Technical Officer (Innovation & Technology)

Contract

This is a P-4 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 7 years of experience, depending on education. More about P-4 contracts and their salaries.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The overall objective of the WHO Division of Universal Health Coverage and Life Course is to support countries strengthen their health systems towards achieving universal health coverage (UHC) goals and improve people's health and wellbeing at all ages. The essence of this work is that each country's national health system is oriented to primary health care as its foundation with strength and resilience to provide the quality services people need for their health and wellbeing without financial hardship. UHL provides global policy, programme, and technical and scientific leadership for universal health coverage and primary health care, working in close collaboration with WHO regional and country offices and other partners, working towards the Organization's goal of an additional one billion people benefiting from UHC and contributing to the achievement of all health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Within the UHL division, the WHO Global Centre of Traditional Medicine complements the core normative and country support functions of the Organization's Headquarters Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative (TCI) Unit and six Regional Offices' work on traditional medicine. The Traditional Medicine Centre will focus on complementary areas of work and scaling up the Organization's capacities in traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine with respect to evidence and learning, data and analysis, sustainability and equity, and innovation and technology to optimize the role of traditional medicine towards achieving goals for universal health coverage and sustainable development.

The Organization's holistic, integrated work on traditional, complementary and integrative medicine - across HQ, regions, and the Traditional Medicine Centre - supports Member States to harness the potential contribution of traditional medicines to health, wellness and people-centered health care, to promote the safe and effective use of traditional medicines by regulating, researching and integrating traditional medicines products, practitioners and practice into health systems, where appropriate, promote scientific advances, access and use through innovations and technology, and protect biodiversity and local resources and rights towards equitable and sustainable development.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Generic Duties

1. Provide input to the Centre's work program in digital strategy, technology, and innovation.
2. Provide technical expertise and guidance in digital governance, scaling and implementation of digital health programs towards enhancing the Organization's capacities in traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine with respect to evidence and learning, data and analysis, sustainability, and equity.
3. Support development of artificial intelligence (AI) specific workstreams together with the digital health department on generating and leveraging evidence and learning, data and analysis, sustainability, and equity for traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine.
4. Provide technical support to Member States around initiatives tied to core mandate of the GCTM.
5. Advise on all technical issues related to international collaboration and partnerships for technical and resource mobilization purposes.
6. Identify opportunities for collaboration in scientific, research and technical information production and knowledge sharing across the Organization, within WHO, with other UN organizations or with other partners; establish and maintain partnerships that promote and support such collaboration.
7. Create and provide technical input to a network of Collaborating Centers on innovations and traditional, complementary, and integrative medicines with the objective of identifying, analyzing and promoting good practices and synergies.
8. Monitor work plans and budgets including resource mobilization for the work programme and follow up on the implementation of planned activities.
9. Perform all other related duties as assigned.

Specific duties

• Provide technical inputs for benchmarking of topic group on artificial intelligence for traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine and public health.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: Advanced university degree (Master's level or above) in digital health, health informatics, or health information technology.

Desirable: Ph.D. in digital health, health informatics, or health information technology.

Experience

Essential:

• At least 7 years of progressive professional experience at both national and international level in digital health, health informatics, or health information technology.
• Demonstrated experience working with data science enablers such as strategy, policy, standards, governance, legislation, financing, or literacy in the domain of public health.

Desirable:

• Experience in developing and managing information technology and applications related to traditional, complementary, or integrative medicine, or public health.

Skills

• Technical expertise in the application of digital health programs, data science.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate with experts and stakeholders from different fields, including policymakers, researchers, civil society, and the private sector.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to promote consensus, communicate progress and results, and resolve issues in a proactive manner while ensuring effective work practices and ethics.
• Proven strong analytical, presentation and report writing skills.
• Ability to conduct research and analyze results, identify issues, formulate opinions, make conclusions and recommendations.
• Ability to review and revise policies, strategies and guidelines of assigned program and activities.
• Knowledge of traditional, complementary, and integrative medicines practices, needs, priorities and policies.
• Interpersonal skills using tact, diplomacy, patience, and courtesy.
• Excellent knowledge of health care systems.
• Proven knowledge of technical aspects in the field of specialty.
• Public speaking techniques.
• 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.
• Team spirit and time management skills.

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 or other WHO official languages.

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 75,602 (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 2249 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.