Health Specialist, NO-3, Fixed Term Position, Peshawar, Pakistan, #00013268

UNICEF operates in over 190 countries and territories with a mission to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them reach their full potential from early childhood through adolescence. The organization is deeply committed to promoting the rights of every child, viewing this work not just as a job but as a calling. UNICEF offers diverse opportunities for professional and personal growth within a passionate and inclusive culture, supported by a competitive compensation and benefits package. The focus on equity ensures that all children, especially the most disadvantaged, have equal opportunities to survive, develop, and thrive without discrimination. This commitment is central to UNICEF’s work in health, education, protection, and advocacy worldwide.

The Health Specialist position, reporting to the CFO in Peshawar, plays a critical role in supporting the development, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of health programs. This role focuses on specific sectors such as gender, maternal, neonatal, and child survival or development within the country program. The Health Specialist provides technical guidance and management support to ensure programs achieve sustainable results aligned with UNICEF’s strategic plans, results-based management approaches, and accountability frameworks.

Key Responsibilities
- Manage and implement health program components, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and standards.
- Monitor and evaluate program progress, preparing reports to inform stakeholders and guide decision-making.
- Provide technical expertise in areas such as maternal and neonatal health, child survival, and gender-related health issues.
- Support the development of health strategies, policies, and program plans in collaboration with partners and stakeholders.
- Facilitate capacity building and knowledge sharing among team members and partners to strengthen program delivery.
- Ensure adherence to UNICEF’s equity strategy by focusing on the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families.
- Contribute to emergency preparedness and response activities related to health within the humanitarian context.

Required Qualifications
- An advanced university degree in public health, nutrition, pediatric health, family health, health research, global/international health, health policy and management, environmental health sciences, biostatistics, socio-medical sciences, health education, epidemiology, or a related technical field.
- At least five years of professional experience in public health or nutrition planning and management, maternal and neonatal health care, or health emergency/humanitarian preparedness.
- Proficiency in English is mandatory.

Preferred Qualifications and Benefits
- Knowledge of an additional official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) or a relevant local language is an asset.
- Experience in health research, epidemiological analysis, program monitoring and evaluation, health policy and strategy development, and direct UN or UNICEF experience will be highly valued.
- Relevant country-level experience, especially in development, fragile settings, and humanitarian contexts, is advantageous.
- UNICEF upholds core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability, and expects staff to embody these principles.
- The organization promotes diversity and inclusion, encouraging applications from all qualified candidates regardless of gender, nationality, religion, ethnicity, disability, or other status.
- UNICEF offers a supportive work environment with benefits such as paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities.
- All appointments are subject to rigorous safeguarding, background, and reference checks to ensure the highest standards of integrity and protection for children.
- Staff may be required to comply with vaccination and medical clearance requirements and must be willing to be deployed in humanitarian contexts as needed.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive and representative workforce that reflects the diversity of the children it serves. Candidates from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. The organization maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards misconduct, including sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment, discrimination, fraud, and corruption. Employment with UNICEF requires adherence to the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity, in line with the UN Charter.