Unit Chief, Science and Knowledge for Impact

Contract

This is a P-5 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 10 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 188,699 USD and 236,483 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 requisition is for employment at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO)

The Department of Evidence and Intelligence for Action in Health (EIH) is responsible for leading the Organization into a full fluid cycle that begins with the production and availability of quality basic and disaggregated data and the strengthening of information systems and digital transformation for health as fundamental pillars, the subsequent ethical use of data to produce health intelligence through analysis, modelling, forecasting, and data science to guide decisions and actions in health, knowledge generation and management to improve the access, use, and sharing of evidence in health, the prioritization of research agendas and resources to respond to Regional priorities, and culminating with knowledge translation to support evidence-based decisions and policy making in public health, including the implementation of research policy and bioethics programs and the management of the Pan American Journal of Public Health.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Under the general supervision of the Assistant Director (AD), and the direct supervision of the Director, Evidence and Intelligence for Action in Health (EIH), the incumbent is responsible for, but not necessarily limited to, the following assigned duties:

a) Lead and provide strategic, policy, and technical advice and programmatic direction for the planning, development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the regional program of work in the areas of research, bioethics, knowledge management, and knowledge translation and evidence, in accordance with relevant mandates and the PAHO Strategic Plan;

b) Provide programmatic guidance to Member States and senior officials in the Organization to contribute to forecasting scientific and technological advancements in health, including the identification of knowledge gaps, the development, implementation and monitoring of health research agendas, the research ecosystem, and knowledge translation systems and policies, fostering the coordination of actions at country, subregional and regional levels to address gaps, emerging areas, and regional and country priorities;

c) Provide leadership and coordinate the delivery of technical cooperation relating to research, bioethics, knowledge management, and knowledge translation and evidence in countries and at regional level;

d) Provide leadership and coordinate actions to develop institutional capacity to generate, access, use and assess the impact of science and knowledge in public health, health services and programs;

e) Foster relationships with key partners in the development of regional strategies and initiatives to strengthen the Unit’s delivery, including strengthening the network of collaborating centers that support the implementation of the program of work for the Science and Knowledge for Impact Unit;

f) Provide guidance on technical matters and oversee the coordination of initiatives aimed at enhancing bioethics, shaping research priorities, and utilizing scientific evidence to influence health policies, focusing on strengthening the integrity and confidence in science;

g) Coordinate programmatic technical activities towards the development and implementation of standard processes and methods to improve PAHO’s technical cooperation and technical products with high ethical and methodological standards;

h) Direct and participate in the development of policies and their implementation and provide authoritative advice in relation to policy and procedures under the areas of responsibility;

i) Supervise and oversee knowledge management activities related to the Institutional Knowledge and Technical Memory activities developed by the SK team;

j) Coordinate and supervise programmatic activities focused on capturing and disseminating health information products and for the promotion of equitable and efficient dissemination and access to health information, including the management of the Pan American Journal of Public Health (RPSP/PAJPH), WHO Collaborating Centers in the Region, and the implementation of the Organization’s Institutional Repository for Information Sharing (IRIS);

k) Collaborate in the Organization's response to emergency situations; provide technical expertise in order to facilitate timely response as required, and coordinate the action of the technical unit in support of the emergency;

l) Formulate and recommend policies, plans, strategies, and budgets, in support of the Organization’s mandates related to the Unit’s program of work; develop and establish guidelines, norms, practices and procedures to improve the Unit’s effectiveness and efficiency; report on the status or results of the Unit’s activities to Governing Bodies, through executive presentations and reports;

m) Develop, define and establish the objectives, strategy, plan and budget of the Unit; ensure an Organization-wide approach and strategies and objectives that are aligned with the Organization and EIH Department’s mission, vision, values, policies, strategies, business needs and priorities;

n) Promote and support efforts towards mobilization of resources;

o) Identify, promote, establish, maintain, and coordinate liaison across the Organization, within WHO, with other United Nations organizations and other partners, in order to maximize programmatic integration, efficiency and effectiveness;

p) Guide and contribute to the preparation of the Unit’s Biennial Work Plan (BWP) and Human Resources Plan; administer, allocate and monitor the Unit’s financial, logistical and human resources; prepare and justify the Unit’s program and budget proposals; plan and organize the formulation, development, implementation and control of systems to monitor performance in accordance with the results-based management approach;

q) Provide leadership, guidance and monitoring of supervised staff by setting clear work objectives, ensuring timely and effective use of performance reviews and feedback mechanisms, engaging in regular communications, and solving interpersonal or technical conflicts; establish and support a learning environment, to include staff development in the Organization’s fundamentals, managerial competencies and technical expertise;

r) Promote a culture of ethical behavior and integrity in accordance with the Organization’s Code of Ethical Principles and Conduct in order to ensure a culture of respect, responsibility, accountability, and compliance;

s) Collaborate with other projects, within or outside the Entity to achieve effective coordination of program activities and appropriate utilization of resources;

t) Perform other related duties, as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education****:

Essential: A bachelor’s degree in a health or social science, and a master’s degree in public health or any other field related to the functions of the post from a recognized institution.

