Emergency Officer

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The mission of WHO's Health Emergencies Programme (The Programme) is to help countries, and to coordinate international action, to prevent, prepare for, detect, rapidly respond to, and recover from outbreaks and emergencies. The WHE Response division (WRE) is responsible for rapidly detecting and responding to health emergencies while leveraging relevant national and international partnerships, ensuring that emergency-affected populations in acute and protracted emergencies have access to essential health services and that systems are maintained and strengthened in fragile, conflict and vulnerable settings while implementing at scale, proven prevention strategies for priority pandemic/epidemic-prone diseases. The HEI Department is responsible for ensuring that emergency-affected populations have access to timely and effective health services, ranging from humanitarian interventions, Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Fragile. Vulnerable and Conflict Affected Settings (FCVs) to key high impact epidemic diseases including Cholera, Meningitis, Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (VHFs) and Yellow Fever. The Department prioritizes support to the most vulnerable and low-capacity countries.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Working within the cholera outbreak team within the global cholera programme and the incumbent will provide crucial management support specifically around acute response to cholera outbreaks.

1. Assess the operational and technical needs of countries with cholera outbreaks, in a participatory manner. Follow up on action points in a timely manner, ensure that the projects are regularly monitored and reported on.
2. Provide relevant information and consolidated feedback to all relevant stakeholders.
3. Collaborate, with the lead of the cholera outbreak team, cholera technical leads and other teams, in the development, implementation and monitoring of the technical, operational and HR work plans.
4. Play a significant role in the preparation of monitoring and progress reports, briefings, proposals, reports and communications required for strategic decision making.
5. Organize and lead various outbreak response coordination meetings and coordinate relevant activities, ensuring predictable follow-up on agreed action points with relevant stakeholders.
6. Coordinate and facilitate improved information and knowledge management within the team for the purpose of improved outbreak response, monitoring and evaluation, organizational learning, reporting, and advocacy.
7. Undertake duty travel to emergency outbreak locations to support coordination, project management and outbreak response, when necessary.
8. Perform other duties as may be assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential:

• A first university degree Public Health or equivalent from an accredited academic institution.

Desirable:

• An advanced university degree (Master) in Public Health or equivalent would be strong asset
• A first university degree in medicine, pharmacy, veterinary science, midwifery, nursing, medical biology, human biology, or a related discipline would be an asset.

Experience

Essential:

• At least five years of relevant experience in health and emergency response including.
• Relevant experience in WHO/UN or other INGO in the domain of IMS;
• Demonstrated experience in the Incident Management system at the national or international level, exposure to working in resources-limited countries.

Desirable:

• Related experience in the context of cholera outbreaks and/or emergency programmes or experience with cholera response interventions would be a strong asset
• Prior emergency disaster and health outbreak response or humanitarian working experience at field level, with WHO/UN agencies, health cluster partners, recognized humanitarian organizations or with an international nongovernmental organization.

Skills

• Demonstrated skills in the development of reports and persuasive documents.
• Strong analytical skills, ability to analyse and synthesize information from multiple sources and to clearly synthesize and present findings to different audiences;
• Demonstrated organizational skills, high ability to organize logistics for events or conferences.
• Good knowledge of the principal stakeholders as well as a good understanding of the UN system.
• Proven ability to multitask across various planning and implementation processes within a highly demanding environment

WHO Competencies

• Teamwork
• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
• Communication
• Producing results
• Knowing and managing yourself

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English. Intermediate knowledge of French.
Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of another UN language (Arabic, Chinese, Spanish and/or Russian).

REMUNERATION

WHO salaries for staff in the Professional category are calculated in US dollars. The remuneration for the above position comprises an annual base salary starting at USD 64,121 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable), a variable post adjustment, which reflects the cost of living in a particular duty station, and currently amounts to USD 4793 per month for the duty station indicated above. Other benefits include 30 days of annual leave, allowances for dependent family members, home leave, and an education grant for dependent children.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar TA (Temporary Appointments) positions at the same grade level
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test and/or an asynchronous video assessment may be used as a form of screening.
• In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
• According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible.
• Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual.
• Staff members in other duty stations are encouraged to apply.
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• The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its staff. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to reasonableaccommodation@who.int
• An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice.
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