Technical Officer (Evidence and Emerging AMR)

Contract

This is a P-3 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 5 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 137,951 USD and 180,636 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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OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The mission of the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)Division is to define, advance, promote and monitor comprehensive policies and strategies that prevent, reduce, and mitigate drug-resistant infections and the overall impact of antimicrobial resistance globally based on the Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance and the 13th Global Programme of Work of WHO and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It also provides global direction and strategic leadership for the global response to antimicrobial resistance in coordination with Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), and other United Nations and international agencies and facilitates the creation of shared goals and vision through innovative partnerships, political engagement and promoting multisectoral engagement and synergy across the One Health spectrum in humans, animals, plants, food, feed, and the environment. Its main objective is to support the development, implementation, and monitoring of One Health National Action Plans for the Member States and facilitate the mainstreaming of effective strategies and actions, including the prevention and control of infection, antimicrobial stewardship, awareness creation, and communication, research and development in their health and development agendas in partnership with FAO, OIE and other key partners. The Department of AMR Surveillance, Prevention and Control leads the implementation efforts of National Action Plans on AMR as the backbone to achieving the five objectives of the Global Action Plan on AMR; reinforces strategic country-level capacity to mitigate the spread of AMR in health facilities and communities; coordinates global surveillance and consumption monitoring efforts across the human-animal interface to support the One Health response to antimicrobial resistance; monitors and reports on national and global progress towards achievement of the GAP, the triple billion targets of WHO's 13th Global Programme of Work and the Sustainable Development Goals. The Surveillance, Evidence and Laboratory strengthening Unit (SEL) Monitors antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antimicrobial consumption (AMC) and antimicrobial use (AMU) through the Global Antimicrobial resistance & use Surveillance System (GLASS) and promotes AMR and AMC/AMU surveillance globally; develops tools to assist the implementation of AMR and AMC/AMU surveillance in countries; produces global reports on AMR and AMC; reports on the AMR SDG indicators; develops and maintains an IT platform for data gathering and regular reporting; supports laboratory strengthening activities for AMR surveillance, including the application of new technologies; supports One Health integrated surveillance efforts; provides early warning and risk assessment of emerging AMR; and assesses the AMR burden on human health.

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DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Generic duties:

• Provide input to the work program in the area of AMR surveillance and assist in successfully implementing global and national AMR surveillance systems.
• Contribute to the development of strategies to foster AMR surveillance globally.
• Contribute to operational research on AMR-related public health topics to facilitate the development and implementation of AMR surveillance programmes and activities.
• Contribute to the design of special studies that best address the epidemiology of AMR in human health, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC).
• Contribute to data analyses and collect and disseminate information on best practices and partners' experiences in implementing sustainable AMR surveillance systems.
• Support the preparation and innovation of GLASS reports.
• Serve as a technical resource at the counterpart level concerning AMR surveillance in the countries; respond to inquiries and provide detailed and technical information concerning related principles, practices, issues, measures, techniques, and procedures.
• Perform all other related duties as assigned.

Specific duties:

• Contribute to the development of and support implementation of national representative AMR prevalence surveys and related special studies in LMIC.
• Support the development and implementation of methods, protocols, and tools to enhance the quality and representativeness of surveillance of AMR in bacterial and fungal pathogens causing infections in humans.
• Support LMIC to develop capacities to identify and report AMR in common human infections correctly.
• Contribute to the GLASS event-based surveillance of emerging AMR (GLASS-EAR).
• Summarize the global estimates on AMR for the GLASS reports.

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REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential:

• A first level university degree in Health Sciences such as medicine, public health, or biology, related to the functions of the position.
• Post-graduate training with a focus on infectious disease.

Desirable:

• Master's level university degree in Epidemiology.
• Master's level university degree in Clinical Microbiology.
• A doctorate in Epidemiology or Microbiology, or another subject such as Medicine, Public Health or Biological Sciences.

Experience

Essential:

• At least five years of progressively responsible professional experience in disease and AMR surveillance and developing policies that contribute to preventing and controlling infectious disease(s).
• Demonstrated experience at the international level.
• Experience in assisting the development of infectious disease surveillance in low and middle-income countries (as per World Bank classification).
• Proven experience in writing reports and technical documents.

Desirable:

• Proven experience in developing methods and tools for and implementing AMR surveillance.
• Experience in the development of guidelines and policies.
• Previous experience in working with UN agencies and other relevant international organisations.

Skills

• Proven knowledge of technical aspects of surveillance of infectious diseases, including methods and tools for data collection and reporting.
• Knowledge of country-level situations about public health systems development and management with a good understanding of relevant country's needs, priorities and policies, along with WHO's policies, practices, guidelines and procedures in the related areas.
• Ability to design and conduct research and translate results into evidence-based recommendations for strengthening health systems.
• Ability to review and revise policies.
• Interpersonal skills using tact, patience and courtesy.
• Understanding antimicrobial resistance relevant to human health and its impact on Public Health.
• Excellent drafting and communication skills.
• Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work.

WHO Competencies

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

Use of Language Skills

Essential:

• Expert knowledge of English.

Desirable:

• Intermediate knowledge of French.
• Expert knowledge of UN Language.

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 62,692 (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 4106 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 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.

• 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.

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