Health Specialist (NO-3), FT, #016643, Damascus - Syria, ECAMENA
Organizational Context
UNICEF operates in over 190 countries, dedicated to saving children's lives, defending their rights, and helping them fulfill their potential from early childhood through adolescence. In Syria, UNICEF maintains a strong ground presence and partnerships, aiming to reach more children and families. Upholding humanitarian principles, it supports integrated, multi-sectoral programming to improve sustained, equitable, and safe access to critical basic services, ensuring accountability to affected populations.
Job Purpose
The Health Specialist provides crucial technical leadership for UNICEF's upstream health policy, planning, and systems-strengthening initiatives. This role is instrumental in managing assigned grants and resources, while also delivering essential field-level technical support to ensure equitable and sustainable health outcomes for children and women. A core responsibility involves translating robust evidence into practical, costed policies, strategic frameworks, and effective implementation plans. The specialist is tasked with enhancing programme quality and accountability, ensuring the timely delivery of results and comprehensive donor reporting. Moreover, the position demands effective coordination with government bodies, diverse partners, donors, and internal UNICEF teams to foster collaborative efforts and maximize the reach and impact of health interventions for children in the region.
Responsibilities
The Health Specialist's role encompasses several critical functions, with a primary focus (40%) on upstream health policy, systems strengthening, and strategic planning. This involves leading the development, advocacy, and implementation of evidence-based health policies and robust system-strengthening initiatives to improve child and maternal health outcomes. A significant portion (20%) is dedicated to grant and resource management, ensuring the effective and accountable utilization of funds and assets to support health programmes. Furthermore, 20% of the effort is allocated to providing field technical support, quality assurance, and overseeing programme implementation, ensuring that interventions are delivered effectively and meet established standards. The specialist is also responsible (10%) for rigorous results monitoring, evidence generation, and timely reporting to donors and stakeholders, demonstrating impact and accountability. Finally, 10% of the role involves internal and external coordination, fostering strong collaborative relationships with government counterparts, implementing partners, donors, and various UNICEF teams to ensure integrated and coherent programme delivery.
Work Experience
Not specified in the provided content.
Skills
Technical leadership, Health policy development, Systems strengthening, Strategic planning, Grant management, Resource management, Programme quality assurance, Results monitoring, Evidence translation, Donor reporting, Stakeholder coordination, Accountability