Overview
The Social Policy and Health Economics Adviser is the senior technical authority on Social Policy, health economics, public financing, and investment strategy for UNFPA's West and Central Africa Regional Office. The role provides high-level technical leadership to guide Country Offices and national governments in mobilizing domestic resources and strengthening health financing systems.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide senior technical advice on health economics and financing to advance UNFPA’s transformative results.
- Lead high-level policy dialogue with Ministries of Finance, Planning, and Health.
- Engage strategically with International Financial Institutions (IFIs).
- Champion the Abuja Declaration benchmark and the Addis Ababa Agenda for Action.
- Promote innovative financing approaches.
- Engage private companies to promote Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and Gender Equality in the workplace.
- Advise on the development of pool funding.
- Lead the development and application of high-quality economic evidence.
- Support Country Offices to conduct and use comprehensive financing diagnostics.
- Lead the development of holistic investment cases for SRHR.
- Conduct regional analyses.
- Apply demographic dividend frameworks and macroeconomic modelling.
- Apply gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) methodologies.
- Design and facilitate regional learning initiatives.
- Provide tailored technical assistance to governments.
- Build the analytical and advocacy capacities of Country Offices.
- Support Country Offices in leveraging economic evidence and analytical products.
- Support engagement with UNFPA’s Match Fund.
- Organize and contribute to national and regional policy dialogues.
- Lead the design and development of country proposals under UNFPA’s Strategic Investment Facility (SIF).
- Establish and manage strategic partnerships.
- Support Country Offices to identify and capitalize on innovative financing windows.
- Lead or contribute to multi-country and regional financing initiatives.
- Engage the private sector and development finance institutions (DFIs).
- Generate and disseminate regional analytical products, policy briefs, and knowledge assets.
- Contribute to UNFPA’s global technical networks.
- Share regional evidence and lessons learned.
- Monitor global health financing developments.
Required Experience
- Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience in health economics, health financing, or related fields, of which at least 7 years at the international level.
- Demonstrated track record in a senior health economist role encompassing health sector reform, PFM, health systems strengthening, and health financing strategy.
- Demonstrated expertise in policy engagement with Ministries of Finance, Planning, and Health in LMICs.
- Deep familiarity with SRHR, family planning, gender-based violence, and population dynamics.
- Technical proficiency in investment case development, fiscal space analysis, Public Expenditure Reviews, National Health Accounts analysis, gender-responsive budgeting, and development finance instruments.
- Established networks within the global and regional health economics and financing community.
- Strong evidence of producing high-quality analytical outputs.
- Field experience in Sub-Saharan Africa, ideally in the West and Central Africa region, is required.
Qualifications
- Advanced university degree (Master’s level or equivalent) in Health Economics, Economics, Public Finance, Public Health, or a closely related discipline.
- A PhD or equivalent is an asset.
