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.

And we never give up.

For every child, dedication

In Nigeria, UNICEF works in a complex humanitarian and development setting to fulfill and protect children’s rights in partnership with the government, civil society, children, and families. UNICEF Nigeria is one of the largest UNICEF Country Offices globally – click the link to learn more about UNICEF in Nigeria: https://www.unicef.org/nigeria/.

How can you make a difference?

The Health Manager reports to the Chief of Health. S/He is responsible for leading the management, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of the health programme (Primary Health Care Systems Strengthening) within the country programme. S/He provides technical guidance, delivery of 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.

Background

Nigeria has embarked in an ambitious reform of the health sector, focused on achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and strengthening Primary Health Care (PHC) under a sector-wide approach (swap). In 2023,  two significant milestones were achieved: the development of the “health blueprint” (Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Program, HSRIP) outlining sector priorities, approved by the National Council of Health in November 2023,; and the signing of the Compact among states, the FMoH (Federal Ministry of Health) , and partners on UHC  day, December 12th, 2023.

The health section of UNICEF Nigeria has prioritized these efforts by providing technical assistance on Primary Health Care (PHC) and Health System Strengthening (HSS) and implementing catalytic flagship programs. The PHC/HSS cluster, led by the health manager oversees, among others,  the PHC Leadership Challenge jointly with the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) and the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH). This initiative aims to sustain thought leadership on PHC and the PHC Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in 14 states, intending to strengthen PHC in key states based on evidence and good practices

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

The health manager will provide oversight of the PHC and HSS portfolios of the UNICEF country office, under the supervision and guidance of the Chief of Health.  In program development and planning, he/she will provide support on strategic health issues, including the swap development, and will establish monitoring benchmarks, and will contribute to resource mobilization. In program management and delivery of results, the health manager will oversee the PHC HSS cluster, manage grants and projects, monitor resource use, and prepare high-quality reports. He/she has an advisory role which involves identifying best practices, ensuring integration of community interventions, and contributing to emergency preparedness. He /she will advocate and work collaboratively with government counterparts, stakeholders, and global partners, and will ensure critical thinking, best practices, and capacity building within the portfolio. These comprehensive efforts will aim to drive sustainable change in PHC and HSS at various levels in Nigeria.

To view the full job description, please refer to the attached…. Health Manager Level 4.doc

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

• An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: public health, epidemiology, medicine, health economics, paediatric health, family health, health research, global/international health, health policy and/or management, 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, health system strengthening, primary health care including community health, and/or health emergency/humanitarian preparedness.
• Experience working in a developing country is considered as an asset.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency, a Ministry of Health, or a global health initiative (GAVI, GF, GFF)  is considered as an asset.
• Familiarity/ background with emergency is considered as an asset.
• Fluency in English and another UN language. Fluency in the national language of the duty station is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People, and Drive for Results.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (1)
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
• Works Collaboratively with others (1)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
• Drives to achieve impactful results (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

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.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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 be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government 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.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.