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 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 d
Benefits
Health insurance
Additional Information
Please note that this vacancy is only open to eligible staff members who have been individually notified of their eligibility to apply for positions advertised in the Accelerated Posting Compendium.
Deadline for Applications
June 12, 2026
Hardship Level
H (no hardship)
Family Type
Family
Residential location (if applicable)
Grade
PR3
Staff Member / Affiliate Type
Professional
Reason
Regular > Regular Assignment
Target Start Date
2026-05-26
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.
Unhcr · Geneva, Switzerland