Technical Officer, Tobacco Control and Health Taxes

Contract

This is a NO-B 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 2 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be more than 4,596 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.

OBJECTIVE OF THE OFFICE/DEPARTMENT

This is a requisition for employment at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO)

The Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health (NMH) Department promotes, coordinates, and implements technical cooperation activities, directed at the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and related risk factors, mental, neurological and substance use disorders and disabilities, promotion of optimal nutrition and road safety, and violence prevention, that are evidence-based and appropriate for the political and sociocultural context in which they are implemented. It raises political and public awareness and understanding of the burden of the most common NCDs and mental disorders, related risk factors and conditions and leads multi-sector and multi-stakeholder strategic and collaborative efforts aimed at strengthening Member States' capacity to promote and protect health through public policies, programs, and services. This will reduce risks and disease burden and contribute to improving the physical, mental, and social well-being of the population.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Under the direct supervision of the Advisor, Noncommunicable Diseases and Determinants of Health, and the general supervision of the PAHO/WHO Representative, the incumbent is responsible for, but not necessarily limited to, the following assigned duties:

1. Provide support for the implementation of the program of work to advance the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in Brazil and the Americas, including the Protocol to eliminate illicit trade of tobacco products;
2. Provide support to Member States to improve the use of health taxes as an NCD prevention intervention in line with WHO and PAHO mandates by supporting health authorities in providing economic arguments to reach fiscal and health policy coherence on excise taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages;
3. Participate in the planning, design and execution of capacity building activities on tobacco control such as training workshops, virtual courses, and technical missions at the regional and national levels;
4. Participate in the planning, design and execution of capacity building activities to health and finance officials; generate and disseminate regional and country-level evidence on the use of health taxes and their economic impact;
5. Collaborate on the operational planning, monitoring and evaluation of tobacco control commitments as related to Strategy and Plan of Action to Strengthen Tobacco Control in the Region of the Americas 2018-2022 as well as PAHO Strategic Plan and Biennial Work Plan including resource coordination, budgeting, performance monitoring and assessment, reporting and evaluation;
6. Maintain effective partnerships with all national and regional stakeholders to exchange critical and technical information and resolve issues and to ensure advancement of FCTC implementation and the use of health taxes for NCD prevention;
7. Collaborate on the collection and systematization of information and data for the purpose of monitoring health taxes (taxation of tobacco, alcohol, sugar-sweetened beverages, and processed foods) identifying evidence gaps, proposing relevant research to support Member States’ efforts on assessing effectiveness and evaluating impact of taxation measures and related topics;
8. Collaborate on the production of technical documents, factsheets, presentation materials, guides, tools and reports on tobacco control and on health taxes including the development of scientific papers for submission to peer-reviewed journals;
9. Perform other related duties, as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education****:

Essential: A bachelor’s degree in a health or social science related to the functions of the post, from a recognized university.

Desirable: A master’s degree in public health, public policy, international affairs, international law, or a field related to the functions of the position from a recognized university would be an asset.

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/. PAHO will also use the databases of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation http://www.chea.org/ and College Navigator, found on the website of the National Centre for Educational Statistics, https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator to support the validation process.

Experience****:

Essential: Five years of experience in the fields of public health, public policy or socio-economic development or functions related to the post.

Desirable: Practical experience working in public health projects at the international level in Latin America and the Caribbean. Experience working in tobacco control and/or risk factors of NCDs would be an asset.

SKILLS****:

PAHO Competencies:

