through field visits, surveys and/or exchange of information with partners/stakeholders to assess progress, identify bottlenecks, potential problems and take timely decisions to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for timely resolution.

Data-driven health financing and spending:

• Prepare timely health system, economic and financing analysis for PHC (including equity, cost effectiveness, and public health expenditure analysis) to empower UNICEF Nigeria with evidence for national dialogue in improving efficiency in health spending
• Support and guide UNICEF Nigeria on the analysis of health financing functions at subnational level with a focus on Immunization and Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) services without financial hardship
• Prepare data-driven situational analyses of health care financing in support of monitoring health sector performance, including general financing indicators, Sustainable Development Goals and UHC/PHC/Immunization/RMNCAH indicators.
• Lead the development of the SDG-3 investment case on PHC interventions including community level to reduce maternal mortality and improve child health outcomes, including expanding routine immunization and reducing zero-dose children.
• Undertake health sector budget analysis to inform UNICEF’s advocacy and technical assistance to federal and state Ministries of Finance, Budget and National Planning, and Ministry of Health and federal agencies.
• Work with Social Policy in the analysis and understanding of the underlying economic determinants of health to develop and implement policies and programmes that enhance health equity and integrate pro-poor, gender-responsive, and human rights-based approaches, including assessing the design and implementation of health insurance schemes.
• Facilitate the analysis of social and economic trends and health financing information with a focus on implications on fiscal space for PHC services, including immunization, and support engagement for policy dialogue and formulation.

Advocacy, networking, and partnership building:

• Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with health sector government counterparts, national stakeholders, as well as global partners, allies, donors, and academia for active networking, advocacy and effective communication to improve health planning, budgeting and financial flows at federal and sub-national level.
• Prepare communication and information materials to promote awareness, establish partnerships/alliances, and support national efforts on fundraising for health programmes (PHC and UHC including immunization)).
• Participate and/or represent UNICEF in appropriate inter-agency discussions and planning on health-related issues to collaborate with inter-agency partners/colleagues on PFM related discussions; and on UNSDCF planning and preparation of health financing programmes/projects.
• Support compelling use of finance data and evidence in advocacy materials and campaigns, including designing visually attractive infographics and data analysis on health planning, budgeting, and expenditures.
• Collaborate with WHO, World Bank, other UN agencies and implementing partners to support country-level technical assistance on public financing: costing, financial and fiscal space analysis, budgeting and design of financing mechanisms to benefit children and women
• Advocate, during strategic discussions with Ministries of Finance, Budget and National Planning, and Health and other key decision makers and stakeholders to influence agenda setting in favor of health and wellbeing of children, women and young people.

Minimum Requirements

• An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: public health, global/international health, health policy and/or management, health economics & financing, health research, environmental health sciences, biostatistics, socio-medical, health education, epidemiology, or another relevant technical field.
• A minimum of eight years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required: public health planning and management, public health programme implementation, health financing.
• Experience working in the continent and developing country is considered as an asset.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as 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

Application Closing Date
2nd January, 2025.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should
Click here to apply online