Team Coordinator, Pacific Health Security and Communicable Diseases

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 162,312 USD and 203,414 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 Pacific Health Security and Communicable Diseases unit covers three main areas of work - (1) WHO's Health Emergencies Programme (WHE), (2) communicable diseases (CDs), and (3) reproductive and maternal health/gender and equity (RMNCAH/GER).

The PSC team area of work focuses on the thematic priority of health security and antimicrobial resistance as outlined in For the Future, the Regional Office operational strategy for achieving GPW13 objectives and Sustainable Development Goals in the Region. The team's work is guided by the Pacific Island Countries and Areas WHO Cooperation Strategy, operationalization of For The Future of which health security and antimicrobial resistance remain thematic priority across the Region and fully aligned to GPW13. The team supports the implementation of the Asia Pacific Strategy for Emerging Diseases and Public Health Emergencies (APSED III) and strengthening core capacity of national governments to implement and enhance operationalization of the International Health Regulations (IHR [2005]).

All PICs are vulnerable to emerging infectious diseases, including pandemics, and to natural hazards, especially extreme weather events that are expected to increase in severity or frequency because of climate change. WHO has specific responsibilities and accountabilities for emergency operations under the IHR (2005) and within the global humanitarian system as the Interagency Standing Committee (IASC) Global Health Cluster Lead Agency. The WHE team in the Pacific works with national health authorities and partner disease outbreaks and provide effective relief and recovery to affected people. Key activities include support for the assessment of country health emergency preparedness and development of national plans to address critical capacity gaps; development of strategies and capacities to prevent and control high-threat infectious hazards; monitoring of new and ongoing public health events to assess, communicate and recommend action for public health risks; and response to public health emergencies such as floods, tropical cyclones, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

CDs continue to be among the most serious public health problems in the Western Pacific Region. The programme is supporting: the scale up of HIV/AIDS, sexually transmissible diseases (STD) and hepatitis, tuberculosis, vectorborne and parasitic diseases, continuing efforts to meet the targets of the Global Immunization Vision and Strategy by working to strengthen routine and supplementary immunization, ensuring vaccine quality and immunization safety and supporting targeted disease initiatives. Another area of work involves the control or elimination of neglected tropical diseases, including lymphatic filariasis, trachoma, yaws, leprosy, soil transmitted helminths and scabies.

Maternal and reproductive health programme aims to strengthen the health system and to cultivate an enabling environment where skilled health professionals provide quality reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health services, accessible to all. Globally, one in three women have experienced physical or sexual violence, mostly by an intimate partner. The GER programme area aims to stop all forms of violence against women and discrimination as a result of cultural, social, gender and ethnic context.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Specific roles to be undertaken within this job:

1. Serves as the DPS PSC Team Coordinator with responsibilities to supervise and coordinate staff and other resources of the following programmes: (i) WHE (ii) CDs including HIV, hepatitis, STI, TB, malaria, neglected tropical diseases and expanded programme on immunization and (iii) RMNCAH/GER;

2. Provides overall guidance/leadership in WHO's work supporting governments of PIC and areas and assures high quality technical assistance for CD control and public health emergencies such as emerging disease outbreaks and disasters;

3. Monitors and supports implementation of the global and regional strategies for health security including, the IHR (2005), APSED III, the Western Pacific Regional Framework for Action for Disaster Risk Management for Health and the Pacific Health Security Coordination Plan;

4. Assures timely compilation, analysis, interpretation and dissemination of information on public health programmes including CD control programmes, emerging and outbreak-prone diseases and public health emergencies;

5. Assures DPS accomplishment of Global and Regional Emergency Response Framework and Pacific Humanitarian Team health cluster responsibilities in the Pacific;

6. Assures appropriate planning, preparation and coordination of all DPS-PSC programmes and actively pursues effective collaborations for strengthening health systems;

7. Assures communications and, as appropriate, coordination with other relevant UN agencies and partners for PSC programmes, and serves as WHO focal point for the Pacific Public Health Surveillance Network;

8. Engages in resource mobilization as necessary to assure adequate funds are available for DPS-PSC programmes;

9. Identifies, supports and, as appropriate, coordinates important operational research on communicable diseases and public health emergencies;

10. Promotes effective advocacy for WHO's CD control and public health emergency-related activities in close consultation with information/communication focal points within WHO as well as promoting WHO's goals and positions through policy dialogue at different levels.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: University degree in medicine or health sciences and advanced university degree in epidemiology or public health from an institution or university recognized in the International Association of Universities' Worldwide Database of Higher Education Institutions, Systems and Credentials (WHED). Desirable: Specialist training in field epidemiology, public health or health emergency response and management.

Experience

Essential: Minimum of ten years of experience in epidemiology, general public health, disease control interventions or other related fields at national and international levels. Desirable: Experience in management, development and planning, and having some field experience in the Pacific. Experience working within the UN system and in coordinating health cluster activities during emergencies.

Skills

1. Strong leadership, decision-making, and management, including programme management skills;

2. Extensive knowledge of prevention, surveillance, response in public health emergencies, including emerging and outbreak-prone disease and man-made and natural disasters;

3. Highly developed communication, advocacy, and resource mobilization skills;

4. Negotiation, dialogue and representational skills which allow development of common understanding of complex and often controversial issues among national counterparts, partners and stakeholders.

WHO Competencies

Teamwork Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences Communication Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond Driving the Organization to a Successful Future Creating an empowering and motivating environment

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of written and spoken English. Desirable: Beginners knowledge of 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 89,837 (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 2912 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.