Epidemiologist

Overview

Lead epidemiological responses to health emergencies globally.

You have:

• Master's Degree in Public Health/International Health or MSc in Epidemiology complemented by degree in medicine, pharmacy, veterinary science, midwifery, nursing, medical biology or a related discipline.
• At least seven years' experience with successful track record in epidemiology, surveillance and/or control of acute public health events.
• Expert knowledge of English.
• Intermediate knowledge of Arabic or French.
• Experience in outbreak response.
• Field experience in epidemiology, surveillance and/or control of acute public health events in resource limited countries.
• Knowledge of WHO processes of verification, alert and response operations.
• Demonstrated knowledge of surveillance issues and emerging diseases in international context.

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 113,803 USD and 146,726 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.

Position # 381854 - Epidemiology - P4 FT

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OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The mission of WHO's Health Emergencies Programme (WHE) (The Programme) is to build the capacity of Member States to manage health emergency risks and, when national capacities are overwhelmed, to lead and coordinate the international health response to contain outbreaks and to provide effective relief and recovery to affected populations. The Health Emergency Information and Risk Assessment Department (HIM) is responsible for identifying new public health events, assessing risks to public health, conducting pidemiological surveillance and field investigations, monitoring public health interventions, and communicating public health information to technical partners.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Within the framework of the delegated authority, the incumbent is assigned all or part of the following duties which are performed according to needs:

1. Carry out all aspects of early detection of acute public health events, including but not limited to event-based surveillance; verification and risk assessment; and information-sharing on events that may constitute a public health emergency of international concern.

2. Contribute to the improvement of the new WHO's Event Management System (EMS2) developed by WHO HQ; while updating the events in the Event Management System (EMS)

3. Conduct emergency epidemiological field risk-assessment missions as required.

4. Collaborate and Coordinate activities with staff at all levels in the Public Health Intelligence Team and the Health Emergency Information and Risk Assessment Department, to foster [a] the elaboration and implementation of WHO-wide Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and tools for detecting, verifying, assessing and monitoring events that may constitute a public health emergency of international concern in line with the operational requirements of IHR; and [b] the definition of institutional strategies and analysis linked to the formulation of briefing documents and materials; situation analyses; and convening multi-disciplinary risk assessment, as appropriate.

5. Provide technical guidance to further the development of Event Information System (EIS) and other public health intelligence platforms;

6. Encourage or promote the implementation of new approaches and innovative methods to systematically detect and assess events of potential significance to international public health, with emphasis on building partnerships networks;

7. Enhance and encourage world-wide information sharing as a key component of promoting and nurturing a culture of multi-disciplinary and cross-cutting approaches within WHO and with key partners;

8. Develop and provide capacity building and training to colleagues within WHO and partners, including Ministries of Health, with focus on enhancing epidemiology and information management core competencies; and stimulate collaboration with officials at the regional and national levels, to ensure a coordinated response using standardised, innovative information systems and tools

9. Lead the analysis and the interpretation of data on signals and events collected from different sources;

10. Perform other related responsibilities as assigned, including replacing and backstopping for others as required.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential:

Master's Degree in Public Health/International Health or MSc in Epidemiology complemented by degree in medicine, pharmacy, veterinary science, midwifery, nursing, medical biology or a related discipline.

Desirable:

In-service training in field epidemiology such as Field Epidemiology (and Laboratory) Training Programmes (FELTP), the European Program for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET), the CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service programme, or equivalent experience.

Experience

Essential:

At least seven years' experience with successful track record in epidemiology, surveillance and/or control of acute public health events; epidemic intelligence at the national and/or international levels plus demonstrated field experience in the context of large epidemics or public health crisis at the national and international levels.

Desirable:

Experience in outbreak responseExperience in WHO or UN Agencies.

Field experience in epidemiology, surveillance and/or control of acute public health events in resource limited countries;

Experience of working with detection and monitoring of public health events and risk assessment;

Experience in developing technical documentsKnowledge in data analysis and use of statistical tools.

Skills

Essential:

Knowledge of WHO processes of verification, alert and response operations.

Demonstrated knowledge of surveillance issues and emerging diseases in international context.

Excellent presentation and communication skills, with emphasis on writing skills.

Sound analytical and organizational skills.

Desirable:

Demonstrated ability to interact in complex situations involving technical, cultural and political elements.

Proven ability to work and produce results under pressure in critical situations.

Tact, diplomacy and courtesy.

Demonstrated ability to interact in complex situations involving technical, cultural and political elements.

WHO Competencies

• Teamwork
• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
• Communication
• Producing results
• Moving forward in a changing environment
• Creating an empowering and motivating environment

WHO global Competencies model at http://www.who.int/employment/WHO_competencies_EN.pdf?ua=1

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English. Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of Arabic or French.

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 1917 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's workforce adheres to the WHO Values Charter and is committed to put the WHO Values into practice.

• 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.

• Interested candidates are strongly encouraged to apply on-line. For assessment of your application, please ensure that your profile on Stellis is updated; all experience records are entered with elaboration on tasks performed at the time. Kindly note that CV/PHFs inserted via LinkedIn are not accessible.

Potential interview questions