Scientist

Contract

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

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 57,661 USD and 78,318 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.

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PURPOSE OF POSITION

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is the specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization. The objective of the IARC is to promote international collaboration in cancer research.

IARC serves as a global reference for cancer data, including the provision of national indicators of relevance to the international health community. The Cancer Surveillance Branch (CSU) is at the heart of this activity, building on its long-standing expertise in cancer registration and descriptive epidemiology to extend approaches to the collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of cancer statistics worldwide. The data and tools available on IARC’s web-based platforms, including the Global Cancer Observatory (GCO, http://gco.iarc.fr), are increasing in demand among the global health community seeking to better understand the shifting scale and profile of the disease around the world. A key strategy moving forward is to continue to evolve with the rapid changes in data science to consolidate our position as forefront in the development and provision of cancer estimates and their related epidemiologic study.

CSU operates as an integrated Branch and although individual staff have primary areas of responsibility, all staff contribute to the multiple, often interlinked projects described herein. To facilitate the delivery of projects within our programmes, several teams meet regularly, including the Global Indicator Team. As a member of this Team, and under the supervision of the Branch Head, the incumbent will develop and disseminate a suite of core cancer indicators, including, but not limited to, incidence and mortality. The incumbent will liaise with collaborators worldwide to stimulate the extended use of our web-based data worldwide, including the writing and dissemination of scientific manuscripts and reviews describing the results of studies, and the preparation of technical and scientific reports.

Within the Cancer Surveillance Branch (CSU), develop and disseminate the GLOBOCAN estimates of national incidence, mortality, and other indicators, perform related analyses, and undertake descriptive research to better understand cancer transitions worldwide. The joint IARC-IACR Cancer Incidence in Five Continents (CI5) series is a flagship publication that compiles comparable cancer incidence rates across diverse registry populations worldwide. CI5 submissions (and WHO national mortality) form the basis of the GLOBOCAN estimates of national incidence, mortality and prevalence included in the Cancer Today subsite of the Global Cancer Observatory (GCO), an interactive web-based platform that presents global cancer indicators of direct relevance to cancer research and policy, developed via our descriptive epidemiology programme. These estimates (currently available for 2020 in 185 countries for 36 cancer types) are revised and updated by CSU every two years, based on CI5 or more recently available data. The incumbent will be responsible for supporting, adapting and, where applicable, developing novel approaches to estimation and dissemination using these international databases held at IARC.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Under the guidance of the CSU Head:

1) Adapt and contribute to the development of the national GLOBOCAN estimates on a biennial cycle.

2) Adapt and apply new methodologies to the fields of cancer epidemiology and data science, including the next generation of statistical tools and data visualization techniques to better estimates and interpret global cancer statistics.

3) Contribute to the development of international inter-disciplinary descriptive epidemiology research projects.

4) Supervise and train relevant technical staff and fellows within the Branch.

5) Write and disseminate scientific manuscripts and reviews describing the results of studies and prepare technical and scientific reports.

6) Contribute to writing grants with a view to attracting research funding from competitive sources.

7) Perform other related duties as may be assigned by the Supervisor.

WHO COMPETENCIES

· Teamwork*

· Respecting & promoting individual and cultural differences*

· Communication*

· Producing results

· Creating an empowering and motivating environment

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

Essential: PhD in biostatistics, epidemiology or in a similar field of research.

Desirable: Have excellent computational/programming skills, a track record in statistical analyses of epidemiological data, and knowledge of data science as it applies to cancer surveillance.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Essential: At least two years’ professional experience in cancer epidemiology. Work in international collaborative projects.

Desirable: Experience with analysis of descriptive data and international collaborations with multidisciplinary teams (epidemiologists, clinicians, statisticians).

USE OF LANGUAGE SKILLS

Excellent knowledge of English. Working knowledge of French and other UN languages would be an asset.

FUNCTIONAL SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Essential:

· Excellent knowledge of statistical methods and concepts used in descriptive epidemiology, including age-period-cohort models and survival analyses.

· Excellent knowledge of statistical programs such as STATA or R, essential to the development of cancer indicators.

· Good oral and written communication skills.

· Good publication record in international journals.

· Able to discuss, understand and interpret relevant epidemiological, biostatistical and public health issues in the context of descriptive epidemiology.

· Proactively engage and take initiatives in the conduct and evaluation of research studies.

OTHER SKILLS ( IT SKILLS)

· Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office 365 package.

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 50,377 (subject to applicable deductions), a variable post adjustment, which reflects the cost of living in a particular duty station, and currently amounts to USD 2,229 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 or lower.

· Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

· A written test and/or presentation/seminar may be used as a form of screening.

· If 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. IARC/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 noting that first year of fixed term contracts is a probationary period which maybe extended subject to performance evaluation.

· For information on IARC’s operations please visit: https://www.iarc.who.int, and for more general information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.

· IARC/WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The IARC/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.

· IARC/WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its staff. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Participating States https://www.iarc.who.int/equity-diversity-and-inclusion-at-iarc are strongly encouraged to apply for IARC/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 reasonableaccommodation@who.int.

· An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. IARC/WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the IARC/WHO Values Charter https://www.iarc.who.int/about-iarc-who-ethics into practice.

· IARC/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 IARC/WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to IARC/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, IARC/WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.

· IARC/WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

· IARC/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 fully express and develop their talents.

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

· Staff members in other duty stations are encouraged to apply.

· Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with IARC/WHO and an underlying premise of the international civil service. Candidates appointed to an international post with IARC/WHO are subject to mobility and may be assigned to any activity or duty station of the Organization throughout the world.