Public Health Officer

Public Health Officer, Job at UNHCR Ethiopia

Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Organization: UNHCR

Deadline for Applications: October 3, 2025

Job Description

Terms of Reference

General Background and Operational Context

Ethiopia continues to face complex humanitarian challenges driven by conflict, climate shocks and regional instability. As of 2025, the country hosts over 1 million refugees, mainly from South Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea and Sudan, making it Africa’s second-largest refugee-hosting country. Additionally, over 4 million people are internally displaced due to conflict and climate-related events such as droughts and floods.

The country is highly vulnerable to climate change, with displaced populations and host communities experiencing its health-related impacts firsthand. Ethiopia’s health system is overstretched, and the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) presents a major challenge, especially given that donor funding for NCDs remains extremely limited. Humanitarian health responses have traditionally focused on communicable diseases and acute emergencies, leaving significant gaps in NCD care and mental health services.

Despite these challenges, Ethiopia maintains an open-door policy for refugees. However, the operational context is marked by encampment-based management and limited access to essential services. The 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan identifies 21.4 million people in need of assistance.

In response, UNHCR’s 2025–2029 strategy emphasizes inclusion into national systems, climate action and sustainable public health programming. Key priorities include strengthening access to primary health care, NCD management, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), and nutrition services for both refugees and host communities.

UNHCR holds the global mandate to assist governments in providing international protection and durable solutions for refugees worldwide. In Ethiopia, UNHCR, together with the Ministry of Health and partners, ensures that refugees have equal access to comprehensive primary health care and life-saving medical services at the same standard as Ethiopian nationals. Health facilities and community health programmes are supported both in refugee settlements and host communities across the country.

Despite these efforts, refugees in Ethiopia, especially those in urban areas, face financial barriers when accessing primary health care and hospital services. UNHCR’s primary focus includes advocating for the inclusion of refugees in national strategies such as health insurance schemes and social protection programmes. To achieve this, a health system strengthening approach in collaboration with Ethiopian national authorities and with technical support from WHO is essential to ensure refugees’ inclusion in the country’s health response strategies.

In terms of durable solutions, Ethiopia is at an important crossroad with significant advancements being made at national and local levels to foster a policy environment conducive to the inclusion of refugees and a ‘solutions from the onset’ approach to new emergencies, whereby national services, such as health, are being reinforced to cater to the needs of both refugees and members of the host communities alike. The momentum for support towards this transition process in Ethiopia is thus substantial and it is of key importance to deliver on the responsibility sharing, as outlined in the Global Compact on Refugees.

Taking the above context into account, UNHCR is now launching a new 3-year partnership to strengthen non-communicable disease (NCD) care for refugees and host communities in Ethiopia.

The partnership will focus on integrating NCD prevention and care into Ethiopia’s national primary healthcare system and addressing NCDs through a holistic approach that includes mental health and nutrition, under an overall framework of supporting the transition from parallel humanitarian health services to inclusive national systems. As part of the partnership there will also be focus on promoting environmentally sustainable healthcare infrastructure and supply chains.

Purpose and Scope of Assignment

The Partnership Coordination Officer will act as the main focal point in the UNHCR Country Office in Ethiopia and focus solely on implementation of the new partnership, entitled “Sustainable Refugee Health: Transitioning towards an inclusive and climate-resilient health system response to NCDs in Ethiopia”.

Under the supervision of the Senior Programme Coordinator in the UNHCR Country Office in Addis Ababa, the Partnership Coordination Officer, in close collaboration with among others field-based public health staff, programme officers and relevant RB and HQ colleagues, will be responsible for providing technical support, coordination, planning, advocacy, monitoring and reporting for the implementation of the partnership in Ethiopia. The role will ensure alignment with national frameworks, UNHCR Ethiopia’s Multi-Year Strategy and the log frame of the partnership.

The incumbent will:

1. Lead and coordinate the delivery of partnership outputs across all operational areas.
2. Undertake regular missions to the targeted field sites within Ethiopia to monitor and supervise the implementation of the activities against the agreed logframe.
3. Support programme colleagues in overall programme management.
4. Ensure the development and implementation of workplans, including capacity building plans, with clear deliverables and timelines aligned with the overall partnership framework and ensure that log frames developed under the partnership are monitored, adjusted as needed and targets achieved.
5. Provide guidance and support to relevant staff throughout the partnership implementation phases and provide support with emphasis on:
• Application of UNHCR standard guidelines and protocols
• Collection, analysis and interpretation of public health data using UNHCR standard tools, surveys and studies
• Engage regularly with health partners responsible for implementing the project to ensure coordinated efforts, timely execution of activities and alignment with project objectives
• Ensure monitoring of implementation according to workplans and indicators
• Highlight any delays, challenges or required adaptations to relevant colleagues

