Programme Manager (Health System Strengthening), P4, Pacific Multi Country Office, Suva, Fiji, # 136009 [Temporary Appointment, 364 days]

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.

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Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to a vision.

In the Pacific we work in Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu: These 14 Pacific island countries are home to 2.3 million people, including 1.2 million children and youth, living on more than 660 islands and atolls stretching across 17.2 million square kilometers of the Pacific Ocean, an area comparable to the combined size of the United States of America and Canada. Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu are classified as Fragile States according to World Bank/OECD criteria.

All 14 Pacific Island countries and territories have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, but only a third are on track with reporting obligations. Explore the different areas of our work here: UNICEF Pacific Islands.

How can you make a difference? 

The Programme Manager (Health System Strengthening – HSS) provides overall strategic, technical, and managerial leadership for the PHIT Project, which is a regional, multi-country initiative supporting Fiji, Kiribati, Tonga, and Tuvalu to strengthen their health systems through enhanced health-workforce capacity, expanded access to digital health innovations, and improved service delivery enabled by regional collaboration. 

The role is responsible for the end-to-end management of a complex regional programme, including strategic planning, implementation oversight, stakeholder coordination, and delivery of regional outputs, while ensuring strong country ownership through close collaboration with Ministries of Health and other relevant partners. This includes direct execution of PHIT regional and national activities in Fiji, as well as technical, managerial, and quality oversight of project implementation in Kiribati, Tonga, and Tuvalu, through supervision and support to country-level coordinators.

The Programme Manager also has overall responsibility for contract and vendor management across the PHIT Project. This includes sourcing, contracting, and managing a diverse portfolio of technical assistance agencies, academic institutions, consultancy firms, implementing partners, and vendors supplying goods, services, digital platforms, and infrastructure. The role ensures quality assurance, interoperability, regulatory compliance, timely delivery, and value for money, in line with UNICEF policies and applicable donor requirements, including those of the World Bank and other financing partners.

Summary of Key Functions/Accountabilities:

1. Regional programme leadership and management

• Lead strategic planning, coordination and implementation of the PHIT Project as a regional programme, ensuring coherence between regional public goods and country-level interventions.
• Ensure alignment of PHIT activities with national health strategies, regional frameworks, UNICEF priorities, and financing agreements with World Bank and other donors.
• Oversees the development and implementation of annual and multi-year work plans, budgets, and results frameworks.
• Identify implementation risks, dependencies, and cross-country bottlenecks, and lead mitigation strategies to ensure achievement of results.
• Provide managerial and technical supervision to country-level UNICEF PHIT coordinators for Kiribati and Tonga/Tuvalu, ensuring that country-level implementation aligns with regional designs, standards, and timelines.
• Support the government counterparts and Project Management Units (PMUs) in planning, implementation and operationalisation of PHIT-supported interventions in all participating countries.
• Actively monitor programmes through field visits and exchange of information with partners/stakeholders to assess progress, identify bottlenecks, potential problems and take timely decisions to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for timely resolution.

2. Technical leadership – health systems strengthening and digital health

• Provide technical guidance to government counterparts, UN system partners and other country office partners/donors on best practices and approaches in health systems strengthening, with emphasis on PHC, service delivery models, health workforce development, and digital health transformation.
• Guide the design, implementation and quality assurance of UNICEF technical assistance provision in: CPD and accreditation frameworks; health worker registry; regional telehealth network, including interoperable and scalable digital and medical equipment provision; AI-enabled diagnostic and treatment tools, including development and application of AI risk mitigation and governance frameworks; OMR guidelines; and PHC innovations. Ensure compliance with global and national digital health guidelines and standards, data protection, cybersecurity, interoperability, ethical AI principles and regulatory requirements.
• Participate in discussions with national partners and other stakeholders to promote health, nutrition and development issues, especially in strengthening health systems.
• Plan and/or collaborate with internal and external partners to establish monitoring benchmarks, performance indicators and measurements to assess and strengthen performance accountability, coherence and delivery of concrete and sustainable results for the health system strengthening efforts.
• Provide guidance on implementation research and evidence generation, and support knowledge sharing across PHIT countries.
• Draft policy papers, briefs and other strategic programme materials relevant to PHIT Project for management use, information and consideration.

