Technical Officer - Public Health Emergencies (PHE)

Contract

This is a NO-C contract. This kind of contract is known as National Professional Officers. It is normally only for nationals. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 5 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be more than 2,938 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 the WHO Health Emergencies Programme (WHE) 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.

WHE brings together and enhances WHO's operational, technical and normative capacities in outbreaks, emergencies and risk analysis to address all health hazards across the risk management cycle in a predictable, capable, dependable, adaptable and accountable manner. WHE is designed to operate within the broader humanitarian and emergency management architecture in support of people at risk of, or affected by, outbreaks and emergencies, consistent with ways that strengthen local and national capabilities.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Under the direct supervision of the Technical Officer (Epidemiology) and guidance of the WHE Team Leader, the incumbent will perform the following functions:

1. Liaise with the Ministry of Health in implementing the IHR Monitoring and Evaluation Framework activities, including the planning, review and implementation of the National Health Security Work Plan, annual review of IHR indicators, intra- and after-action reviews, and simulation exercises.

2. Strengthen the public health surveillance, risk assessment and response system, and assist in the WHO response to communicable disease outbreaks or other acute public health events in Lao PDR.

3. Support capacity-building in line with IHR (2005) and regional frameworks for health security such as APSED III, including supporting the implementation of the Lao Field Epidemiology Training.

4. Strengthen the implementation of multi-source surveillance by strengthening multisectoral coordination mechanisms for information sharing and assessments to inform public health emergency preparedness and response efforts at national and subnational level

5. Provide technical support to the Ministry of Health for health emergencies preparedness and response related activities, including planning, assessments, development of standard operating procedures and trainings

6. Coordinate with relevant sectors to ensure the functionality of the health cluster mechanism including implementing activities and coordinating among United Nations agencies and health partners during public health emergencies

7. Monitor implementation of activities under the guidance of the Technical Officer (Epidemiologist) and prepare technical reports of activities funded by WHO with national counterparts.8. Supervise junior and Special Service Agreement staff in the team.

9. Perform other related tasks as required.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: University degree in medicine with public health related training.

Desirable: Advanced university degree (master's degree) or formal training in epidemiology, public health or related fields.

Experience

Essential: At least five years' work experience in the development and implementation of public health interventions, at national level. Experience in surveillance, risk assessment and response activities at national or provincial level, including working with government.

Desirable: Experience in writing proposals and reports. Experience in working with non governmental and/or with regional or international organizations. Experience with field epidemiology training.

Skills

• Knowledge and experience in epidemiology, outbreak investigation and response, communicable disease control, IHR (2005) and regional frameworks for health security such as ‎APSED III.

• Experience in developing national health security work plans based on the focus areas of the regional frameworks for health security, and in planning, implementation, training and development of locally adapted tools and instruments, monitoring and evaluation of interventions, and teaching and advisory techniques.

• Good communication and interpersonal skills.

• Ability to interact with, and advise, government and Ministry of Health counterparts, nongovernmental organizations and international agencies on technical areas related to communicable disease control, and develop effective working relationships with senior decision-makers and officials in a variety of settings and cultures.

• Ability to work harmoniously as a member of a team, adapt to diverse educational and cultural backgrounds and maintain a high standard of personal conduct.

• Good understanding of the principles of results-based management and ability to develop plans, organize resources and take actions to ensure objectives are achieved within realistic timelines.

• Ability to quickly acquire a thorough working knowledge of essential WHO policies and procedures, and rules and regulations that support WHO's presence in countries.

WHO Competencies

Teamwork Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences Communication Producing results Setting an example

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English. Expert knowledge of Lao.

REMUNERATION

Remuneration comprises an annual base salary starting at USD 35,255 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable) and 30 days of annual leave.

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 and/or an asynchronous video assessment 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.

• 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.

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.

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

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

• 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.

• Please note that WHO's contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Staff Health and Wellbeing Services (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at [email protected].

• This is a National Professional Officer position. Therefore, only applications from nationals of the country where the duty station is located will be accepted. Applicants who are not nationals of this country will not be considered.

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