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.
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For every child, Health
Work for UNICEF | UNICEF Somalia
How can you make a difference?
Organizational Context
Somalia’s health system remains fragile after decades of conflict, institutional collapse, chronic underinvestment, and recurrent humanitarian crises. The country records some of the highest maternal and child mortality rates globally, with only 27% of the population able to access essential health services. Service delivery is fragmented, infrastructure is inadequate, and critical workforce shortages persist. These challenges disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, undermining efforts to reduce preventable deaths and achieve universal health coverage.
UNICEF Somalia’s Health Section works to ensure every child survives and thrives by promoting equitable access to essential health services. The section prioritizes Primary Health Care (PHC), Immunization, and Health Systems Strengthening, with a strong emphasis on government leadership, evidence-based planning, and cross-sectoral integration.
Purpose of the Job
The Health Specialist – Health Information Systems and Digitization will play a key role in advancing Somalia’s digital health agenda. Reporting to the Chief of Health, the specialist will support the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of digital health initiatives, including strengthening DHIS2 and expanding electronic health records (EHRs). The position will ensure UNICEF’s digital health interventions align with national priorities, improve data use for decision-making, and contribute to stronger health outcomes.
The specialist will represent UNICEF on national HMIS and M&E platforms, contribute to evidence generation and advocacy, and support strategic partnerships. Internally, the role will help ensure that the health programme meets indicators and reporting requirements while fostering innovation, capacity building, and knowledge sharing. This position is central to delivering sustainable results for Somalia’s most marginalized children and families, in line with UNICEF’s global equity-focused mandate.
Key Functions / Accountabilities
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Support programme development and planning.
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Manage programmes, monitor progress, and ensure results delivery.
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Provide technical and operational support to implementation.
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Strengthen networking and partnerships.
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Drive innovation, knowledge management, and capacity building.
Impact of Results
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Strengthened health information systems and data-driven decision-making improve accountability, responsiveness, and alignment with national health priorities.
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UNICEF’s interventions remain evidence-based, strategically focused on child survival, PHC, and equity, and on track to achieve indicators and reporting obligations.
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By ensuring quality data, effective partnerships, and innovation, the specialist helps sustain UNICEF’s credibility and impact in Somalia’s health sector.
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Ultimately, the role supports improved health and wellbeing for vulnerable women and children, enabling every child to survive, develop, and reach their full potential.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
- Education: An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: public health, pediatric health, family health, health research, global/international health, health policy and/or management, biostatistics, socio-medical, health education, epidemiology, or another relevant technical field.
- A first-level university degree, combined with an additional two years of relevant professional experience, may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree requirement.
Experience:
- Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in health information systems, digital health, or M&E.
- Proven experience with DHIS2 and digital health platforms in low-resource settings.
- Strong understanding of health systems strengthening, particularly in fragile contexts.
- Excellent communication, coordination, and analytical skills.
Language Requirements:
- Fluency in English is required.
Desirables:
- Experience with UN agencies or international NGOs is an asset.
- Experience working in a developing country is considered as an asset.
- Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
- Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.
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
The 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.
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.
