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Health Systems Officer - AI for Health
New Delhi, India·Posted today
Full job description
Position details
- Vacancy number: 2603373
- Grade: No grade
- Contractual arrangement: Special Services Agreement (SSA)
- Contract duration: 12 months
- Organization: SE_IND WR Office, India
- Schedule: Full-time
- Closing date: Sep 3, 2026, 5:59:00 PM
Overview of the programme
WHO India Country Office collaborates with the Government of India and relevant stakeholders within the framework of the collaborative Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS), to actively support the development and implementation of national health policies, strategies and plans aiming at promoting access to and utilization of affordable and quality health services and improving financial protection against health-related risks.
WHO Country Office for India is supporting the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare to strengthen the existing health systems to cater to the growing needs of mental health and substance abuse, palliative care and elderly care in the country.
Underlying Values and Core Functions of WHO
WHO’s mandate revolves around six (6) leadership priorities specifying (i) advancing universal health coverage (ii) health related sustainable development goals (iii) addressing the challenge of non-communicable diseases and mental health, violence and injuries and disabilities (iv) implementing the provisions of the International Health Regulations (2005) (v) increasing access to quality, safe, efficacious and affordable medical products (vi) addressing the social, economic and environmental determinants of health.
The South – East Asia Region (SEAR) of WHO is made up of 10 countries, with over 1.8 billion people, with India’s population of 1.4 billion. All the Member States of WHO/SEAR (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste), share the common value of the highest attainable standard of health as a fundamental human right. All WHO actions are based on this and rooted in the underlying values of equity, solidarity and participation.
Mission of the WHO Country Office for India
The mission of WHO India is to improve quality of life of the 1.4 billion people in India by supporting the government in eliminating vaccine preventable and other communicable diseases, reducing maternal and neonatal mortalities, promoting healthy lifestyles, addressing determinants of health, preparing and responding to health emergencies and strengthening health systems for universal health coverage.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly influencing health systems, service delivery, public health intelligence, disease surveillance, research, healthcare management, and health workforce performance. India has emerged as a global leader in digital public infrastructure and is rapidly expanding the use of AI technologies across sectors, including health.
The Government of India, through the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, released the Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare for India (SAHI) in February 2026. SAHI provides a national framework for the responsible, safe, and inclusive integration of AI across India’s health system, structured around five strategic pillars: Governance, Regulation and Trust; Health Data and Digital Infrastructure; Workforce, Institutional Capacity and Change Management; Research, Innovation and Evidence Generation; and Ecosystem Enablement and Global Leadership.
The WHO Country Office for India is supporting national and subnational authorities in advancing responsible, equitable, evidence-based, and sustainable use of AI for health, consistent with WHO guidance on ethics, governance, regulation, evaluation, and implementation of AI technologies. To support implementation of WHO's strategic agenda on AI for Health and strengthen engagement with government and partners, WHO India seeks a dedicated Technical Officer to lead technical work on AI and digital innovation for health systems strengthening.
This SSA will serve as the primary WHO focal point within India, responsible for coordinating all country-level engagements with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), the National Health Authority (NHA), and other national stakeholders in support of the Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare for India (SAHI). The role focuses on translating SAHI’s strategic recommendations into actionable inputs for the development and finalization of the implementation plan, development of foundational elements of the AI ecosystem including governance, evaluation framework and workflow integration guides, ensuring alignment with India’s existing digital health architecture, regulatory environment, and programme priorities and evidence generation.
Description of Duties:
The incumbent will work under overall guidance of Deputy WHO Representative for Country Office India and under direct supervision of Team Leader Health Systems.
· Strategic Leadership and Programme Development
o Lead implementation of WHO India's programme of work for technical support to the government for the operationalization of the SAHI
o Work closely with the National Health Authority and other relevant government counterparts to identify strategic opportunities for applying AI to strengthen primary health care, public health functions, health workforce performance, service delivery, surveillance, and health systems management.
o Support integration of AI approaches into WHO's health systems and digital health programmes.
o Advise WHO leadership and government counterparts on emerging AI trends, opportunities, and risks.
· Technical Support to Government
o Provide technical advice to national and state governments on AI policy, governance, standards, and implementation.
o Support development of national and, where relevant, sub-national frameworks, roadmaps, guidelines, and operational plans for AI adoption in health.
o Promote alignment with WHO normative guidance and international best practices.
