World Health Organization (WHO) Global Health Grant Jobs — Apply for Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist Openings 2025

Introduction

If you love data but want it to do more than sit pretty on a dashboard — if you want numbers to change policy, shift resources, and save lives — a Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Specialist role with the World Health Organization is one of the most direct ways to make that happen. In 2025, WHO continues to oversee a broad portfolio of grant-funded global health programmes — from pandemic preparedness to routine immunization, from primary health care strengthening to climate-resilient health systems — and those programmes need robust M&E capacity to deliver results.

This long-form guide is written for people who want to apply for WHO M&E Specialist openings in 2025: international and national postings across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. You’ll get a clear overview of the jobs, why they matter, what WHO (and its funders) are asking for in 2025, how to structure a standout application (including a short Statement of Purpose template), examples of real-world career paths, a comparison table to help you map your skills, FAQs, and a practical call to action with application tips.

Where useful, I point you directly to WHO resources and field-tested practices so you can prepare with confidence. Start here, and by the end you’ll know whether to apply — and exactly how to make your application competitive.

Overview of the topic

WHO manages and implements grant-funded programmes in partnership with governments, UN agencies, donors, and civil society. Grants fund time-bound projects — for example, a donor grant to strengthen maternal and newborn care in selected provinces, or a multi-year investment in integrated disease surveillance. M&E Specialists are hired on those grant lines to design monitoring systems, collect and validate data, analyze results, support adaptive management, and report to both ministries and donors.

Typical settings for WHO M&E Specialists in 2025 include:

Country offices (fixed-term national or international contracts) where M&E specialists support national programmes and donor reporting.
Regional offices (coordinating multiple country portfolios and providing technical guidance).
Headquarters or global M&E networks (technical leadership and standards).
Home-based or hybrid consultancies supporting discrete evaluations, dashboards, or capacity building exercises.

The function is both technical and relational: you’ll work with Ministry of Health colleagues, implementing partners, donors, statisticians, and health workers at the facility and community levels. The job blends quantitative analysis (dashboards, trend analysis, indicator design) with softer skills: training, stakeholder facilitation, and translating evidence into clear recommendations.

WHO Global Health Grant Jobs — Why they matter in 2025

2025 is a pivotal year for global health. WHO’s Fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW 14, 2025–2028) sets priorities for health equity, resilience, and the SDGs; donors now expect better evidence of impact; digital health is mainstreamed in many programmes; and governments are focused on both pandemic preparedness and routine system strengthening. That context makes M&E roles central to success.

Here are the high-level reasons these jobs matter now:

From outputs to outcomes: Donors increasingly want proof of health outcomes (not just activities). M&E Specialists translate activity-level inputs into measurable programme outcomes and impact.
Adaptive management: Real-time data enables course-corrections — shifting funds to what works, reallocating teams during outbreaks, or rephasing activities as context changes.
Accountability and transparency: Well-designed M&E systems support audits, donor reporting, and public accountability. This matters for sustaining funding and public trust.
Equity focus: Disaggregation (by sex, age, location, disability status) is required to reveal who is being left behind, a core demand in WHO’s strategic agenda. World Health Organization
Digital transformation: WHO and partners are bringing digital data collection, interoperable systems (e.g., DHIS2), and dashboards to scale — increasing the technical sophistication required of M&E roles.

WHO’s jobs are therefore about more than spreadsheets: they’re about making data a lever for policy and programmatic change. For applicants in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, this is a chance to apply local knowledge and language skills to deliver globally credible evidence.

Key importance — what M&E Specialists actually deliver

Let’s unpack the core deliverables for an M&E Specialist in a WHO grant programme. Think of these as daily or weekly responsibilities that create measurable value:

Design the theory of change & results framework
Map the logical chain from inputs → activities → outputs → outcomes → impact and identify indicators for each level.
Indicator selection and operationalization
Choose SMART indicators (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound), define data sources, and write clear measurement protocols.
Data systems & digital tools
Configure DHIS2 or Kobo/ODK forms, set up dashboards (Power BI, Tableau), and ensure interoperability and data security.
Quality assurance & data validation
Regular data audits, spot checks, and feedback loops to fix data quality issues at source (facility and community).
Routine analysis & reporting
Produce monthly/quarterly reports, visualize trends, and prepare donor-level narrative and financial reporting inputs.
Capacity building with partners
Train government staff and implementing partners on tools, indicator definitions, and interpretation.
Adaptive learning & evaluations
Design mid-term and endline evaluations, facilitate learning reviews, and produce policy-relevant briefs.

