Health Specialist - Health Economics and Financing, P-4, Fixed Term Position, # 00133446, Global Programme Division, Health Section, Nairobi, Kenya CoE

Duty station: Nairobi

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 Health

UNICEF’s Global Programme Division (GPD) provides global strategic leadership, policy direction and specialized technical expertise to strengthen programme excellence and country-level implementation. Within GPD, UNICEF’s Centres of Excellence provide high-quality, demand-driven technical assistance to Country and Regional Offices, governments and partners, bringing together cross-cutting expertise in areas including policy reform, at-scale programme design, public finance, workforce development, institutional strengthening and humanitarian response. 

The Health Specialist (Health Economics and Financing), based in UNICEF’s Nairobi Centre of Excellence, will be part of the newly established Inclusive Health Economics, Financing and Policy Innovation (IHEFPI) team. The team drives technical assistance under the Financing for Scale pillar of UNICEF’s Health Programme Offer, supporting governments to expand fiscal space, improve resource allocation and efficiency, strengthen financial protection and develop equitable and sustainable financing approaches for health. Its work encompasses economic evaluation and modelling, efficiency and fiscal-space analysis, health technology assessments, public financing and evidence-informed policy reform.

How can you make a difference?

As Health Specialist (Health Economics and Financing), you will provide high-quality technical assistance to UNICEF Country Offices, governments and partners to strengthen evidence-informed planning, sustainable health financing and equity-focused reforms. You will support the design, costing and financing of national health and immunization strategies; undertake economic, fiscal-space, efficiency and budget-impact analyses; and translate economic evidence into actionable policy recommendations, investment cases and financing strategies. 

You will also support domestic resource mobilization and public financial management, advise on financing and service-delivery reforms, strengthen national capacity in health economics and financing, and contribute to cross-sectoral policy dialogue. Through this work, you will help governments improve resource allocation and build equitable, resilient and financially sustainable health systems, supporting the scale-up of essential services including immunization, primary health care (PHC), and maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (MNCAH).

Join UNICEF’s Global Programme Division as a Health Specialist (Health Economics and Financing) within the Nairobi Centre of Excellence. You will contribute to UNICEF’s technical assistance under the Financing for Scale pillar, supporting Country Offices, governments and partners to strengthen evidence-informed planning, sustainable health financing and equity-focused reforms for immunization, primary health care (PHC), and maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (MNCAH). 

You will help translate economic evidence into practical financing strategies and policy recommendations, while strengthening government and institutional capacity to improve resource allocation and sustain essential health services.

Key accountabilities:

• Technical Advisory on Strategic Planning, Policy Formulation & Review
• Evidence Generation & Economic Analysis
• Domestic Resource Mobilization & Government-Led Financing
• Technical Advisory Support on Capacity Building
• Cross-Sectoral Coordination & Integration

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: Job Description - Health Specialist #00133446.pdf

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

Minimum requirements

1. Education: Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in health economics, health financing, public health, or health policy with a focus on health economics/financing, or in economics/finance with emphasis on Health Systems Strengthening is required.
2. Work Experience: A minimum of 8 years of experience in international health and development with a strong focus on health economics, policy, and financing in low- and middle-income countries is required. Demonstrated experience applying economic theory and/or health financing models in real-world health systems or service-delivery settings, such as primary healthcare, government health systems, or similar contexts, with the ability to translate economic and financing analysis into practical and context-appropriate strategies.
3. Skills: Advanced technical proficiency in Economic evaluation methods (CEA, CBA, ROI), budget impact and financial forecasting models, health systems and financing diagnostics (e.g., PFM assessments, transition readiness). Use of health economic modelling tools such as UNIVAC, OneHealth Tool, LiST, Spectrum, Optima Health, and/or advanced Excel and R-based modeling. Strong quantitative analysis skills, including use of statistical software (e.g., R, Stata, Excel VBA); ability to manage large datasets and develop economic models. Excellent policy translation and writing skills, with a track record of producing decision-useful outputs such as briefs, investment cases, and peer-reviewed publications. Deep understanding of global health financing architecture, including mechanisms like Gavi support, GFF, and Multilateral Development Banks is required.
4. Language Requirements: Proficiency in English and French is required.

Desirables

1. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.
2. Specialized training in areas such as Medicine (MD/MBBS), economic evaluation, and fiscal policy (PhD) will be considered an asset.
3. Demonstrated experience in leading or contributing to cost-effectiveness analyses, budget impact analyses, investment cases, and fiscal space analyses for immunization and broader health interventions (such as MNCH, SRH, HIV/AIDs, Nutrition, etc.).
4. Proven record of supporting or analyzing policy reform processes related to health/immunization financing, or health systems strengthening in low- and middle-income country contexts.
5. Experience working with or advising ministries of health and finance in several low- and middle-income countries.
6. Hands-on experience applying tools such as UNIVAC, LiST, One Health Tool, Spectrum, and budget modeling frameworks.
7. Experience working with or advising ministries of health and finance in several low- and middle-income countries.
8. Experience working with global health partnerships, such as GAVI, the Global Fund, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), and Multilateral agencies and Development Banks, particularly in areas of health economic analysis, is an asset.
9. 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, discrimination, fraud, corruption and other forms of serious misconduct.

UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference, safeguarding and background verification checks. These checks may include verification of academic credentials and employment history, screening against relevant United Nations misconduct databases, and requests for misconduct disclosures from current and former employers, professional associations, other relevant organizations and participating organizations under inter-agency safeguarding initiatives, including the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (MDS), where applicable.

Appointment, selection and continued engagement are subject to the satisfactory completion of all required checks. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information and consent to enable UNICEF to undertake these 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, 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 are conditional on the selected candidates' willingness to comply with current or future vaccination requirements, should UNICEF mandate it for personnel. Failure to comply with such requirements, where applicable and without a duly approved medical exemption from the relevant UN authority, will result in the cancellation of the selection or may lead to other administrative measures, including separation from service.

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 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.

In this role, you will collaborate with colleagues across multiple locations. For effective collaboration, we encourage flexible working hours that accommodate different time zones while prioritizing staff wellbeing.

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.

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.