Technical Officer

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The mission of WHO's Health Emergencies Programme (The Programme) is to build the capacity of Member States to manage health emergency risks and, when national capacities are overwhelmed, to lead and coordinate the international health response to contain outbreaks and to provide effective relief and recovery to affected populations. 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 prevention from and response to key high impact epidemic diseases including Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers (VHFs), Yellow Fever, Meningitis and Cholera. The Department prioritizes support to the most vulnerable and low capacity countries.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Within the framework of the delegated authority, the incumbent is assigned the following responsibilities:

• Provide technical and operational support from headquarters and other sources, in support of the Regional Offices and country-level operations for protracted and on-going emergencies in fragile and conflict settings, in line with technical standards (e.g. Sphere), best practices, protocols and guidelines (e.g. IASC).

• Facilitate and stimulate WHO and partners contributions in support of country response operations with particular attention to partnership, planning, human resources, logistics, resource mobilization, monitoring and information-sharing.

• Play a key role in capacity-building, training activities and exercises to strengthen operational capacities of WHO and partners; conduct the development of new policies, technical standards, guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), ensuring the adherence to interagency policies.

• Promote the overall strategic, operational and technical coherence and consistency of WHO emergency operations, including through strengthened support to the design of programmes and development of Humanitarian Response Plans.

• Undertake country-level support missions with Regional Office counterparts, advise senior management of related priorities and issues; and capture lessons learned and promote their integration into broader WHO policy and practice, especially in collaboration with the Policy Unit.

• Provide regular (weekly) updates to senior management of key developments, challenges and operational implications for all Grade 3 and Grade 2 protracted emergencies for which the staff member is the focal point; monitor protracted emergency KPI and performance indicators; contribute to the development of briefings for senior staff and to the development of communications products.

• Participate in the HQ-level Emergency Support Team for acute emergencies in protracted FCV settings, in support to Regional and Country Offices, as needed; deploy to acute emergencies, as requested.

• As assigned, advise HQ departments and units in the development and review of information products and briefings, such as talking points for press briefings, donor-related briefs and reports and other communication materials, to enhance WHO and WHE visibility at time of emergencies.

• Perform other related duties as assigned, including replacing and backstopping for others as required.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential:

• Advanced level degree (Masters level or above) in medicine, public health or a health or public health related discipline (health determinants).

Desirable:

• Specialization or specific training on health systems.

Experience

Essential:

• At least seven years of experience in the development and implementation of public health policies and strategies in the context of emergencies, including two years' field experience (health response, health response support, public health needs assessments, risk analysis, early recovery ).

Desirable:

• Experience with WHO, UN or UN agency or a health cluster member organization including the development of global strategies, guidelines and tools for health in emergency actions.

• Field experience on health systems is a plus.

Skills

--> Proven experience and expertise in the management of the health response to humanitarian emergencies or outbreaks; technical knowledge, and operational skills, including early recovery/transition, combined with knowledge of UN, interagency humanitarian systems and process.

--> Excellent communication skills to negotiate/enlist cooperation from a broad range of actors from multi-disciplinary backgrounds.

--> Strong organizational skills complemented with ability to work in a proactive and independent manner, multi-task and produce results under pressure.

--> Diplomacy, tact and discretion.

WHO Competencies

Teamwork
Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
Communication
Producing results
Moving forward in a changing environment

Use of Language Skills

Essential:

• Expert knowledge of English.

• Expert knowledge of French.

Desirable:

• Intermediate knowledge of Arabic ifDT MidEast .

• Intermediate knowledge of Spanish ifDT Americ .

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 74,913 (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 5306 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.