These functions are essential because they turn raw data into decisions — and decisions into lives improved.

Key insights — what hiring managers want in 2025

Recruiters at WHO and partner organizations are looking for a mix of technical competence, contextual fluency, and soft skills. Here’s a breakdown of what will make your application standout in 2025.

1. Demonstrated digital M&E skills

Experience configuring DHIS2, building dashboards in Power BI or Tableau, or managing mobile surveys (Kobo/ODK) is now baseline for many WHO M&E roles. Show specific modules you’ve configured, sample dashboards, or data pipelines you’ve managed.

2. Results orientation with evidence

Bring numbers: “Reduced reporting lag from 30 days to 5 days,” or “improved data completeness from 72% to 95%.” These are far more persuasive than vague claims.

3. Equity and disaggregation expertise

You must show a track record of designing indicators that reveal inequalities (gender, age, rural/urban, disability) and using findings to adapt programming.

4. Donor & grant literacy

Understand how donor results frameworks map to WHO reporting requirements and financial disbursement schedules (e.g., linking indicators to disbursement triggers).

5. Partnership & facilitation skills

M&E is shared work. Experience coaching ministry M&E staff or leading joint review missions is highly prized.

6. Regional & language competence

For Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, local language skills, experience working with ministries in that region, or prior country experience is a strong advantage.

7. Communication & storytelling

The best M&E specialists can turn figures into persuasive executive summaries for ministers, donors, or community leaders.

If you can show concrete examples across these seven areas, you’ll be competitive.

(WHO’s practical guidance on strengthening country monitoring and evaluation platforms is a useful technical reference as you prepare your approach and CV.) World Health Organization

Benefits — why these WHO roles are good career moves

Professional and institutional benefits

Credibility & CV value — Experience with WHO is globally recognized and opens doors across donor agencies, NGOs, academia, and government.
Access to technical resources — WHO’s toolkits, global M&E communities, and learning platforms support professional growth.
Diverse career pathways — M&E experience can lead to program management, policy advisory roles, or leadership in health informatics.
Networking & visibility — Presenting at donor reviews or WHO regional meetings expands your professional footprint.

Practical & personal benefits

Competitive remuneration — Depending on contract type (national vs international) and duty station, WHO packages can be competitive within the public/global health sector.
Mobility & secondments — Many staff move between country offices and regional hubs, gaining cross-country experience.
Impact-driven work — The job is rewarding for people who want measurable improvements in health outcomes.

Remember: many WHO M&E roles are grant-funded (i.e., tied to specific donor support), so contracts can be fixed-term. But they are fast tracks to high-impact, visible experience.

Table — Quick comparison: M&E Specialist vs. Program Officer vs. Data Scientist

Job Title	Primary Focus	Typical Tools	What to Highlight in Your Application
M&E Specialist	Design measurement systems, indicators, evaluations	DHIS2, Kobo/ODK, Power BI/Tableau, Stata/R	M&E frameworks, evaluations you led, indicator operationalization
Programme Officer	Day-to-day program delivery, partner management	Project management tools, Word/Excel	Partner coordination, reporting to donors, delivery timelines
Health Data Scientist	Advanced analytics, modeling, predictive tools	R/Python, machine learning libraries	Modeling skills, algorithmic pipelines, reproducible code

Use the table to decide which role best maps to your skill set — then tailor your CV accordingly.

Real-world examples — how different backgrounds fit M&E roles (Asia, Middle East & Africa focus)

Below are three realistic career vignettes showing typical entry paths and impact.

1) International Student — Bangladesh → WHO M&E Associate

Profile: Recent MPH graduate with a specialization in epidemiology; internship with a public health NGO on vaccine cold chain monitoring.
Pathway: Internship → short WHO consultancy on immunization M&E → fixed-term M&E Associate.
Impact example: Introduced automated checks in the DHIS2 immunization module, reducing data entry errors and improving coverage estimates used for microplanning.
Why it worked: Combination of technical training, local language, and practical pilot experience.

2) Educator — Kenya → National M&E Consultant (Malaria Grant)

Profile: University public health lecturer with experience leading community surveillance projects.
Pathway: Led community data collection pilot → contracted by WHO to revise malaria indicator definitions and train county health teams.
Impact example: County reporting completeness increased from 78% to 96%; county managers used the new dashboards to target indoor residual spraying.
Why it worked: Deep local networks, credibility with county health teams, and practical training materials.

3) Parent & Practitioner — Jordan → Regional M&E Specialist (Refugee Health)

Profile: Mid-career NGO programme manager with experience in psychosocial support and maternal health; flexible schedule to balance family commitments with remote/hybrid work.
Pathway: National consultant → regional home-based M&E role overseeing cross-country indicators for donor reporting.
Impact example: Harmonized indicator definitions across three countries, enabling aggregated donor reporting and freeing funds for rapid scale-up.
Why it worked: Strong stakeholder management, track record in refugee settings, and strong written communication skills for multi-country synthesis.

These vignettes show that different starting points — student, educator, caregiver — can all lead to meaningful WHO M&E roles when combined with demonstrable results.

How to find WHO M&E jobs and prepare a strong application

Where to look

WHO Careers Portal: WHO’s official job portal lists international and national positions and is the authoritative source for vacancies. Create a profile, set alerts, and check regularly as grant-funded M&E roles are posted year-round. World Health Organization
UN job aggregators: Impactpool, UNJobs, and similar platforms often list consultancies and national opportunities.
WHO regional and country office pages: Some roles are advertised locally via country office channels.

Application mechanics & timing

Prepare the UN P11 (Personal History Form) if you’re targeting international positions — many UN roles use either the P11 or an application portal.
Assemble evidence packages: A one-page M&E brief (logic model + top 5 indicators), a sample dashboard screenshot, and a short copy of an evaluation or learning brief can make your application stand out.
Letter of Motivation / Statement of Purpose: Tailor it to the job and include brief, quantified examples of what you’ve achieved (see the SoP template below).
References: Choose referees who can speak to your M&E and partnership skills.

Your Statement of Purpose — A simple, strong structure (template)

Use this 5-part structure; aim for 600–900 words.

Hook (1–2 sentences)
Start with a short concrete moment that shaped you: “While supporting immunization outreach in rural Sindh, I saw how delayed reporting left clinics understocked — and I decided to build systems that close that gap.”
Relevant experience (1–2 paragraphs)
Summarize 2 strong, recent M&E projects (role, scale, results). Use metrics: “I designed the DHIS2 immunization module for X districts — reducing reporting lag from 30 to 5 days.”
Technical match (1 paragraph)
Show your tools and frameworks: DHIS2, Kobo, Power BI, indicator design, evaluation methods.
Regional/cultural fit (1 paragraph)
Explain language skills, prior country experience, or local partnerships.
Vision & closing (1 paragraph)
State what you’ll deliver in the role and your career objective: “I want to help WHO produce real-time evidence that governments use to reach underserved populations.”

Finish with a confident one-liner about readiness and availability.

Common mistakes — and how to avoid them

Mistake: generic, untargeted CVs

Fix: Tailor each bullet to the job. If the JD asks for “indicator development and DHIS2 experience,” use a bullet like: “Led national DHIS2 indicator refresh (30 indicators); authored data dictionary; trained 120 users.”

Mistake: not quantifying results

Fix: Convert statements to numbers: beneficiaries reached, percent change, reduced lag days.

Mistake: weak deliverables in consultancies

Fix: When applying for consultancy work, attach a one-page sample M&E plan, a short dashboard link, or an evaluation executive summary.

Mistake: ignoring equity measures

Fix: Always show how your M&E approach disaggregates data and informs equity-focused actions.

Mistake: late submission or technical glitches

Fix: Submit at least 48 hours before the deadline and confirm receipt.

FAQs (Concise but useful)

Q: Do I need an advanced degree to get a WHO M&E role?
A: Not always. Employers value demonstrable M&E experience, solid analytical skills, and familiarity with digital tools. Advanced degrees help but are not a strict requirement.

Q: Are WHO M&E jobs open to national candidates only?
A: WHO recruits both nationally and internationally. Some roles are advertised as national (local pay scales), others as international (UN pay scales).

Q: What tools should I learn now (2025)?
A: DHIS2, Kobo/ODK, Power BI or Tableau, and basic R/Stata/Python for analyses are highly useful.

Q: Are these jobs secure?
A: Many are fixed-term and donor-dependent, but they provide valuable, transferable experience and networking opportunities.

