Advisor, Noncommunicable Diseases & Determinants of Health

Contract

This is a P-4 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 7 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 131,725 USD and 169,832 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

OBJECTIVE OF THE OFFICE/DEPARTMENT

This requisition is for employment at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO)

The Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health (NMH) Department promotes, coordinates, and implements technical cooperation activities, directed at the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, mental, neurological and substance abuse disorders, related risk factors and disabilities that are evidence-based and appropriate for the political and sociocultural context in which they are implemented. It raises political and public awareness and understanding of the burden of the most common noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental disorders, related risk factors and conditions and leads multi-sector and multi-stakeholder strategic and collaborative efforts aimed at strengthening Member States' capacity to promote and protect health through public policies, programs, and services. This will reduce risks and disease burden and contribute to improving the physical, mental, and social well-being of the population.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Under the direct supervision of the PAHO/WHO Representative, and the general supervision of the Director, Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health (NMH), the incumbent is responsible for, but not necessarily limited to, the following assigned duties:

1. Advise and contribute to the development, implementation and evaluation of the Strategic Plan for the prevention and control of NCDs; provide technical advice on the analysis of the principal health problems, social and environmental determinants, inequities and risk factors, identifying the conditions and lifestyles that support the practice of health promotion at national level; propose, monitor, and evaluate technologies and strategies for their effective control, to implement an integrated approach to the prevention and control of chronic diseases, risk factors and determinants, following a multi-disciplinary team approach, linking the regional/global levels of the Organization;
2. Provide technical support and guidance to the Ministry of Health and other institutions of the national and sub-regional health and political integration system for the diagnosis of health problems, as well as the identification of risk factors, methods, and technologies for their control; collaborate in technical cooperation activities particularly related to prevalent diseases in the countries, with emphasis on chronic noncommunicable diseases and mental health;
3. Provide technical cooperation expertise in the strengthening of institutions and organizations involved in tobacco control, and supervise the planning, development and monitoring of plans, programs and projects related to effective tobacco control policies in general and the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) in particular;
4. Promote and support the development of relevant networks, alliances, and multi-stakeholder partnerships needed to successfully address the problem of violence, chronic diseases, risk factors and mental health, NCDs and mental health prevention and control, environmental health, human security, risk and disaster management, implementation and development of safe hospital strategies;
5. Advise and provide technical cooperation to Member States on the development and/or updating of policies, norms and standards for the implementation of an integrated approach to the prevention and control of chronic diseases, risk factors and determinants of health; including the use of appropriate information and surveillance tools/systems for monitoring;
6. Promote and facilitate collaboration between the Ministries of Health, academic institutions, other sectors of government, civil society and private sector organizations to strengthen national and sub-regional capacities to implement and evaluate environmental risks and occupational health, violence, risk factors, non-communicable disease prevention and control programs;
7. Promote and conduct research on the promotion of healthy behavior and the social and environmental determinants of the health in the Ministry of Health, academic institutions, and the PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centers, related to the area of health promotion, environmental health and health protection;
8. Promote and strengthen public health research by assisting with the identification of research priorities and institutions in the field of public health and promoting multi-disciplinary studies;
9. Facilitate the implementation and monitoring of the Regional Strategies adopted by the Directing Council under the scope of work of the Departments of Non-communicable Diseases and Mental Health (NMH) and PAHO Health Emergencies (PHE), and the Special Program of Sustainable Development and Health Equity (SDE) at the national level; collaborate with NMH, SDE and PHE in activities related to relevant programs and projects under their responsibilities;
10. Collaborate in obtaining extra-budgetary resources, financial and non-financial, by assisting national and sub-regional authorities in the preparation of project proposals and plans for appropriate national, bilateral and international agencies;
11. Collaborate in the development, implementation, and the evaluation of prevention programs and health services for the control of non-communicable diseases and risk factors with emphasis on the strengthening of the integration continuity and quality of the health services from different providers;
12. Collaborate in the development of national systems of information and public health surveillance for non-communicable diseases, using as appropriate, standard regional and global tools; provide models and support to countries in the use of data for decision-making regarding policies and programs for the mentioned areas;
13. Promote the implementation of the UN Working Group (health cluster) for the coordination of the response in disasters settings;
14. Collaborate in the preparation of the Representation’s Biennial Work Plan (BWP) and the execution of international cooperation, including the analysis of political, technical and socioeconomic realities;
15. Systematize, document and disseminate the successful experiences and best practices, particularly those at the local level, implemented for the development and continuous improvement of the services of promotion and prevention of diseases with greater burden and environmental imbalance;
16. When called upon to directly supervise staff, establish clear work objectives, conduct timely and effective performance appraisals, provide coaching and feedback, and support staff development opportunities;
17. Perform other related duties, as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education****:

Essential: A university degree in a health - related profession and a master’s degree in public health or any other field related to the functions of the position, from a recognized institution.

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/. PAHO will also use the databases of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation http://www.chea.org and College Navigator, found on the website of the National Centre for Educational Statistics, https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator to support the validation process.

Experience****:

Essential: Nine years of combined national and international experience working in programs concerned with non-communicable disease prevention and control, public health management or evaluation of environmental health and sustainable development programs.

