Project Officer

Geneva

Organization: WHO - World Health Organization
Location: Geneva
Grade: Mid level - P-3, International Professional - Internationally recruited position
Occupational Groups:
- Project and Programme Management
Closing Date: Closed

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The Research for Health Department sits within the Science Division. The overall mission of the Science Division is to harness the power of science and innovation to improve health systematically, by ensuring the excellence, relevance and efficiency of WHO's core technical functions, including norms, standards and research. Within this Division, the specific purpose of the Research for Health department is to accelerate the impact of ethical, evidence-based research for people's health. Its mandate is structured around three key roles:

1) to provide leadership on matters related to the impact of research on people's health around the world;

2) to ensure that ethics is central to WHO's recommendations to countries, to public health programmes and for clinical practice, with the aim of maximizing benefits while mitigating risks;

3) to secure the overall efficiency and impact of the WHO research process.

The Research for Health Department is made up of three teams:

(1) Emerging technologies, research prioritization and support,

(2) Health ethics and governance, and

(3) Evidence of policy and impact.

Following the resolution at the 69th World Health Assembly on promoting innovation and access to quality, safe, efficacious and affordable medicines for children, WHO and partners have increased their efforts to deliver on this global commitment and scaled up activities to ensure that better medicines are available for children. As a result, the Global Accelerator for Paediatric Formulations (GAP-f http://gap-f.org/) was created as a WHO initiative to build on the lessons learned from HIV and provide a sustainable mechanism dedicated to ensuring that the most needed optimal paediatric formulations are rapidly developed and made available to prevent and treat the highest burden diseases found in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). The work of GAP-f will be housed within the Research Department, in the newly formed Science Division, leading on WHO functions to apply research and innovation to achieve impact for people's health around the world. The work of GAP-f will be implemented in close collaboration with the Essential Medicines and Health products department as well as the technical departments leading the individual diseases programmes, such as HIV, Hepatitis, TB, Malaria and cancers, among others. Under the GAP-f initiative, WHO will work with selected key partners across the life cycle of drug development bringing efficiency through enhanced coordination. The GAP-f strategy will be led by WHO, implemented by a Secretariat and advised by an Advisory Committee.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Support the technical coordination of the GAP-f initiative, within WHO and externally, in partnership with various WHO Departments (including but not limited to Noncommunicable Diseases, Global TB programme, Neglected Tropical Diseases, Essential Medicines Programme) and other GAP-f members (including but not limited to CHAI, PENTAid, EGPAF, MPP)
Facilitate the convening of WHO departments and partners to undergo paediatric product prioritization in the area of essential medicines, including but not limited to antibiotics and cancer drugs.
Provide regular and active participation in periodic partner calls to implement the goals and mission of GAP-f,
Serve as a member of the GAP-f secretariat and contribute to routine activities of the secretariat including communication, advocacy, grant proposals writing and reporting;
Support the finalization of background documents and partners agreements as required by the GAP-f partnership;
Support gathering and sharing of information with the GAP-f workstream on projects included in the GAP-f portfolio;
Support the periodic revision and dissemination of the PADO (PAediatric Drug Optimization) lists of priority paediatric drug formulations across disease areas;
Support the organization of meetings and routine activities of paediatric technical expert groups to enable appropriate implementation of the PADO lists across disease areas;
Support the development of presentations, background documents, work and monitoring plans, as well as meeting reports and technical documents related to the work of the WHO on drug optimization across disease areas;

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: University degree in Public Health or a related field relevant to the position
Desirable: Post-graduate degree in a related field relevant to the position

Experience

Essential: Five years of international experience in HIV, Hepatitis, TB or paediatric medicines research & development.
Desirable: At least three years experience in coordination of technical partnerships with UN agencies, bilateral agencies, product development partnerships or in NGOs involved with research, development and introduction of new medicines.

Skills

Excellent ability in coordinating technical partnerships,
Solid analytical and presentation skills,
Good planning and project management skills,
Dynamic work style and effective problem-solving.
Some knowledge of the critical steps to research, develop and introduce new medicines.

WHO Competencies

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

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English.
Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of WHO official languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and 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 62,692 (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 4347 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 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.