SSA-Tobacco Control Public Health Officer (NOB)

Public Health Officer – Tobacco Control

Role Overview

This position places a seasoned public health professional alongside Kenya's Ministry of Health and its partners, where the day-to-day work centres on turning tobacco control commitments into functioning policy, legislation and enforcement on the ground. The officer moves between technical drafting, data analysis, multi-sectoral convening and county-level capacity building, helping national counterparts meet their obligations under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control while keeping tobacco control woven into wider noncommunicable disease and health promotion efforts. The role matters because progress in this area depends on sustained technical backstopping that connects global guidance to local implementation, and on evidence that ministries and partners can act on.

Key Responsibilities

• Work with the Ministry of Health to review, draft and roll out tobacco control policies, strategies and regulations that align with WHO FCTC provisions and international good practice, covering smoke-free environments, advertising and sponsorship bans, packaging and labelling rules, taxation, and oversight of novel nicotine and tobacco products.
• Strengthen national coordination by bringing together government ministries, civil society, academic institutions and development partners around a shared tobacco control agenda, and by supporting the functioning of formal multi-sectoral mechanisms.
• Reinforce tobacco surveillance and research: help run population-based surveys, track tobacco use trends, analyse the resulting data for policy decision-making, and contribute to the country's reporting obligations under the WHO FCTC.
• Provide technical assistance to operationalise the national reference laboratory for testing tobacco products.
• Support the Ministry of Health, together with multiple stakeholders, in setting up and delivering quality, integrated tobacco cessation services within the general health care system.
• Offer technical backing to partners implementing alternative livelihoods projects in the targeted counties.
• Build capacity at national and county level by developing training materials, organising workshops and providing technical guidance that strengthens enforcement, compliance monitoring and the integration of cessation services into primary health care.
• Prepare technical briefs, policy notes, donor reports and strategic documents that support advocacy and resource mobilisation, and ensure tobacco control is reflected within universal health coverage and primary health care frameworks as part of broader NCD prevention work.
• Carry out other related duties assigned by WHO management in line with organisational priorities.

Requirements & Qualifications

• A Bachelor's degree from a recognised university in public health, medicine, epidemiology, health policy, health promotion, global health, health economics or a closely related discipline.
• A Master's degree in one of these fields is desirable, as is formal training in tobacco control, NCD prevention, public policy analysis, health law or implementation science; a postgraduate qualification paired with demonstrated research or policy work in NCDs or tobacco control is an added advantage.
• At least five years of progressively responsible professional experience in public health, of which a minimum of three years must show demonstrated work in tobacco control, NCD prevention, health policy or public health programme management.
• Proven ability in policy analysis, programme planning and implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and the coordination of public health interventions.
• Demonstrated experience working with government institutions, including national and county bodies, and other relevant stakeholders on public health programme delivery.
• Desirable: prior experience with United Nations agencies, international organisations, development partners or other multilateral institutions; involvement in legislative and policy processes, multi-sectoral coordination and the production of technical guidance, policy briefs and reports; work in public health surveillance using digital tools and electronic health information systems; and data analysis, research coordination and evidence generation for policy and programming.
• Familiarity with Kenya's devolved health system and county governance structures is an advantage, as is experience supporting tobacco control policy implementation and coordination at national or subnational level.
• Expert command of English, including the ability to draft technical documents, policy briefs and reports; a working knowledge of Kiswahili is desirable for engaging national and subnational stakeholders.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, plus comfort with virtual collaboration platforms, digital reporting tools and online data management systems. Advanced data analysis and visualisation skills using advanced Excel functions, STATA, SPSS, Power BI or comparable software are desirable.

What We Offer / Why Join

• The position is recruited under WHO's Special Service Agreement (SSA) category and is subject to applicable WHO Staff Rules and Regulations.
• Remuneration follows the WHO salary scale for Kenya and is set according to your qualifications and years of relevant experience.
• You will work at the centre of national tobacco control efforts, with direct exposure to WHO technical guidance, FCTC reporting processes and a broad network of government, civil society, academic and development partners.