Hardship LevelE (most hardship)
Family TypeNon Family with Residential Location
Family TypeNon Family with Residential LocationDanger Pay
Residential location (if applicable)
Nairobi (CO), Kenya
GradeNOB
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeNational Professional Officer
ReasonRegular > Regular Assignment
Target Start Date2025-07-01
Deadline for ApplicationsJuly 21, 2025
Standard Job Description
Associate Occupational Health Officer
Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
Due to the need to strengthen and streamline occupational health support for UNHCR personnel—and by extension, their recognized dependents in field duty stations—as well as to coordinate medical responses to outbreaks and pandemics, particularly in relation to UNHCR’s duty of care responsibilities, this position has two reporting lines: a technical one to the Health Support Coordination Officer then to the Occupational Health Coordination Officer, and an administrative one to either the Head of Sub-Office or the most senior administrative personnel in the operation. The incumbent is expected to work in alignment with the policies, guidelines, and recommendations of the UN Medical Directors (UNMD).
Responsibilities include implementing and monitoring compliance with preventive medical actions and responses, based on recommended mitigation measures for mandatory health support elements, disease outbreaks, and crises. The role also involves providing direct occupational health care or managing an occupational health clinic.
The incumbent enhances access to healthcare providers by implementing evidence-based medical interventions, training, and preventive measures to support the physical and mental health of UN and UNHCR staff. S/he also promotes compliance with and maintenance of healthcare service delivery in line with UN Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety (HQPS) standards.
The role includes maintaining coordination mechanisms between UNHCR’s Occupational Health Unit (OHU), the duty station, and other stakeholders to promote health, prevent hazards, and ensure healthcare service delivery remains compliant with UN HQPS standards.
The work involves frequent interaction with UNHCR staff in-country and within the unit, senior management, staff counsellors, field security personnel, specialized agencies, medical and occupational health professionals, humanitarian partners, healthcare providers, and representatives from laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, and medical associations.
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
Occupational Health Care Delivery and Coordination with the Occupational Health Unit (OHU)
Deliver direct occupational health care services, supervise the medical team, and manage duty station clinics.
Support reporting on workplace health and safety matters.
Handle confidential staff medical data in line with established protocols and ethical standards.
Monitor health and safety risks to ensure they remain at an acceptable level and escalate as needed.
Conduct workplace health risk assessments, including high-risk environments, and provide guidance on maintaining safe and healthy conditions.
Act as the in-country focal point for medical emergencies, medical evacuation (MEDEVAC)queries, and referrals.
Facilitate in-country medical referrals and coordinate medical care for personnel and dependents requiring acute, life-threatening, or specialized care.
Handle communication with healthcare providers and specialists on the ground to ensure clinical management of cases among UN and UNHCR personnel and contact tracing of workplace exposures, following OHU protocols.
Track use of occupational health services in UNHCR-recommended health facilities, including medical exams (entry and periodic), travel procedures, and immunizations.
Organize health education and promotion activities aligned with the OHU ’s strategic priorities.
Health Support to Operations
Facilitate and monitor the implementation of the Health Support Plan (HSP) project for the duty station, based on United Nations Medical Directors (UNMD) Mandatory Health Support Elements (MHSE) and Health Risk Assessment (HRA), and update the MHSE status and the HSP accordingly.
Assess healthcare facilities, medical services, and ambulance providers, and update medical referral pathways for the duty station.
Revise standard operating procedures (SOPs)for medical evacuation plans in the duty station.
Collaborate with Field Security personnel and United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) to monitor participating vendors’ compliance in drills, review, and provide context-specific medical referral pathways for casualty evacuation (CASEVAC), MEDEVAC, and mass casualty incident (MCI) plans.
Provide medical input for business continuity and crisis preparedness plans for the duty station.
Prepare situational reports and updates for stakeholders as agreed with the OHU.
Support procurement processes for health services and equipment, including drafting TORs and monitoring delivery. Coordinate with Administration, HR, Supply and Logistics on contracts, memoranda of understanding (MOUs), and compliance with MHSE requirements.
Monitor vendor compliance (medical/health providers) with patient safety and quality standards for commodities and services and recommend improvements.
Organize vaccination campaigns with local providers.