· AI Governance, Ethics and Regulatory Strengthening
o Work with the National Health Authority on the establishment of governance mechanisms for responsible AI in health.
o Provide evidence-based technical inputs on ethical, privacy, safety, transparency, explainability, accountability, and equity considerations for governance and regulatory frameworks developed by the Government of India.
o Facilitate development and adoption of risk assessment and evaluation frameworks for AI solutions.
o Support assessment of health system readiness and institutional capacities for adoption and deployment of AI in health in India.
· Health Systems Innovation and Use Cases
o Support adoption of systematic evaluation frameworks for AI-enabled solutions in areas such as:
o Primary health care
o Public health intelligence
o Disease surveillance
o Diagnostics
o Health workforce support
o Health financing
o Supply chain management
o Predictive analytics
o Population health management
o Develop frameworks for monitoring effectiveness, safety, scalability, and sustainability.
· Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement
o Coordinate engagement with government ministries, NITI Aayog, academic institutions, research organizations, technology companies, development partners, UN agencies, and civil society.
o Establish and support technical working groups and communities of practice.
· Capacity Building and Knowledge Management
o Support the design and implementation of training programmes on AI in health.
o Develop technical guidance, learning materials, and knowledge products.
o Facilitate dissemination of WHO recommendations and good global practices.
o Promote institutional learning and evidence generation.
· Evidence, Research and Monitoring
o Monitor developments in AI technologies and health applications.
o Support operational research and evaluation studies.
o Generate evidence on effectiveness, equity, and systems impact.
o Produce technical reports, policy briefs, publications, and programme updates
Education:
Essential: Advanced degree (Master’s or above) in public health, health policy, health informatics, or a related field.
Desirable: Qualification in computing or Artificial intelligence specializing in generative AI
WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from accredited institutions. The list
can be accessed through this link: http://www.whed.net/
Experience:
Essential: At least 2 years of experience working with India’s health system and familiarity with AI applications in healthcare.
Desirable:
Demonstrated understanding of India’s digital health architecture (ABDM, eSanjeevani, national registries) and health programme delivery mechanisms.
Experience in stakeholder coordination, policy analysis, and technical writing for government audiences.
Experience with health technology assessment or clinical workflow design is desirable.
Competencies:
- Communication
- Fostering Integration and Teamwork
- Respecting and Promoting Individual and Cultural Differences
- Moving forward in a changing environment
- Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond.
Functional Skills and Knowledge:
1. AI Governance and Ethics
Responsible AI principles
Health data governance frameworks
And/OR
2. AI and Digital Health Strategy
Understanding of AI applications in health systems and public health
Ability to assess opportunities, risks, and readiness for AI adoption within health systems.
Digital and AI literacy and competence
And/OR
3. Data Science and Analytics
Data management and quality assurance
Predictive analytics and machine learning concepts and applications in healthcare
Language Skills: Fluent in English
Remuneration:
Monthly remuneration is INR 218,855 taxable as per Indian laws and the appointment will be through Special Services Agreement (SSA) extendable subject to satisfactory performance and continuing need for the function. S/he will be posted at New Delhi. The position may require extensive travel (can be upto 15 days in a month) to the states and districts.
The Health System Officer – AI in Health is a national of the country (India) where he/she is to serve, is recruited locally and is not subject to assignment to any official station outside the home country. Only Indian Nationals should apply.
Additional information:
1. This Vacancy Notice may be used to fill similar positions at the same level.
2. Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
3. A written test and interviews may be used as a form of screening.
4. If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/ diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
5. For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
6. The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits workforce regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics.
7. The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its workforce. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversityequity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply for WHO jobs.
8. Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process.
9. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to reasonableaccommodation@who.int
10. An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter (https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/our-values) into practice.
11. WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of short-listed candidates.
12. WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
13. Please note that WHO’s contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Staff Health and Wellbeing Services (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries.
14. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at shws@who.int.
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16. This post is subject to local recruitment and will be filled by persons recruited in the local commuting area of the duty station.
17. Any extension of appointment would be subject to programmatic requirements, performance of the incumbent and availability of funds.
18. Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply.
Listing sourced from WHO careers. Applications are handled entirely by the employer.
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