3. Contract and grant management

• Lead procurement planning and contracting strategies for the PHIT Project in coordination with UNICEF operations teams.
• Identify, source and engage technical assistance providers, academic institutions, consultancy firms and vendors required for delivery of PHIT results.
• Manage contracts throughout their lifecycle, including: development of technical specifications and terms of reference; oversight of contract implementation and performance; technical review and validation of deliverables; quality assurance of outputs to ensure contracted goods and services are delivered on time, meet agreed technical and interoperability standards, and contribute effectively to regional and country-level outcomes; resolution of performance issues and enforcement of contractual obligations.
• Promote coordination and integration across multiple vendors to ensure system-wide coherence and sustainability.
• Oversee financial planning, budget execution, and expenditure tracking in line with UNICEF policies and procedures as well as the donor requirements.

4. Partnership and coordination

• Serve as UNICEF’s primary focal point for PHIT with national governments, ministries of health and finance, PMUs, the World bank, the Pacific Community (SPC), and other UN agencies, development partners, and regional initiatives. Facilitate effective collaboration, role clarity, and complementarity among partners.
• Provide support to the Chief of Health and Nutrition and senior management in representing the PHIT Project in regional and international coordination forums, technical working groups, and review missions.
• Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with government counterparts, national stakeholders, as well as global partners, allies, donors, and academia. Through active networking, advocacy and effective communication, build capacity and exchange knowledge and expertise to facilitate the achievement of programme goals on health sector reform and system strengthening.
• Prepare communication and information materials relevant to PHIT for CO programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnerships/alliances, and support fund raising for health programmes.
• Participate and/or represent UNICEF in appropriate inter-agency (UNCT) discussions and planning on health system strengthening issues to collaborate with inter-agency partners/colleagues on UNSDCF planning and preparation of health programmes/projects, ensuring organizational position, interests and priorities are fully considered and integrated into the UNSDCF process in development planning and agenda setting.
• Coordinate with UNICEF HQ Health to facilitate their engagement with key global partners, including the World Bank, to support replication of PHIT model and best practices in other regions.

5. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

• Promote documentation of lessons learned, innovations, and good practices from PHIT implementation. Facilitate cross-country learning and exchange of good practices.
• Ensure timely and high-quality preparation of narrative and financial reports, results updates and donor submissions.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration and performance. Support capacity development of team members and national counterparts to promote sustainable results on health system strengthening through mentoring, coaching, and structured learning.
• Keep abreast of and conduct research to provide evidence for implementation of best and cutting-edge practices in strengthening of health systems.

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

Minimum requirements:

Education: 

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in one of the following fields is required: public health/nutrition, health systems, health informatics, health research, global/international health, health policy and/or management, or another relevant technical field.

Work Experience: 

• A minimum of eight years of progressively responsible professional experience in programme or project management in health systems strengthening and/or digital health.
• Experience working in a developing country is required, some of which should be international experience.
• Work experience in Small Island Developing States and in the Pacific is highly desirable.
• Programme and team management experience is required
• Demonstrated experience managing complex regional or multi-country programmes is preferred.
• Proven experience in contract and vendor management, including oversight of multiple technical and digital health service providers is preferred.
• Prior knowledge and work experience in handling donor relations and partnerships, particularly with IFIs such as the World Bank is desirable.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.

Language Requirements: 

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language or local language of the duty station is considered as an asset.

Technical knowledge, competencies and skills:

• Professional technical knowledge/ expertise in PHC and health system strengthening, including health workforce development and digital health is required
• Technical experience with cross-border telehealth, including policy and regulatory harmonization, is desirable.
• Experience with the design and implementation of Digital Public Goods, including for telehealth, digital learning platforms, and health workforce registries, alongside experience with health information exchanges and interoperability standards, is desirable.  
• Proven strong result orientation, with a focus on achieving programme goals, ensuring accountability for outputs, monitoring performance, and delivering tangible results in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
• Sound understanding of planning, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting, ideally relevant to health programmes.
• Excellent programme management, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong leadership, communication, and partnership-building abilities.

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 jobs-near-me.org 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 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.