National Professional Officer (Vaccine Preventable Diseases)

Contract

This is a NO-B contract. This kind of contract is known as National Professional Officers. It is normally only for nationals. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 2 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be more than 3,231 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

WHO’s work in countries operationalizes the General Programme of Work (GPW14) and the European Programme of Work 2025-2029 (EPW2). GPW14 focuses on accelerating progress toward Health for All by strengthening systems for health, improving access to essential services, advancing preparedness and resilience, and reducing health inequalities. EPW2, endorsed at RC75 following extensive consultation with Member States, reaffirms WHO/Europe’s role in bringing unique value to countries through five core functions: 1. International knowledge hub for health – providing authoritative evidence, norms, policies and best practices from across the Region and globally to inform national public health decision-making. 2. Impartial coordinator for everyone’s health – convening national stakeholders and partners to align strategies and support coherent, multisectoral responses to shared health challenges. 3. Leader in tracking and managing cross-border health threats – supporting surveillance, preparedness, and coordinated action on public health emergencies in line with the Preparedness 2.0 agenda. 4. Driver of health system transformation – advising national authorities on evidence-informed reforms and policies that strengthen health systems and improve performance. 5. Voice for health equity – helping countries identify who is being left behind and integrating equity considerations into health policies and strategies.

In this context, WHO Country Offices enable the translation of global and regional commitments into national action. They support Member States by providing strategic advice, convening dialogue across sectors and partners, connecting national authorities with WHO’s technical expertise, and facilitating the use of evidence and best practices to inform policy.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

The purpose of this position is to assist the Ministry of Health (MOH) of Ukraine in strengthening the surveillance for vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs). This position will enable the WHO Regional Office for Europe (WHO/EURO) to be more responsive and to play a leading role in strengthening of the diseases preparedness and control. Under the overall guidance of the Head of WHO Office in Ukraine and direct supervision of the Health Programme Lead, with close collaboration with the Vaccine Preventable Diseases and Immunization (VPI) unit in WHO European Regional Office in Copenhagen, the incumbent will undertake the following specific responsibilities: 1. Support the implementation of monitoring and evaluation mechanism, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for vaccine-preventable disease surveillance, case investigation, reporting, and response. 2. Serve as a technical focal point for regular disease-specific risk assessments, preparedness, investigation, and response to VPD outbreaks (with a focus on measles, rubella, and poliomyelitis) at both the national and subnational levels. 3. Coordinate and support capacity-building and training initiatives on VPD surveillance, outbreak investigation, contact tracing, outbreak response, and reporting. 4. Provide technical advice to strengthen lab-based disease surveillance networks, determine priority pathogens for sequencing as part of the national strategy, and other related tasks. 5. Review the need for and support the establishment of an environmental surveillance system to complement the routine VPD surveillance system. 6. Assess the relevance of event-based, syndromic, and other non-conventional surveillance initiatives to improve early warning and alert systems. 7. Support national counterparts in conducting sero-prevalence surveys as part of elimination and eradication strategies, when applicable. 8. Contribute to the Epidemiological Bulletin and other analytic products, and prepare and present updates on the epidemiological status of VPDs at the national and international levels. 9. Liaise with national counterparts and partners (UN and bilateral) to harmonize the implementation of activities related to vaccine-preventable diseases in the provinces.

Required Qualifications

Education

Essential: A first-level university degree (Bachelor's level) in medicine, epidemiology, health informatics, public health, or equivalent areas relevant to this position. Desirable: Master's degree or advanced training in any of the above

Experience

Essential: At least two years of professional experience at the national level working in health systems/public health, health information, public infectious diseases surveillance, infectious diseases surveillance, VPD Surveillance, epidemiology Surveillance. Demonstrated experience working with/within public projects and working with multiple stakeholders, such as national policymakers, NGOs, and the private sector. Good knowledge of infectious diseases surveillance architecture and other relevant systems in Ukraine.

Desirable: Demonstrated experience in working with infectious diseases surveillance. Demonstrated experience in planning and implementing health-related projects or programmes.

Functional Knowledge and Skills

1.Demonstrated knowledge of infectious diseases surveillance systems and global and regional standards. 2.Familiarity with national immunization and public health systems. 3.Knowledge of the principles of health information, epidemiology, and biostatistics. 4.Demonstrated analytical, presentation, and report-writing skills. 5.Proven ability to work comfortably in an international, multi-disciplinary, fast-paced environment. 6.Demonstrated knowledge of the goals and procedures of international organizations (United Nations system, donors, major non-governmental organizations). 7.Ability to identify and manage one's own emotions, as well as helping others do the same.

WHO Competencies

Teamwork Respecting & promoting individual and cultural differences Communication Producing Results Building and promoting partnerships across the Organization and beyond

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English. Expert knowledge of Ukrainian.

Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of any other UN language.

REMUNERATION

Remuneration comprises an annual base salary starting at USD 47,491 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable) and 30 days of annual leave.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Staff members separated due to the 2025 Prioritization and Realignment Process will receive special consideration according to the applicable regulatory framework.

• 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 and/or an asynchronous video assessment 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.

• According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible.

• Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual.

• The Director-General retains the discretion to not make any appointment to this vacancy, to make an appointment at a lower grade, or to make an appointment with a modified job description, including shortening the duration of the appointment.

• WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. WHO recruits and employs staff 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.

• WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its staff. 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.

• Persons with disabilities may request reasonable accommodations (modifications or adjustments to the application or recruitment process) to support their participation in the application and recruitment process. Please send an email to reasonableaccommodation@who.int with your full name, the vacancy number you are applying for, and specific details of the accommodation needed in your request.

• 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 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.

• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.

• WHO also offers wide range of benefits to staff, including parental leave and attractive flexible work arrangements to help promote a healthy work-life balance and to allow all staff members to express and develop their talents fully.

• The statutory retirement age for staff appointments is 65 years. For external applicants, only those who are expected to complete the term of appointment will normally be considered.

• 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].

• This is a National Professional Officer position. Therefore, only applications from nationals of the country where the duty station is located will be accepted. Applicants who are not nationals of this country will not be considered.

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