By continuing to browse this site, you agree to our use of cookies. Read our privacy policy

Technical Officer

Geneva

  • Organization: WHO - World Health Organization
  • Location: Geneva
  • Grade: Mid level - P-4, International Professional - Internationally recruited position
  • Occupational Groups:
  • Closing Date: Closed

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The Department of Nutrition and Food Safety (NFS) is addressing the burden of disease from physical, chemical and microbial hazards in food and unhealthy diets, maternal and child malnutrition,overweight and obesity. The Department aims to ensure universal access to safe,sufficient nutritious food and effective nutrition actions, through setting science-based international food standards, promoting nutrition action in health systems, fostering sustainable food production and consumption, improving food environments and empowering consumers in all situations, monitoring nutrition status, and managing food safety events at the international level, closely working with Member States, UN partner agencies and non-State actors. The Monitoring Nutritional status and Food safety events (MNF) Unit defines indicators and nutrition surveillance systems, hosts and maintain nutrition databases, monitors nutrition trends and measures the impact of country food and nutrition policies. The Unit manages INFOSAN and collaborates with WHE for the management of major food safety events including PHEICs.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

1) Develop or improve methods and tools for the collection, generation and analysis of dietary exposure/intake related data (i.e. food consumption, food composition and food contamination) in view of an harmonization of the approaches used by key agencies; 2) establish and regularly update a network of data providers for the identification of new survey reports on dietary exposure data; 3) analyze existing data (food consumption, food composition and food contamination) and provide inputsof new data to GIFT, CIFOCOss and GEMS/Food contaminant; 4) develop materials for building capacity in MS; 5) develop or validate methods for the upload of data extracted from the literature (peer-reviewed or as reports); 6) support the FAO/WHO expert advisory bodies (JECFA, JEMRA, JEMNU, JMPR and ad hoc Committees) through the provision of dietary exposure data required for risk assessment; 7) Contribute to the development of new dietary indicators, including the composite indicator for healthy diet; 8) provide technical assistance and capacity building services to government entities planning to carry outfood consumption surveys, Total Diet Studies or any other surveys aimed to investigate population dietary intakes; 9) liaise with partners for the development of guidance for improving dietary data quality and standardized methodology for analyzing the data; 10) perform other related duties as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: A masters level degree in statistics, computer science, public health, nutrition and dietetics, or food science.
Desirable: If not covered through the maters-level degree, an additional degree in nutrition or in public health from a recognized institution would be desirable.

Experience

Essential: At least 7 years of experience in health sciences, working in the field of epidemiology, nutrition or food safety. Demonstrated experience at the international level in the field of nutrition or food risk assessment.
Desirable: At least 3 years of experience conducting dietary data collection, analysis and database management.

Skills

1. Knowledge and skills on methods for the analysis of survey dietary data. 2. Excellent skills in Computer Applications such as advance Excel, data entry and performing structured literaturesearches. 3.Ability to work independently as well as in close collaboration with different nationalities, scientific areas and cultural backgrounds. 4. Ability to focus and pay close attention to details. 5. Strong skills in the area of data collection and database management. Acquaintance with the common WHO data platform XMART, nutrition databases, as well as theWHO monitoring tools, is desirable.

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.
Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of French. Intermediate knowledge of Spanish.

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 5181 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.
  • WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
  • 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.
  • WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.
  • 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.
This vacancy is now closed.
However, we have found similar vacancies for you: