Technical Officer (Epidemiologist)

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 76,804 USD and 104,320 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 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 Unit (HIM) is responsible for identifying new public health events, assessing risks to public health, conducting epidemiological surveillance and field investigations, monitoring public health interventions, and communicating public health information to technical partners.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

The incumbent will perform the following duties:

1. Contribute to the development of Integrated Disease Surveillance technical guidance and implementation package.
2. Technically support EMR countries in the implementation of the Regional Strategy of Integrated Disease Surveillance in collaboration with other EMRO departments/units.
3. Contribute to the development of a generic surveillance evaluation toolkit in collaboration with WHO HQ and WHO AFRO.
4. Conduct evaluations of the national-level early warning and surveillance system.
5. Support the response of WHO EMRO to COVID-19 pandemic and other outbreaks through active participation in the surveillance pillar of the Incident Management Support Team (IMST) structure.
6. Contribute to establishing the Field Epidemiology Training Programme (FETP) training site at EMRO and coordinating the hosting of FETP fellows in their field activities.
7. Provide technical support to EMR Member States on conducting effective contact tracing as an integral part of outbreak investigations.
8. Support the strengthening of the early warning function of the surveillance system -more specifically its event-based surveillance component - in the EMR Member States through the implementation and adoption of public health intelligence frameworks, e.g. Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) and enhancing community reporting.
9. Conduct comparative analysis of lessons learnt from country experiences and sharing good practices on issues of Region-wide concern.
10. Support the implementation of the information management functions as per WHO Emergency Response Framework requirements at the Regional Level.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: First university degree in epidemiology, public health, international health or related field. Desirable: Master's degree in epidemiology. 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 2 years of experience in applied epidemiology or public health surveillance with a track record in engaging with stakeholders, building networks, and facilitating cross-organizational collaboration and dialogue. Desirable: International exposure. Previous experience with Integrated Disease Surveillance and/or event-based surveillance systems are significant assets.

Skills

Essential: Demonstrated knowledge, competency and professional skills on the public health aspects of infectious diseases control, epidemic and pandemic preparedness and response with particular attention to the application of an all-hazards approach in the context of the International Health Regulations and the use of event-based and indicator-based surveillance, as well as descriptive epidemiology and principles of public health in communicable disease surveillance and response. Sound knowledge and skills in database management and statistical analysis, secondary data review, survey designing and implementation, monitoring and evaluation systems design or use, and public health information management. Proven ability to multitask across various planning and implementation processes within a highly demanding environment. Excellent presentation and communication skills, with emphasis on writing skills. Sound analytical and organizational skills.

Desirable: Good understanding of the main principles of public health intelligence. 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. Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work under pressure.

WHO Competencies

Teamwork Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences Communication Producing results Moving forward in a changing environment

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Excellent knowledge of English. Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of French. Intermediate knowledge of Arabic.

Other Skills (e.g. IT) • Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications. • Design and management of information systems.

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 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 974 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.
• Interested candidates are strongly encouraged to apply on-line through Stellis. For assessment of your application, please ensure that: 1 -Your profile on Stellis is properly completed and updated. 2- All required details regarding your qualifications, education, training and experience are provided under relevant sections. 3- Your experience records are properly entered with elaboration on tasks performed at the time.

• Enhanced WHO Global Competency Model: https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/enhanced-who-global-competency-model

• 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.

• 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.

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

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

• The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The 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.

The 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 for 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. 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.

• Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with WHO and an underlying premise of the international civil service. 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.

• 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.

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

• *For WHO General Service staff who do not meet the minimum educational qualifications, please see e-Manual III.4.1, para 220.

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