Q: How competitive are these positions?
A: Competitive — particularly for international positions. Strong technical evidence and regional experience improve chances.

Interview preparation — likely questions and response structure

Use STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to prepare concise, example-driven answers.

“Tell us about an M&E system you set up.”
Focus on context, steps taken (indicator selection, digital form design, training), and the measurable result (e.g., improved data completeness).
“How do you ensure data quality in low-resource settings?”
Discuss practical QA methods: spot checks, automated validation rules, supportive supervision, and re-training.
“Describe a time data changed programme direction.”
Show how your analysis led to concrete shifts (reallocation of outreach teams, rephasing activities).

Practice aloud, and where possible, bring a short one-page case study you can reference.

Sector trends to watch (important for 2025 applications)

Integration of M&E and digital health: WHO’s global strategies emphasize harmonized digital data systems and linked dashboards. Familiarity with these trends will help your application. World Health Organization
Focus on resilience and equity: Programmes that show how M&E assesses system resilience and equity (not just coverage) will get priority.
Donor demand for VFM (Value for Money): Analysts who can link costs to outcomes strengthen donor confidence.
Localization & partner capacity development: Demonstrated experience in building partner M&E capacity is increasingly asked for.

A 90-day plan to prepare and apply

Days 1–10: Audit & gather evidence

Update CV, extract 3 strong M&E examples, prepare a one-page M&E brief and a dashboard screenshot.

Days 11–30: Learn & polish

Refresh DHIS2 or dashboard skills via short courses; finalize SoP draft; confirm referees.

Days 31–60: Tailor & test

Shortlist positions; tailor CV/SOP for each; prepare sample deliverables (M&E plan + short evaluation summary).

Days 61–90: Submit & follow up

Submit materials early; confirm receipt; prepare for potential technical interviews.

Use this schedule to stay focused and systematic.

Two authoritative resources (linked in context)

Find current openings and instructions on the WHO Careers portal — this is where WHO posts international, regional, and national vacancies. World Health Organization
For technical guidance on strengthening country monitoring and evaluation platforms (a key reference for M&E design and donor alignment), see WHO’s monitoring and evaluation guidance for national health strategies. World Health Organization

Statement of Purpose — Ready-to-Customize (Short Example)

Opening (Hook):
When a vaccine shipment sat idle because the district couldn’t reconcile cold-chain logs, I realized that good programs fail not from lack of resources but from weak measurement and systems. I built a DHIS2 module during my MPH practicum that closed that gap — and I want to scale that work through WHO’s M&E systems.

Experience:
Over the past four years I’ve led M&E for a national immunization pilot covering 250 clinics: I designed the indicators, built the DHIS2 configuration, trained 120 facility staff, and produced the quarterly dashboard that informed reallocation of outreach teams. The result: administrative coverage estimates improved by 12 percentage points and reporting lag dropped from 30 to 6 days.

Technical fit:
I am fluent in DHIS2 configuration, KoboToolbox form design, and Power BI dashboarding. I have led two endline evaluations and designed data quality audit tools used by district managers.

Regional fit & vision:
Born and raised in [Country], I speak [local language], know how county planning cycles work, and have established relationships with health managers in [region]. At WHO I will ensure M&E systems deliver timely, disaggregated evidence that ministries use to reduce inequities.

Closing:
I welcome the opportunity to bring my technical skills and local knowledge to WHO’s M&E work and to learn from WHO’s global community to strengthen systems that save lives.

Conclusion

Monitoring & Evaluation Specialists at WHO in 2025 are more than number-crunchers — they’re strategic partners who help WHO, ministries and donors make smarter decisions that affect millions. For applicants in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, these roles are opportunities to bring local insight to global standards, to translate data into action, and to grow a career at the heart of global health delivery.

Recap of main points

WHO M&E posts are central to translating grant funding into measurable health impact.
In 2025, digital skills, equity-focused indicators, and donor literacy are essential.
Build a targeted application: quantify impact, show digital competency, and demonstrate regional fit.
Use the WHO Careers portal and WHO’s M&E guidance documents to align your approach. World Health Organization+1

Clear call to action

Ready to apply? Start by bookmarking the WHO Careers page, assemble a one-page M&E portfolio, and draft a clear, evidence-driven Statement of Purpose. If you want, I can help you draft a personalized SoP or a one-page case study you can attach to applications — tell me your top three M&E achievements and I’ll turn them into a tight, persuasive package.