Health Specialist, P-3, Temporary Position, #00137600, 364 days, Kabul, Afghanistan

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to a Champion

How can you make a difference?

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programmes, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

Job organizational context:

Afghanistan’s health system continues to rely on externally funded service delivery mechanisms to sustain essential health services, particularly through primary health care (PHC) platforms. The International Financing Institutions (IFIs)-supported health programme contributes to the delivery of the Basic Package of Health Services (BPHS) and Essential Package of Hospital Services (EPHS), with a strong emphasis on performance, quality, and accountability.

Within this framework, the Health Specialist (P-3) will support the effective implementation, monitoring, and optimization of PHC service delivery, ensuring robust Quantified, Quality Metric (QQM) under Quality of Care (QoC) improvements, and Performance-Based Financing/Pay-for-Performance (P4P) mechanisms. This role also ensures strong financial tracking, donor reporting, and evidence-based programme reviews.

The Health Specialist will coordinate the implementation of Afghanistan’s IFI- supported health projects and/or any successor health project. This includes coordinating with the Ministry of Public Health in facilitating and managing a national coordination mechanism for the ongoing health service delivery project, clarifying roles and responsibilities among the Ministry of Health, health service providers under your UNICEF project contractual agreement, and other development partners who will implement the proposed activities.

Purpose for the job:

The Health Specialist reports to the Health Manager for general guidance and supervision. S/He is responsible for supporting the Health Manager in managing IFI projects and leading the management, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of the BPHS/EPHS project. S/He provides technical guidance and operational support throughout the programming process to facilitate the achievement of concrete and sustainable results, according to plans, allocation, results based-management approaches and methodology (RBM), organizational Strategic Plans and goals, standards of performance, and accountability framework, with a focus on:

• Strengthening PHC systems, including referral hospitals, and service quality
• Oversight of the implementing partners/service providers
• Ensuring effective QQM and QoC implementation
• Managing P4P mechanisms and performance monitoring
• Overseeing financial tracking, budget utilization, and reporting
• Supporting donor engagement and accountability

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

1. Programme development and planning
2. Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results
3. Advisory services and technical support
4. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: TA Health Specialist- P3.pdf

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

• Education: An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: public health, pediatric health, family health, global/international health, health policy and/or management, epidemiology or another relevant technical field.

• Work Experience: A minimum of five years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required: public health/nutrition planning and management, integrated primary health care, or Maternal, newborn and child health care.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating and implementing large, multi-partner health programmes with ministries of health, UN agencies, and international donors is required.
• Experience working in a developing country is required.
• Proven experience in:

• Technical expertise in PHC and health systems
• Results-based management and accountability
• Strong coordination and partnership skills
• Problem-solving and adaptive management

• Skills:

Monitoring Evaluation and Reporting skills, Experience in Financial Tracking, Donor Coordination and Partnership Skills, Compliance Oversight expertise, Programme Management experience

• Language Requirements: Proficiency in English is required.

Desirables:

• Languages: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language.
• Experience in Health-systems strengthening, Certification, Primary health-care, Maternal, Newborn and Child health (MNCH) is an asset.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered an asset.
• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships
(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
(3) Drive to achieve results for impact
(4) Innovates and embraces change
(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity
(6) Thinks and acts strategically
(7) Works collaboratively with others

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants' bank account information.

UNICEF staff members holding fixed-term, continuing, or permanent appointments who are considered to be on abolished post status may apply for this temporary position and, if selected with a start date before 31 December 2025, may take it up as a temporary assignment, in line with UNICEF guidance on separation due to the abolition of posts or staff reductions. They will retain their fixed-term entitlements but will not hold a lien to their abolished post. For other scenarios where a Temporary Assignment may be possible, please refer to Additional guidance on IP to IP temporary assignments after completion of the full TOD.pdf (accessible to UNICEF personnel only).

The conditions of a temporary assignment, including relocation entitlements, will depend on the status of the staff member’s original appointment and may be limited in accordance with applicable UNICEF policies, procedures, and practices in force.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF's Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

Eligible staff members on fixed-term, continuing or permanent contracts applying to IP TA positions in a duty station designated as L2/L3, may be able to retain a lien and their fixed-term entitlements, subject to approval by their Head of Office. The conditions of the temporary assignment will vary depending on the status of their post and relocation entitlements may be limited as per the relevant policies.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.