Unit Head (Process Efficiency)

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The QNS Department sits within the Science Division. The overall mission of the Science Division is to harness the power of science and innovation in a systematic way, by ensuring the excellence, relevance and efficiency of WHO's core technical functions, including norms and standards and research. Within this Division, the specific purpose of the QNS is to provide support to the Technical Departments in close consultation with Regional Offices,by ensuring norms and standards are produced to a consistently high standard, in a timely way, driven by what Member States need, and designed and delivered to have a real impact on the health of people. Its mandate is structured around three key roles:

1. Ensure that all N&S products meet WHO highest quality standards by providing tailored, state of the art methodological support and guidance.

2. Support project teams developing N&S products by ensuring the utmost efficiency of the N&S process.

3. Secure maximum country impact by helping to develop fit for purpose N&S products.

4. Advance and ensure timely, peer-reviewed, and accessible scientific evidence and information, through the WHO Library and Digital Information Outreach, and the WHO Press.

QNS is made up of 6 teams: Methods Quality, Process Efficiency, Product Impact, the Library and Digital Information Services, the Office of the WHO Publisher, and a Governance and Review Services team.Within QNS, the Process Efficiency team is more specifically dedicated to:

1. Together with the Director, assessing, prioritizing and managing the overall case load of N&S projects within available human and financial resources.

2. Coordinating access to key resources involved in the production of N&S, including Methodologists, Product Impact experts, corporate functions or external specialists grouped in rosters (e.g., methodologists, editors, translators, etc.).

3. Following up on ambitious efficiency KPIs to secure commitment to delivering results on the Department's mandate.

4. Continuously monitoring the overall development status of each N&S product, identifying potential bottlenecks, completing root causes analysis and providing actionable solutions to reduce them.

5. Providing corporate functions with increased visibility on requests in order to anticipate workload.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

- Provides technical leadership and managerial support within the Department/Programme, in the area of end to end norms and standards product development and delivery ensuring that activities in this area are carried out efficiently and effectively.

- Develops and proposes technical health policies and strategies for implementation through collaboration with Regional and Country Offices and provides advice in developing further the end to end norms and standards product development and delivery for strengthening and improving technical capacity of target clienteles.

- Manages the programme area in delivering its objectives through efficient managing a small team of technical staff, financial resources and effective work planning to optimize the programme's deliverables in line with the mandate of the Organization.

- Leads and conducts research on best practices in implementing programmes and activities and dissemination of information for capacity building in the respective area of work.

- Manages the monitoring and evaluation and reporting of the subject area of work of key performance indicators and reporting requirements and mechanisms to optimize performance of Programme deliverables.

- Serves as the technical reference among the peer community, UN Agencies and other stakeholders at the technical levels in the respective area of expertise.

- Liaises with and utilizes partnerships in other UN Agencies, Donor, or research institutions in the end to end norms and standards product development and delivery to position the technical area of work and implementation into Global and/or National policies.

- Represents the programme area of work at various meetings to advocate for end to end norms and standards product development and delivery.

- Performs all other related duties as assigned.

Specific duties:

- Lead the Process Efficiency team, including planning, directing, monitoring the work and its human and financial resources in relation to the objectives of the program, including defining the scope of work & manage the workload of the QNS Project Managers within the team, in close consultation with the Methods Quality and Product Impact team leads.

- Lead and oversee that all project teams developing a N&S product receive a relevant, tailored, productive, client-service-oriented, end-to-end support at each step of the development of their N&S to ensure that it meets WHO quality standards.

- Oversee the update of the N&S Standard Operating Procedures in order for it to reflect the most efficient process the QNS Department is able to deliver.

- Contribute, as appropriate and in consultation with QNS Director, and occasionally the Chief Scientist, to support functions including resource mobilization, reporting, communication and advocacy.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: An advanced university degree in management, business administration, and public health, related to the functions of the position.
Desirable: A PhD in one of the above-mentioned fields. PMI certification.

Experience

Essential: A minimum of 10 years of professional experience in the management of end to end norms and standards product development and delivery, including experience in the area of health policies and strategies. Demonstrated experience managing human and financial resources. Demonstrated experience at the international level. Public health norms & standards product development experience.
Desirable: Experience with professional business services such as consulting, technical product development, product launch and adaptation. Experience with UN or other international or multinational organizations of end to end norms and standards product development and delivery.

Skills

- Concrete skills in the planning and coordination of multidisciplinary public health programmes, which may include the implementation of a public health/disease control programmes.

- Strong skills in the area of developing and establishing polices and strategies.

- Excellent skills and ability in managing diverse teams and financial resources.

- Good skills in mobilizing resources.

- Ability to engage and communicate effectively and diplomatically with external partners including Ministries of Health, Donor institutions, Civil Society, and other stakeholders.

- Commitment to collaborate effectively with other key partners in the Health Subject area.

- Proven client service experience in a consultative role in a large result and product-focused organization, employing a service-focused mind-set and related performance standards.

- Experience establishing, advancing, and managing functional teams.

WHO Competencies

Teamwork
Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
Communication
Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond
Moving forward in a changing environment
Creating an empowering and motivating environment

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English.
Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of French.

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 88,162 (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 6105 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 positions at the same grade level

• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

• A written test 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.

• 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.

• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.

• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.

• WHO's workforce adheres to the WHO Values Charter and is committed to put the WHO Values into practice.

• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

• WHO has a mobility policy which can be found at the following link: http://www.who.int/employment/en/. Candidates appointed to an international post with WHO are subject to mobility and may be assigned to any activity or duty station of the Organization throughout the world.

• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.