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External Emergency Roster - Health Operations Manager

Multiple locations

  • Organization: WHO - World Health Organization
  • Location: Multiple locations
  • Grade: Mid level - P-4, International Professional - Internationally recruited position
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Operations and Administrations
    • Public Health and Health Service
    • Medical Practitioners
    • Humanitarian Aid and Coordination
    • Disaster Management (Preparedness, Resilience, Response and Recovery)
    • Emergency Aid and Response
    • Managerial positions
  • Closing Date: Closed

Purpose of the External Emergency Roster

The purpose of the roster is to provide short-term support during acute events for a period of up to six (6) months which may be extended up to one year depending on operational needs. Placement on the roster entails a general commitment from the external candidate to deploy within 2 to 4 weeks from the time a request for availability is made.


Purpose of the Position
In the context of the WHO Health Emergencies Incident Management System (IMS), at the country level, the incumbent will manage the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the health expertise and operations. This includes dissemination of risk communication messages, the strengthening of early warning and surveillance systems, the delivery of quality health services and the undertaking of operational and scientific research to improve interventions.
Objectives of the Programme and of the immediate Strategic Objective

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.

Organizational context

Reporting to the Incident Manager and under the overall guidance of the Head of WHO Country Office, in close coordination with other members of the incident management (IMS) team and the respective Regional Office and WHO/HQ, the incumbent manages WHO health programmes in response to outbreaks and health emergencies and has front line responsibility for the Operations Section. S/he will ensure the technical pertinence and scientific soundness of the operations. This requires ongoing contacts with counterparts from health cluster partners, other technical staff in partner agencies (both within and outside the UN system), and counterparts of ministries of health (MOH). S/He will work with technical staff at the three levels of the organization.

Summary of Assigned Duties
During deployment, the duty station may change, and duties may be modified, based upon the technical needs of the Programme.
Depending on the level and complexity of the incident, the incumbent might be performing all or some of the following duties\:
• Manage the team, guide, and ensure implementation of the response plan. Set standards and norms, develop and disseminate technical guidance and validate training, resource mobilization and communication materials.

• Under the guidance of the Incident Manager, manage the coverage of all health operations in support to the MOH, work with partners and facilitate the implementation of WHO’s most effective prevention, control and response measures.

Communicable diseases\:

1. Ensure the planning and implementation of communicable diseases programmes addressing the risk of outbreak and/or health emergency, co-develop action plans for interventions in high-risks groups and recommend measures for special attention.

2. Monitor the early prevention, detection, verification, assessment and investigation of any risks of outbreaks and the dissemination of data related to the occurrence of outbreaks.
3. Manage the rapid response teams responsible for the rapid investigation of alerts, field risk assessments and early response.
4. Support the information systems on communicable diseases and the monitoring of progress towards universal health coverage (UHC) facilitating integration with the national health information systems.
5. Conduct the periodic reporting and treatment of communicable diseases activities.
6. Ensure that the messages are technically sound and socio-culturally appropriate to induce, engage and empower stakeholders in the prevention, mitigation and control of risks
Health service delivery
7. Support national authorities and partners on equipping the health facilities with the necessary infrastructure, equipment, drugs, public health laboratories and blood safety, and medical supplies to address the existing and foreseen risks and to prevent the dissemination of infectious diseases within the facilities.
8. Monitor that health facilities provide quality preventive and curative health care to the affected population and continue to deliver routine essential health services in addition to responding to the cause of the crisis. Make appropriate recommendations where necessary.
9. Support capacity-building and training of local staff on best preventive, diagnostic, control and curative knowledge, practices and standards.
Prevention and control measures
10. Make recommendations and give guidance on relevant courses of actions to be taken in affected as well as non-affected areas/countries in order to prevent and/or control cause of excess morbidity and mortality.
11. Provide technical assistance on vaccination, enhanced surveillance, vector control, infection control (including personal protection), enhanced sanitation and hygiene, increased provision of water and/or nutrients, prepositioning of drugs and medical supplies, etc.
Sciences and research

12. Conduct research in etiology, physiopathology, transmission, reliable and rapid diagnostic, effective prevention and treatment of any of the causes of excess morbidity and mortality of the affected population and recommend remedial actions.

13. Perform all other related duties as assigned.

Competencies

1. Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond

2. Communication

3. Respecting and promoting cultural differences

4. Creating an empowering and motivating environment

5. Promoting WHO's position in health leadership

6. Teamwork

Functional Knowledge and Skills

• Demonstrated skills in and knowledge of the rapid response operations and their implementation in emergencies as related to public health, complemented by demonstrated ability to identify and manage difficult situations.

• Proven skills to manage multidisciplinary and multinational staff.

• Comprehensive knowledge of the theory, principles, methods and techniques of public health, communicable diseases and health service delivery.

Education Qualifications

Essential

• Advanced university degree (Master’s level or above) in Medicine, Public Health, Epidemiology, Tropical Medicine, Health Systems/Services, Administration or related field from an accredited and recognized academic institution.

• First university degree in Medicine or Public Health from an accredited and recognized academic institution.

Desirable

• Specialized training in emergency management; specific training in humanitarian response.

Professional Experience

Essential

• At least seven (7) years of relevant professional work experience, at the national and international levels, in health operations, with proven experience in managing outbreaks and health emergencies.

• Relevant experience in managing human and financial resources.

Desirable

• Relevant work experience in outbreaks and/or health emergency management.

• Relevant work experience in development and implementation of strategies and action plans within WHO and/or UN agencies.

• Relevant experience working in nongovernmental, health cluster partners or humanitarian organizations.

Use of Language Skills

• Excellent knowledge of English or French (depending on the country of assignment). Working knowledge of another WHO official language would be an asset.

Other Skills (e.g. IT)

• Knowledge of Microsoft Office software applications.

Note\: This Vacancy Notice is open to external candidates, WHO consultants and short term staff on SSA/TA contracts who meet the minimum requirements of the position. Only shortlisted candidates will advance to the assessment stage of the pre-qualification process; and will be notified of its outcome accordingly.

Placement on the External Emergency Roster does not guarantee a commitment from WHO to recruit or hire the candidate in emergency responses as this depends on the operational needs of the Organization.

This vacancy is now closed.
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