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 India is seeking a dedicated Health Specialist to lead its health programme in Uttar Pradesh — the state with the highest burden of maternal and child health challenges in the country. Reporting to the Chief Field Office, the Specialist will provide technical leadership and management support to design, implement, and monitor evidence‑based interventions that deliver impact at scale. The role involves strengthening partnerships with government and civil society, leveraging resources, and working collaboratively across UNICEF programme sectors to accelerate progress on child survival, growth, and wellbeing. This position offers a unique opportunity to drive sustainable results, reduce inequities, and contribute to the realization of children’s rights in alignment with UNICEF’s Strategic Plan 2026‑29.

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF has been committed to protecting children's rights in India for over 75 years. Around 450 staff members work across 17 states, covering 90 per cent of India's child population. This gives UNICEF the largest field presence of any UN agency in the country. That reach allows UNICEF to effectively identify and support the most vulnerable children."

UNICEF, through enduring commitments, thoughtful investments, multi-sectoral collaborations, evidence-informed interventions and policy advocacy, works towards improving maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health outcomes and seeks to reduce inequities in care, strengthen health systems and incorporate resilience and risk-informed planning. 

In India, UNICEF works with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Ministry of Women and Child Development, NITI Aayog, and state governments in key areas such as maternal health, newborn and child health, and adolescent health.

The Health Specialist at India Country Office is a component of the Country Programme (or UNDAF), aligned with the principles of the Country Programme Document and UNICEF Strategic Plan.

Job organizational context:

• This position is based in Lucknow, India. 
• This position is open for Indian Nationals or internal candidate who possess a valid work permit for India.
• The selected applicant will have an initial two (2) years fixed-term contract, with the possibility of extension, subject to the availability of funds and satisfactory performance.  
• UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. Eligible and suitable female candidates are encouraged to apply.
• 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.   
• UNICEF 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 at http://www.whed.net/.

Purpose for the job:

The Health Specialist reports to the Chief Field Office (Level 5) for guidance and general supervision. Uttar Pradesh is a state with the highest burden of maternal and child health related deprivations in the country, contributing to approximately one-third of the national maternal and neonatal mortality burden. In alignment with the UNICEF Strategic Plan for 2026-29, the key role of the Health Specialist would be to lead the health team at UNICEF UP to develop and implement approaches and strategies to deliver impact at scale. The Health Specialist will provide leadership to ensure  sharpened focus on selected high impact interventions adapted to state context, develop and nurture partnerships with the government and other stakeholders to leverage resources and strengths to catalyze results at scale and to work collaboratively with other UNICEF programme sectors.

The Health Specialist will support the development and preparation of the health programme and will be responsible for managing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating, and reporting the programme progress of the health programme in the state of Uttar Pradesh within the overall country programme. The Health Specialist will provide technical guidance and management support throughout the programming processes to facilitate the administration and 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.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities: 

1. Support to programme development and planning
2. Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results
3. Technical and operational support to programme implementation
4. Networking and partnership building
5. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  JD Health Specialist, NO-3, Fixed Term Position, Lucknow, India, #00010684.doc

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

Minimum requirements:

1. Education: Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in one of the following fields is required: Public health, Nutrition, Pediatric health, Family health, Health research, Global health, International health, Health Policy and or Health management, Environmental health sciences, Biostatistics, Socio-medical, Epidemiology or another relevant technical field.
2. Work Experience: A minimum of 5 years of professional work experience in Public health, Nutrition, Public health and Nutrition planning and management, Maternal and Neonatal Health care, or Health emergency, and Humanitarian preparedness and Community health.
3. Skills: Knowledge of Public health/nutrition planning and management, maternal and neonatal health care, or health emergency/humanitarian preparedness.
4. Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.

Desirables:

1. Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is an asset. Working knowledge of Hindi is desirable.
2. Proven ability to lead and coordinate programme implementation across multiple teams and complex operational contexts is desirable.
3. Experience working in developing country is an asset.
4. Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
5. 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

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
(8) Nurtures, leads and manages people

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. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will 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 women, trans and gender non-conforming people and persons with disabilities 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.