Executive Director, WHO Academy

Contract

This is a D-2 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 16 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 143,813 USD and 173,332 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

The WHO Academy will deliver advanced digital and classroom training to WHO staff, health policy practitioners, health workers and other individuals. The Academy will be a globally accessible school for the future which combines the latest technologies in digital and remote learning with advancements in adult learning science to offer innovative, personalised and multilingual training that meets priority needs.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

1) Provide strategic leadership, direction, and coordination between the WHO Academy and key internal and external stakeholders in order to meet current global needs for health-focused adult education and lifelong learning. Ensure effective corporate governance across the Academy hub and its regional spokes for impact and long-term success.

2) Underpinned by the WHO Global Programme of Work (GPW), lead policy-setting, lifelong learning design and delivery for impact. Conceptualize, lead and oversee the translation of health-related training needs into high-impact courses, including peer-to-peer, individual, and team-based learning, while at the same time ensuring the development and efficient operation of a Learning Experience Platform, the implementation of quality-assurance standards, development of learning analytics, and a monitoring and evaluation system. Lead the development of a certification process for health workers as a method for workers to show new capabilities gained through the WHO Academy and to serve as a measurement mechanism for understanding capabilities around the world.

3) Within the context of WHO's risk management and accountability framework, oversee management of finance and administration, including cost-recovery systems, pooled funds, expenditure planning and procurement, as well as services related to the physical infrastructure. Manage multi-million dollar outsourcing contracts for managed services in the areas of networks, platforms, hosting, and technologies that enable the functioning and expansion of the Academy.

4) Lead resource mobilization efforts to achieve bi-annual fundraising targets and ensure financial sustainability of the Academy. Oversee corporate strategy development, investment-related decision making, intellectual property rights, regular risk management and compliance monitoring, as well as human resources and talent management.

5) Establish strong partnerships to advance the Academy's mission. Lead the implementation of global initiatives within the mandate of the Academy, coordinate global stakeholder engagement, partnerships, external relations, communications, marketing and customer services, and oversee the production and review of regular stakeholder analysis. Collaborate closely with Member States, donors, and other institutional partners. Foster relationships and engagement mechanisms for external stakeholders to ensure that WHO meets the needs of non-WHO people and is adopted widely by them.

6) Respond quickly to emergency situations both globally (e.g. ebola, coronavirus) and locally (e.g. local conflict or cholera).

7) Ensure that all operations and functions of the WHO Academy are properly coordinated and coherent, that they support WHO's key priorities across the three levels of the organization. Work with HR to identify career paths and the learning experiences necessary to progress in them.

8) Build and lead a team of dedicated staff and further expand the team to meet expansion targets. Coach and manage the staff of the WHO Academy, directly and through a fit for purpose management structure, ensuring an enabling environment to support and facilitate team members to take responsibility and build a sense of ownership through clearly defined roles and objectives, encouraging a strong accountability framework for actions and responses.

9) Perform all other related duties as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential:

Advanced level university degree in education with an emphasis on adult education, or social sciences, public health, economics, business management, public administration or a relevant discipline directly relevant to the responsibilities of the position.

Desirable:

A professional certification in one or more of the following would be an advantage: quality management or organizational management.

A university degree in public health or another applied health field of relevance to the position.

Experience

Essential: At least 15 years of relevant experience including 10 years' experience at a senior and/or executive management position with a leading educational institution, or global multinational or intergovernmental organization, successfully managing teams of highly-qualified and professional staff with different skills, disciplines, cultures and backgrounds, and engaging with the highest levels of representatives from governments, private sector as well as multilateral, and non-profit organizations. Demonstrated experience at the international level.

The incumbent will be expected to demonstrate experience in transforming and leading a large-scale enterprise: Demonstrated experience in cultivating the ability of staff, leaders, health workers to explore, learn and grow for impact. This will be necessary in order to rapidly establish the Academy as a sustainable and cutting-edge enterprise which meets the needs of WHO staff and key external audiences. Robust track record in scaling high-impact adult learning: Experience as an international leader in high-impact adult learning in order to be able to advance the Academy's ambitious vision. Candidates need to have a robust track-record of inspiring the adoption of adult learning science and digital innovation, curating and co-creating learning, fostering peer-to-peer learning, balancing face-to-face and digital learning for personalized and immersive learning experiences, measuring impact, and continuous innovation and improvement.

Desirable:

• Operational experience leading a global educational programme.
• Experience in resource mobilization and communication.
• Experience in both the public and private sectors.

Skills

The incumbent will be expected to be able to:

• Offer clear, visionary leadership to the WHO Academy which reflects the WHO's values.
• Foster an innovative, nimble, efficient working environment committed to continuous improvement and excellence in delivery.
• Guide, motivate and inspire teams to work collaboratively for the good of the Organization.
• Communicate effectively with diverse constituencies and offer strong people management skills to mobilize towards the WHO Academy goals.
• Demonstrate the ability to use storytelling to motivate collaborators and gain public recognition for WHO Academy efforts.
• Use leadership skills in multicultural setting to bring about organizational change at scale.
• Leverage strong partnership skills to enable positive engagement and contribution.
• Strengthen and build partnerships and synergies internally across WHO functions and geographies, and externally with key institutions, including governments and international organizations.
• Be decisive and demonstrate sound business acumen, entrepreneurial skills in starting up and building programmes, as well as the ability to work with external stakeholders to generate external grants and other funding.
• Demonstrate developed strategic thinking with an ability to map business strategy into organizational design, people plans and resource requirements.
• Use strong interpersonal skills to build positive relationships by promoting co-operation and sense of being part of a collective endeavor.
• Demonstrate sound judgement combined with a focus on professional adaptability, the ability to innovate and deliver new policies and systems.
• Show empathy and respect for diversity.

WHO Competencies

Teamwork Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences Communication Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond Promoting innovation and organizational learning Creating an empowering and motivating environment

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English. Desirable: Expert knowledge of French.

REMUNERATION

WHO salaries for staff in the Professional category and above are calculated in US dollars. The remuneration for the above position comprises an annual base salary of USD 138,473 (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 5,700 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 selection is subject to special selection procedures. Further details of these procedures shall be made available upon request.
• Applications from women and from nationals of underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.
• 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 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.