Coordinator (Essential Medicines & Health Technologies), P-5, Fixed-Term

Contract

This is a P-5 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 10 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 168,077 USD and 210,639 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.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

Division mandate For the Future: Towards the Healthiest and Safest Region outlines a vision for WHO work with Member States and partners in the Western Pacific. Strong, resilient, sustainable health systems are integral to delivering the four thematic priorities. Up to 60% of people living in some countries in the Region do not have access to safe, quality and affordable health services and medicines. One in five families spend 10% of their income on healthcare. This threatens individuals, families, communities and economies.

The Division of Health Systems and Services (DHS) will contribute to taking forward the For the Future vision and its four thematic priorities. DHS will support Member States with high quality advice and assistance on health financing, health workforce, medical products, quality and safety, law and governance, women and children, rehabilitation, surgery and health services including primary health care so that they can build resilient, responsive and sustainable health systems.

Unit mandates: In this role the incumbent will work across the different areas of health systems and together with the following units at Regional Office level: Health Policy and Service Design (HPS): supports Member States to develop and implement policies, strategies and plans and service delivery design, including primary health care, to strengthen governance, financing, health workforce in order to ensure access to needed promotive, preventative, curative, rehabilitative and palliative services without financial hardship. Essential Medicines and Health Technologies (EMT): supports Member States to strengthen pharmaceutical systems and regulations, including for traditional medicines to ensure equitable access to quality-assured, safe and effective therapies and health technologies and works along with other programmes to accelerate the fight against antimicrobial resistance in the Western Pacific Region. Maternal Child Health and Quality Safety (MCQ): supports Member States to improve health systems to provide the best and safest possible health facility services to all people, regardless of race, beliefs, gender, economic and social condition and to ensure universal health coverage serves all people, starting from women and children. Health Law and Ethics (HLE): supports Member States to understand, develop and implement quality and ethical legal frameworks for health. Grounded in human rights and international good practice standards, legal frameworks for health guide transformative policies and innovative programming.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Under the guidance and supervision of the Director, Division of Health Systems and Services, the incumbent will perform the following duties: Coordinates the strategic planning and policy direction in the areas of essential medicines and health technologies in the Western Pacific Region, as part of the development of UHC in collaboration with Member States and development partners; Develops, implements, monitors and evaluates the Region's programme on medical products and health technologies, including pharmaceuticals, biologicals, vaccines, blood products, diagnostics and medical devices and traditional medicine products by providing policy recommendations to the Regional Director on priorities and ensuring close cooperation with other technical programmes with a one WHO vision; Provides technical support and cooperation with national authorities for the development, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and revision of national medicines policies, as part of the health systems and for improving access to essential medicines guided by current global and regional strategies and action frameworks; Leads, collaborates and engages in capacity-building in improving regulatory capacity for all medical products and their quality assurance, including improving capacity for procurement and supply chain management and combating counterfeit and substandard medicines; Leads work of regional network on access to medicines under UHC and coordinate work of regional WHO collaborating centres; Leads, collaborates, and engages in improving rational use of medicines by providers and consumers as part of quality of care and coordinate and support efforts for optimizing use of antibiotics at regional level; Leads cross-organization collaboration in integrating essential medicines and health technologies and implementation of Global Action Plan and Regional Action Agenda on Antimicrobial Medicines across related programmes of work in the Organization; Leads collaboration and implementation of the Regional Framework for Harnessing Traditional and Complementary Medicine for Achieving Health and Well-being in the Western Pacific; Coordinates the technical and programmatic work with all levels of the Organization as the programme area lead for the programme on access to medicines and other health technologies and antimicrobial resistance and strengthening regulatory capacity; and Mobilizes resources, establishes partnerships and oversees programme implementation.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: Advance university degree in biomedical, pharmaceutical sciences, medicine, public health or other health-related disciplines. Desirables: Training in technical, legal, and administrative aspects of pharmaceutical and other health technologies services, regulatory sciences, pharmaeconomics and fields related to antimicrobial resistance.

Experience

Essential: At least ten years' relevant experience working in pharmaceutical and/or other health technologies policy and programme management areas with considerable experience obtained in an international context in the development and implementation of country essential medicines/health technologies programmes. Desirable: International experience in advisory capacity in the field of pharmaceuticals and other health technologies and/or management of health systems programmes.

Skills

Functional skills and knowledge on the following:

• Health situation analysis, health planning at operational, national and subnational levels; capacity-building through multiple approaches, including communities of practice, organizational learning, training, mentoring and example setting;
• Comprehensive technical and policy advisory skills, based on evidence;
• Public health leadership skills with demonstrated ability to work effectively with the Government and colleagues in a team setting at national and international levels, to share information and data and make oral and written presentations on technical issues;
• Ability to build and maintain work relationships and networks with technical units, national authorities and other stakeholders across relevant sectors;
• Understanding of the potential motivating factors within national contexts and ability to adjust to new approaches in an increasingly complex environment;
• Capacity to prepare terms of reference and to prepare, monitor, and manage the implementation of contractual agreements;
• Capacity to convey information and options in a structured and credible way; ability to speak and write clearly;
• Proficiency in basic computer applications and ability to draft reports;
• Ability to develop plans and proposals collaboratively and manage, monitor, and evaluate programme implementation;
• Provide managerial and technical leadership and motivate a multidisciplinary team;
• Ability to work harmoniously as a member of a team, adapt to diverse educational and cultural backgrounds and maintain high standards of personal conduct.

WHO Competencies

• Teamwork
• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
• Communication
• Promoting innovation and organizational learning
• Driving the Organization to a Successful Future
• Creating an empowering and motivating environment

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English. Desirable: Beginner’s knowledge of other UN languages.

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 90,664 (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 USD3,642 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.

• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.

• Candidates who previously applied to this post should not reapply since your applications are already on file.