Carry out tasks as agreed between the technical supervisor (OHU) and the line manager.
Coordination with Stakeholders
Collaborate with UNHCR and UN medical personnel on occupational health, clinical care, medevac, and follow-up care for personnel and eligible dependents in the duty station.
Participate in meetings of the Staff Health and Wellbeing Section, OHU, and Health Sector Coordination.
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.
Minimum Qualifications
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For P2/NOB - 3 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 2 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 1 year relevant experience with Doctorate degree
Field(s) of Education
Medical Doctor or other relevant field.
Certificates and/or Licenses
First Aid Training; NEBOSH IGC for Occupational Health and Safety; Medicine;
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)
Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Relevant work experience as a medical practitioner in the healthcare system, in either Internal Medicine, Family Medicine or Emergency Medicine, with experience working in the UN/humanitarian sector. Experience in supervision and coordination of medical personnel.
Desirable
UN field experience in the occupational health care sector. Previous experience in humanitarian crisis and infectious diseases. Experience in healthcare project management.
Functional Skills
MD-UN-wide health care policies and protocols (e.g. medical evacuation procedures, etc.);
MD-Assessment of quality standards of health facilities;
MD - Conduct health risk assessments;
PH-Public Health Surveillance, Outbreak Investigation and Response;
LE-Data protection laws & procedures for sectoral practices (employment, health, security);
OS-Occupational Health and Safety critical risk control methods;
OS-Occupational Health and Safety statistical reporting;
MD-UN Medical Service standards and practices;
MD-Medical Evacuation route planning and operationalization with MOU;
PM-Project monitoring and evaluation;
PM-Project lifecycle management;
(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
Judgement and Decision Making
Managing Performance
Managing Resources
Cross-Functional Competencies
Planning and Organizing
Analytical Thinking
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.
Desired Candidate Profile Nature of the Position:
The incumbent of this position has 2 reporting lines. On the technical side, s/he reports to Medical Section (Occupational Health) through the Health Support Coordination Officer; on the administrative side, to the Head of Sub-Office, Kassala.
The position will improve delivery of occupational health services in the duty station by directly delivering OH care and supervise the Medical Assistance Team (MAT) personnel and manage the MAT Clinic onsite.
Apart from delivering occupational health services to individual staff members, the incumbent is also to provide assistance to the operation, specifically in assessing and monitoring health and safety risks; advise on recommended mitigation measures and monitor and report on status of implementation of the health support plan for the duty station.
Desired Candidate Profile:
The incumbent should have the following qualifications
Mandatory:
Completed a medical degree – MD or MBBS
Have a valid license to practice medicine in the country
Completed post graduate specialty medical training (residency) in either Internal Medicine, Family Medicine or Emergency Medicine
First Aid with Basic Life Support/AED or Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support or Advanced Cardiac Life Support course (or equivalent)
Completed the International Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) course on Managing Safely
Experience in supervision and coordination of medical personnel
Experience working in the UN staff medical services sector
Communication in English language – verbal and writing skills
Desirable:
UN field experience in the occupational health sector
Experience in healthcare project management
Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):
,
,
Desired languages
,
,
Operational context
To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit this link: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel
Additional Qualifications
SkillsLE-Data protection laws & procedures for sectoral practices (employment, health, security), MD-Assessment of quality standards of health facilities, MD - Conduct health risk assessments, MD-Medical Evacuation route planning and operationalization with MOU, MD-UN Medical Service standards and practices, MD-UN-wide health care policies and protocols (e.g. medical evacuation procedures, etc.), OS-Occupational Health and Safety critical risk control methods, OS - Occupational Health and Safety statistical reporting, PH-Public Health Surveillance, Outbreak Investigation and Response, PM-Project lifecycle management, PM-Project monitoring and evaluation
EducationBachelor of Arts: Medical Doctor
CertificationsFirst Aid Training - Other, Medicine - Other, NEBOSH IGC for Occupational Health and Safety - Other
Work Experience
CompetenciesAccountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Judgement & decision making, Managing performance, Managing resource, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration
UNHCR Salary Calculator
https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales
Additional InformationFemale candidates are encouraged to apply.
Candidate must be Sudanese nationality.
Functional clearanceThis position requires Functional Clearance