• Overall attitude at work****: Maintains integrity and takes a clear ethical approach and stance; demonstrates commitment to the Organization’s mandate and promotes the values of the Organization in daily work and behavior; is accountable for work carried out in line with own role and responsibilities; is respectful towards, and trusted by, colleagues and counterparts.
• Teamwork****: Collaborate and cooperate with others. - Works collaboratively with team members and counterparts to achieve results; encourages cooperation and builds rapport; helps others when asked; accepts joint responsibility for the teams’ successes and shortcomings. Identifies conflicts in a timely manner and addresses them as necessary; understands issues from the perspective of others; does not interpret/ attribute conflicts to cultural, geographical or gender issues.
• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences****: Relate well to diversity in others and capitalize on such diversity - Treats all people with dignity and respect. Relates well to people with different cultures, gender, orientations, backgrounds and/or positions; examines own behavior to avoid stereotypical responses; considers issues from the perspective of others and values their diversity.
• Communication****: Express oneself clearly when speaking/Write effectively/Listen/Shares knowledge - Quality and quantity of communication targeted at audience. Listens attentively and does not interrupt other speakers. Adapts communication style and written content to ensure they are appropriately and accurately understood by the audience (e.g., power-point presentations, communication strategies, implementation plans). Shares information openly with colleagues and transfers knowledge, as needed.
• Knowing and managing yourself: Manages stress/Invite feedback/Continuously learn - Remains productive even in an environment where information or direction is not available, and when facing challenges; recovers quickly from setbacks, where necessary. Manages stress positively; remains positive and productive even under pressure; does not transfer stress to others. Seeks feedback to improve knowledge and performance; shows self- awareness when seeking and receiving feedback; uses feedback to improve own performance. Seeks informal and/or formal learning opportunities for personal and professional development; systematically learns new competencies and skills useful for job; takes advantage of learning opportunities to fill competencies and skill gaps.
• Producing Results****: Deliver quality results/Take responsibility - Produces high-quality results and workable solutions that meet clients’ needs. Works independently to produce new results and sets own timelines effectively and efficiently. Shows awareness of own role and clarifies roles of team members in relation to project’s expected results. Makes proposals for improving processes as required and takes responsibility for own work and/or actions, as necessary. Demonstrates positive attitude in working on new projects and initiatives. Demonstrates accountability for own success, as well as for errors; learns from experience.
• Moving forward in a changing environment****: Propose change/Adapt to change - Suggests and articulates effective and efficient proposals for change as needed when new circumstances arise. Quickly and effectively adapts own work approach in response to new demands and changing priorities. Is open to new ideas, approaches and working methods; adjusts own approach to embrace change initiatives.

Technical Expertise:

• Technical expertise in tobacco control, risk factors of NCDs, public policy, international affairs, global health and public health.
• Ability to integrate managerial and technical inputs into recommendations for decision-making processes; ability to manage multiple issues and tasks in a complex organizational environment.
• Ability to create and advocate innovative approaches to facilitate and enhance project management capacity, as well as monitoring of these processes.
• Organizational and analytical skills to manage knowledge and information on public policies, health policies, fiscal policies for health, NCDs risk factors and/or tobacco control.
• Ability to develop and maintain partnerships for coordinated execution of projects.
• Ability to prepare funding proposals.
• Mature judgment, strong technical, analytical and conceptual skills; demonstrated ability to assess, analyze, synthesize and provide recommendation on key technical issues.
• Excellent organizational and analytic skills combined with strong professional oral and writing skills including the development of reports, oral presentations, and technical/persuasive documents for consideration at the highest levels of the Organization.

Languages:

Very good knowledge of Portuguese with working knowledge of English or Spanish. Knowledge of French would be an asset.

IT Skills:

Demonstrated ability to effectively use current technology and software, in particular spreadsheets and presentations, as well as Enterprise Resource planning (ERP) and management information systems. Other IT skills and knowledge of software programs such as Visio and Project would be an asset.

REMUNERATION

Annual Salary****: (Net of taxes)

BRL R$255,453.00

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Local Recruitment)

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.

Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to PAHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and e-Manual.

For information on PAHO please visit: http://www.paho.org

PAHO/WHO is an ethical organization that maintains high standards of integrity and accountability. People joining PAHO are required to maintain these standards both in their professional work and personal activities.

PAHO/WHO also promotes a work environment that is free from harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and other types of abusive behavior. PAHO conducts background checks and will not hire anyone who has a substantiated history of abusive conduct.

PAHO/WHO personnel interact frequently with people in the communities we serve. To protect these people, PAHO has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse. People who commit serious wrongdoing will be terminated and may also face criminal prosecution.

PAHO/WHO is committed to workforce diversity. PAHO/WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

PAHO offers an attractive compensation package including an annual net salary (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance). Other benefits include: 30 days annual leave, dependency benefits, pension plan and health insurance scheme.

All applicants are required to complete an on-line profile to be considered for this post.

Candidates must hold a permanent local working visa (citizenship or permanent resident card) of Brasilia, Brazil.

Candidates will be contacted only if they are under serious consideration. A written test and/or interview will be held for this post. The post description is the official documentation for organizational purposes.