Consultant - Pandemic Fund -WHO Health Emergencies Programme (WHE)

Overview

Provide project management and operational support for the Pandemic Fund award implementation.

You have:

• Advanced university degree in public health, epidemiology, social science or a related area from a recognized university.
• Minimum of five years' experience in project management or budget management at national and international levels in public health and/or public health emergency management.
• Previous experience with WHO or other UN agencies is desirable.
• Expert knowledge of English is required.
• Understanding of the Pandemic Fund, WHO/UN budget management.
• Experience managing large scale multi-country projects and international stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to plan, organize, and coordinate report writing with different international partners.
• Motivated, highly organized, critical thinker with strong analytical skills.

Purpose of consultancy

To provide high quality project management, coordination, monitoring, and operational support to ensure effective, timely, and compliant implementation of the multi country Pandemic Fund award.

Background

The Pandemic Fund was established in 2022 as a global financing mechanism launched in 2023 to support low- and middle-income countries to strengthen critical systems for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. To date in the Western Pacific Region, nine projects have been funded by the Pandemic Fund over three calls for proposals. In the latest call, a $36 million multi-country project involving twelve WPR countries was funded. The ‘Data to Action: Stronger Western Pacific Pandemic Preparedness & Response Systems’ project brings together Cambodia, the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Viet Nam, under a single, ambitious initiative to build smarter, faster and more inclusive pandemic prevention, preparedness and response systems.

The project is anchored in the Asia Pacific Health Security Action Framework (APHSAF), a regionally endorsed framework shaped by over two decades of cross-country collaboration. Key outputs include interoperable multisource surveillance platforms, upgraded laboratory systems with quality assurance and biosafety frameworks, expanded field epidemiology and laboratory leadership programs, and enhanced workforce capacities in risk communication and community engagement. Regional mechanisms will reinforce national capacities through peer learning, joint actions, and digital platforms.

This is the Region’s largest Pandemic Fund project in terms of funding, country scope and complexity. The late requirement of the Pandemic Fund Governing Board to diversify the funding managed by project Implementing Entities has also added an additional layer of complexity to the project, requiring close coordination between WHO country offices and project Implementing Entities (ADB, AIIB and FAO) to ensure timely implementation. As the project spans multiple WHO Country Offices (WCOs), the Western Pacific Regional Office, and national counterparts, this requires harmonized programme management support in line with WHO Pandemic Fund Implementation Guidance and internal grant management SOPs.

Deliverables

Output 1: Facilitate the implementation of WPR Multi-Country Pandemic Fund Project Deliverable 1.1: Overall end-to-end coordination of the multi-country project ensuring alignment with approved proposed workplans and timelines. Deliverable 1.2: Establish and maintain project management systems, including a centralized SharePoint filing structure, workplan tracking tools, and documentation repositories. Deliverable 1.3: Plan and coordinate key project milestones, including project kick-off and coordination meetings. Deliverable 1.4: Facilitate regular coordination with participating countries, implementing entities (e.g. AIIB, ADB, FAO), and partners; consolidate key outputs, decisions, and action points. Deliverable 1.5: Monitor implementation progress, risks, and bottlenecks across countries and technical areas, and proactively escalate issues requiring management action. Deliverable 1.6: Manage risk, issues of overall Pandemic Fund project portfolio and escalate as necessary.

Output 2: Provide technical guidance on the monitoring of Pandemic Fund Portfolio (Multi- and Single-Country Grants) Deliverable 2.1: Serve as Regional Focal Point for the Pandemic Fund portfolio, including engagement in WHO global coordination mechanisms and liaison with implementing entities. Deliverable 2.2: Maintain oversight of both multi-country and single-country grants in the region, tracking overall progress, key milestones, and cross-cutting implementation issues. Deliverable 2.3: Facilitate information flow and coordination across WHO Country Offices, Regional Office, and Headquarters, as well as with external partners (e.g. Pandemic Fund, AIIB, ADB, FAO). Deliverable 2.4: Identify systemic risks, recurring bottlenecks, and opportunities for alignment across the portfolio, and provide strategic advice to strengthen implementation coherence.

Output 3: Workplanning, Monitoring, and Reporting Support Deliverable 3.1: Track implementation progress and financial performance across grants, including milestone delivery and fund utilization. Deliverable 3.2: Facilitate consolidation of country-level data and documentation to support routine reporting to implementing entities and the Pandemic Fund Secretariat. Deliverable 3.3: Support WCOs in meeting reporting requirements, including the collection and quality assurance of technical and financial documentation.

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications:

Essential: Advanced university degree in public health, epidemiology, social science or a related area from a recognized university. Desirable: Additional professional training/specialization in business administration, public health emergency management or a related area.

Experience

Essential: Minimum of five years' experience in a project management or budget management at national and international levels in public health and/or public health emergency management. Desirable: Previous experience with WHO or other UN agencies. Previous international experience in public health emergency response, communicable disease control or related areas is an advantage. Familiarity with Pandemic Fund projects and management of Pandemic Fund awards.

Skills/Knowledge:

• Understanding of the Pandemic Fund, WHO/UN budget management.
• Experience managing large scale multi-country projects and international stakeholders
• Experience in developing donor and WHO/UN reports.
• Demonstrated ability to plan, organize, and coordinate report writing with different international partners.
• Motivated, highly organized, critical thinker with strong analytical skills.

Languages and level required:

Expert knowledge of English

Location

This will be an onsite consultancy in WPRO Manila, Philippines.

Travel

Travel to countries in the region may be requested for pandemic fund management support

Remuneration and budget:

Remuneration: Payband level B, USD 8,000 (monthly) Expected duration of contract: 11 months from 1 September 2026 to 31 July 2027

Additional Information:

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level. • Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted. • A written test may be used as a form of screening. • If your candidature is retained for 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. • For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int. • The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits workforce regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics. The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its workforce. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply for WHO jobs. Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to [email protected] • An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. 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 (https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/our-values) 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 short-listed candidates. • WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco. • Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority. • WHO shall have no responsibility for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO. • Please note that WHO’s contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Staff Health and Wellbeing Services (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at [email protected]. • In case the recruitment website does not display properly, please retry by: (i) checking that you have the latest version of the browser installed (Chrome, Edge or Firefox); (ii) clearing your browser history and opening the site in a new browser (not a new tab within the same browser); or (iii) retry accessing the website using Mozilla Firefox browser or using another device. Click the link for detailed guidance on completing job applications: Instructions for candidates.

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Added 4 hours ago - Updated 4 hours ago - Source: who.int