6. In line with applicable approval processes, undertake the procurement planning for essential medical supplies and equipment, ensuring alignment with technical specifications and partnership objectives and oversee that timelines are adhered to. Review country level requests for technical specifications and consistency with the partnership proposal. Oversee medical supplies management relating to the partnership.
7. Act as focal point for data, learnings and best practice data gathering and sharing relating to the partnership, and participate in internal analysis, review or evaluative processes which are intended for internal learning, strategic and operational decision-making.
8. Document and disseminate best practices and lessons learned to inform future programming.
9. Contribute to enhancing synergies with other relevant programmes and partnerships with national and local governments, private sector and relevant development partners.
10. Coordinate and quality assure the timely preparation of all formal partnership narrative and financial reporting, including mid-year and end-year reports, detailing project progress and outcomes.
11. Act as focal point in Ethiopia for the UNHCR Private Sector Partnerships (PSP) team in Denmark, which manage the relations with the partnership donors, incl. relating to meetings and preparation of donor missions, and generally contribute to UNHCR’s engagement with the donors when relevant, incl. by responding to ad-hoc tasks.
12. Produce internal project update reports on a quarterly basis for strategic review and planning and organize monthly internal status meetings with relevant colleagues, including with HQ, RB and PSP Denmark colleagues.
13. Contribute to preparation of external communication efforts in relation to the partnership upon request.

Education (Level and area of required and/or preferred education)

• University Degree in medical studies (medical doctor, medical qualification, public health, nursing and midwifery), preferably medical doctor/nurse/clinician with experience in management of NCDs
• Master of Public Health or similar qualification is desirable.

b. Work Experience

Essential

• At least eight years’ experience in managing complex partnerships, incl. relating to project management, monitoring, reporting and donor coordination, ideally within public health
• Experience in managing public health projects with strong NCD components is an advantage
• Experience in complex stakeholder management is desirable
• Experience working with refugees and/or in emergency settings would be desirable
• Exposure to UNHCR’s mandate, its priorities and principles
• Experience in the East Africa region is an added advantage
• Excellent communication skills, including English report writing skills

Standard Job Description

Public Health Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Public Health Officer is a member of a multidisciplinary team and ensures that UNHCR’s public health programmes meet minimum UNHCR and global health standards to minimise avoidable morbidity and mortality among forcibly displaced and stateless persons and towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Public health programmes include primary health care, secondary health care, sexual and reproductive health (including HIV), nutrition, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS).

The incumbent provides effective and timely technical and strategic guidance to UNHCR senior management and partners including on the design and scope of UNHCR’s responses in public health, catalyses the engagement of other actors, supports resource mobilisation efforts including with the private sector and monitors the response.

S/he identifies problems and proposes solutions proactively and engages in developing, implementing and overseeing health strategies, including in the inter-agency context. S/he advances the concepts found in UNHCR’s Global Public Health Strategy as well as the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) and applies a humanitarian-development nexus lens to UNHCR public health programming and the mainstreaming/inclusion of refugees into national health programmes, advocacy for refugees’ inclusion into national universal health coverage plans including health insurance and other social protection schemes.

The Public Health Officer is usually supervised by a Senior Public Health Officer or in the absence thereof, by operations/programmes staff.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR’s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties

Support the overall operational strategy and focus of public health programmes including ensuring strategic approaches are developed in a multi-sectoral and coordinated manner in cooperation with government, UN agencies, and NGOs and other humanitarian and development partners with due consideration to the approaches outlined in the Global Compact on Refugees, health-related pledges linked to the Global Refugee Forum and in support of the Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG3.
Support the development of a coherent strategic approach to public health towards greater inclusion and access of refugees to national health systems including social health protection as applicable.
Participate in relevant coordination and collaboration structures and lead such structures in the absence of a more senior health staff.
Support robust and timely emergency responses to new refugee influxes and disease outbreaks with a focus on inclusion and access into national health systems from the onset of an emergency.
Participate in relevant assessment and identification of needs, recognise and support the contributions of governments and other actors so as to align with and support national health system as much as possible.
Work with stakeholders, including Ministries of Health, UN agencies, NGOs, development actors and academic institutions in the development of public health response plans including multi-year, multi-partner solutions strategies and funding appeals such as regional refugee response plans or other humanitarian appeals.
Work closely with programme and other units as applicable in programme planning and monitoring as well as the review and analysis of relevant project proposals and budgetary submissions presented by UNHCR partners within the context of the UNHCR programming cycle and standards.
Support intersectoral collaboration throughout all stages of programme cycle between public health, and other sectoral areas to promote synergies and maximise impact.
Support the implementation of relevant UNHCR Health Information System suite of tools and surveys to support in analysis, interpretation, reporting and use of public health data as well as linkage/integration with national data systems including disaggregation by nationality.
Promote applied research and programme evaluation to enable the identification of gaps in programme implementation and standards, and to further promote evidence-based activities and guidance.
Undertake and/or support capacity strengthening of UNHCR and its implementing partners to ensure the technical integrity of public health programmes in a coordinated, multi-sectoral way.
Engage in relevant partnership fora, including in line with UNHCR’s role as a UNAIDS co-sponsor of the Joint Programme on AIDS and co-lead with WFP of the Division of Labour area of HIV in humanitarian settings.
Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making is risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
Perform other related duties as required.