SKILLS****:

PAHO Competencies:

• Overall attitude at work****: Maintains integrity and takes a clear ethical approach and stance; demonstrates commitment to the Organization’s mandate and promotes the values of the Organization in daily work and behavior; is accountable for work carried out in line with own role and responsibilities; is respectful towards, and trusted by, colleagues and counterparts.
• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences****: Relate well to diversity in others and capitalize on such diversity - Relates well to diversity in others and capitalizes on such diversity. Treats all people with dignity and respect. Relates well to people with different cultures, gender, orientations, backgrounds and/or positions; examines own behavior to avoid stereotypical responses; considers issues from the perspective of others and values their diversity.
• Teamwork****: Collaborate and cooperate with others - Works collaboratively with team members and counterparts to achieve and build rapport; helps others when asked; accepts joint responsibility for the team’s successes and shortcomings.
• Communication****: Express oneself clearly when speaking/Listen/Write effectively/Share knowledge - Foresees communication needs of audience and targets message accordingly. Facilitates open communication; encourages others to share their views openly and takes time to understand and consider their views. Writes down ideas in a clear, structured, logical and credible way; drafts and supports the development of guidelines, policies and procedures. Shares relevant information openly and ensures that the shared information is understood; considers knowledge sharing as a constructive working method and demonstrates awareness of the Organization.
• Creating an empowering and motivating environment****: Provide direction - Manages individual and group projects and ensures that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clearly defined, understood and accepted; delegates work appropriately to achieve best results.
• Producing Results****: Work efficiently and independently/Deliver quality results - Monitors own and others’ work in a systematic and effective way, ensuring required resources and outputs. Aligns projects with Organization’s mission and objectives. Consistently solves own and team’s problems effectively as needed. Proactively engages in projects and initiatives, accepting demanding goals, in line with Organizational Strategies and Program of Work. Demonstrates accountability for work of team and sets an example, while explicitly articulating lessons learnt for own and team’s benefit.
• Ensuring effective use of resources****: Strategize and set clear objectives/Monitor progress and use resources well - Sets specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely objectives for own team and/or the Organization; systematically analyses and anticipates priority projects for own team and allocates necessary resources to achieve them; identifies the cross-Organizational resources needed for large- scale projects in line with key Organizational objectives. Anticipates foreseeable changes and adapts own and team’s projects in the face of unforeseen circumstances and/ or challenges; creates measures and criteria to monitor progress of overall projects against key Organizational objectives; creates cost-effective solutions for the Organization.
• Building and promoting partnerships across the Organization and beyond****: Develop networks and partnerships and encourage collaboration - Builds and negotiates strategic partnerships and alliances with a wide range of key stakeholders to ensure Organizational results and success. Creates innovative opportunities for promoting synergies inside and outside the Organization to improve Organizational success.

Technical Expertise:

• Technical expertise in the areas of Noncommunicable Diseases and Determinants of Health, including technical cooperation in projects in developing countries.
• Expert knowledge in public health for the development, implementation, and analysis of technical cooperation programs; requiring strategic thinking, resourcefulness, initiative, leadership qualities, skills to deals with difficult situations and sensitive areas.
• Excellent analytical skills and demonstrated abilities in performing complex analyses on a wide range of factors, requirements, priorities for the assessment and implementation of activities in multi-sectoral and multi-cultural environments;
• Theoretical and practical knowledge of Noncommunicable Diseases and Determinants of Health. This can include health promotion, social participation, NCD Risk Factors, Road Safety and Substance Abuse.
• Expert knowledge and skills in the formulation of technical cooperation interventions and in the development of criteria for evaluating program interventions.
• Managerial skills for the development, implementation and analysis of technical cooperation programs and activities, including budget programming and control.
• Strong professional oral and writing skills, including the development of reports, oral presentations, and technical/persuasive documents for consideration at the highest levels of the Organization.

Languages:

Very good knowledge of English or Spanish with working knowledge of the other language. Knowledge of French and/or Portuguese would be an asset.

IT Skills:

Demonstrated ability to effectively use a computer and utilize software programs such as Microsoft Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint and Outlook. Other IT skills and knowledge of other software programs such as Visio and Project would be an asset.

REMUNERATION

Annual Salary****: (Net of taxes)

US $74,913.00 post adjustment

Post Adjustment****: 27.5% of the above figure(s). This percentage is to be considered as indicative since variations may occur each month either upwards or downwards due to currency exchange rate fluctuations or inflation.

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.

Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to PAHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and e-Manual.

For information on PAHO please visit: http://www.paho.org

PAHO/WHO is committed to workforce diversity.

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

PAHO/WHO offers an attractive compensation package including an annual net salary and post adjustment, which reflects the cost of living in a particular duty station and exchange rates (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance). Other benefits include: 30 days annual leave, dependency benefits, pension plan and health insurance scheme. Benefits for internationally recruited staff may include home leave, travel and removal expenses on appointment and separation, education grant for dependent children, assignment grant and rental subsidy.

Candidates appointed to an international post with PAHO are subject to mobility and may be assigned to any activity or duty station of the Organization throughout the world.

All applicants are required to complete an on-line profile to be considered for this post.

Candidates will be contacted only if they are under serious consideration. A written test and/or interview will be held for this post. The post description is the official documentation for organization purposes.