For positions in country operations

Perform a leading or a supporting role – in the country public health team – if supervised by a senior public health officer.
Ensure public health emergency preparedness and response planning at country level and prepare UNHCR’s lead role in response to new emergencies.
Ensure, in close co-ordination with other humanitarian actors, the technical integrity of health care services and that they are based on Ministry of Health, UNHCR and/or internationally recognized and most up-to-date standards and policies.
Coordinate with partners, supply and programme for efficient procurement of medicines, supplies, equipment according to UNHCR guidelines.
Ensure community participation in design and implementation of programmes, fostering ownership and empowerment, ensuring inclusion of vulnerable groups, establishing two-way communication and building on local capacities and resources.
Monitor and support compliance with, and integrity of, all Public Health Administrative Instruction/ standard operating procedures in conjunction with Project Control and Programme staff and in line with delegated authorities, including flagging to senior managers when these are not in line with global guidance or not being followed.

For positions in regional bureaux

Perform a leading or a supporting role – in the regional public health team – if supervised by a Senior Public Health Officer.
Ensure the coordination of public health programmes across the regional bureau and with country operations including assimilation and documentation of better practice/lessons learnt for dissemination.
Ensure solid technical advice and support (including missions) to country operations, in all aspects of public health service delivery, including in emergencies and in line with UNHCR’s policy and guidance.
Assess, analyse public health data and provide relevant support on the technical quality of public health programming in the operations.
Review and provide inputs for public health strategies, medicine management and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the operations and coordinate the review and clearance with HQ.
Ensure effective collaborative approaches across the departments in the bureaux and with HQ.

For positions in headquarters

Support development of organisation-wide guidance, policies, positioning, and tools, including policy documents, technical guidance, evaluations, lessons learnt, communication and visibility materials, reports, and synthesis.
Provide sound technical advice and support (including missions) to bureaux and country operations in pursue of greater inclusion and access to national health services as well as health system strengthening.
Support provision of technical support for the implementation of public health programs to regional bureaux and operations.
Support public health-related knowledge management, training and learning as well as sharing analytical products and tools with bureaux and country operations to inform policies, programmes and opportunities for inclusion into national public health systems.
Assimilate and produce better practice/lessons learnt/academic articles for dissemination.
Support effective collaborative approaches across the team and in between divisions and bureaux.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level

For P3/NOC – 6 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education

Medicine, Medical Science, Medical Doctor, Nursing, Public Health, Epidemiology or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses

Not specified.

Relevant Job Experience

Essential

Experience in public health emergency responses as well as understanding of health systems and health system building blocks.
Experience with evidence-based public health programming including data collection and analysis, in order to inform sound decision making.
Demonstrated experience in working with internal and external stakeholders to achieve common public health objectives and in position(s) where the ability to draft clear, concise documentation was essential.

Desirable

Experience in coordinating health actors to achieve common objectives in public health.
Experience with UNHCR. Experience with managing health information systems.
Experience with the provision of quality-assured medicines and medical supplies.
Experience working with development partners across the humanitarian-development nexus.
Experience with social health protection and social health insurance schemes.

Functional Skills

PM-Project monitoring and evaluation
PH-Public Health Epidemiology
MD-HIV/AIDS situation management
MD-Reproductive Health
PH-Community Health – Health Data Collection/Analysis/Interpretation
CO-Strategic Communication
UN-UN/UNHCR Mandate and Global Strategic Priorities
FO-Complex field emergency operations

(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements

For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.

For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.

For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

Competency Requirements

All jobs at UNHCR require six core competencies and may also require managerial competencies and/or cross-functional competencies. The six core competencies are listed below.

Core Competencies

Accountability
Communication
Organizational Awareness
Teamwork & Collaboration
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Client & Result Orientation

Managerial Competencies

Empowering and Building Trust
Managing Performance
Managing Resources

Cross-Functional Competencies

Analytical Thinking
Planning and Organizing
Stakeholder Management

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination, and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.