During the competition you may be asked to provide copies of your degrees. PAHO/WHO only considers qualifications obtained from institutions found in the following links: http://www.whed.net/; http://www.chea.org/search/default.asp and https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator.

Experience****:

Essential: 13 of combined national and international progressively responsible experience in technical cooperation, including the planning, design, implementation and evaluation of programs, products and services related to science, research, knowledge management, and knowledge translation and evidence.

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.

Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences: Relates well to diversity in others and capitalizes 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.

Teamwork: Advocates for collaboration across the Organization - Creates and encourages a climate of team- working and collaboration across the Organization; sees cooperation as a key Organizational priority and creates collaborative systems and processes to achieve Organizational goals. Actively identifies and tackles disagreements between internal and external counterparts that compromise the Organization’s goals and mandate; diplomatically facilitates the resolution of conflicts between others and ensures strategic partnerships with a range of key stakeholders; maintains and extends an effective collaborative network of individuals inside and outside the Organization.

Communication: Share knowledge - Articulates the Organization’s strategic objectives when formulating and delivering information and presentations and adapts presentation methodology to address the needs of different audiences. Shares decisions and directives of senior management and communicates them in a manner that ensures both understanding and acceptance; shares knowledge and best practice at the three Organizational levels (country, regional and global), as necessary.

Creating an empowering and motivating environment: Provide direction/Support, motivate and empower others - Oversees and provides teams and departments with clear managerial directions which are translated from Organizational strategy. Builds a performance culture in the Organization; contributes to setting Organizational performance goals and standards; monitors Organizational performance against milestones and strategic goals; identifies and nurtures talent as appropriate. Promotes autonomy and empowerment throughout the Organization; inspires enthusiasm and a positive attitude in people towards their work and contribution to the Organization’s success.

Ensuring effective use of resources: Strategize and set clear objectives/Monitor progress and use resources well - Sets specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely objectives for own team and/or the Organization; systematically analyses and anticipates priority projects for own team and allocates necessary resources to achieve them; identifies the cross-Organizational resources needed for large- scale projects in line with key Organizational objectives. Anticipates foreseeable changes and adapts own and team’s projects in the face of unforeseen circumstances and/ or challenges; creates measures and criteria to monitor progress of overall projects against key Organizational objectives; creates cost-effective solutions for the Organization.

Driving the Organization to a successful future: Constructive leadership style/ Set the vision and build commitment - Leads and develops a road map for successfully achieving real progress in the Organization’s mandate, including consultation with key stakeholders; demonstrates respectful, trustworthy, transparent and accountable behavior in order to develop a reliable and coherent identity for the Organization. Creates a coherent Organizational vision of shared and successful goals; fosters a culture of vision and long- term goals, recognizing and rewarding efforts to maximize the Organization’s value.

Technical Expertise:

Technical: Extensive progressive expertise at a senior decision-making level in public health and public policy in areas of science, knowledge management and knowledge translation, including considerable familiarity with other fields relevant to the Unit’s responsibilities, in particular in managing research and evidence programs at both national and international levels. Comprehensive and diverse understanding of public health challenges, as well as proficiency in health management procedures encompassing monitoring, performance evaluation within the health or social sector, and relevant disciplines tied to strategic planning.

Managerial: Extensive expertise in senior, progressively responsible positions in the management of a large public or private Organization’s portfolio with administrative and technical matters requiring sensitive negotiation and high-level interventions. Demonstrated ability to provide professional leadership to strategic, organizational, managerial and analytic work in health; must demonstrate resourcefulness, initiative, highly developed judgment and interpersonal skills to deal with difficult situations and sensitive issues. Must further possess a recognized capacity to lead, strategize and supervise by persuasion and through consensus building. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with people of different professional levels, discipline, nationalities, and cultural background.

Administrative: Skills in the creation and integration of administrative procedures for the delivery of highest quality results from the teams, as well as experience in resource mobilization (including fundraising and partner collaboration) and financial management for the delivery of expected results.

Languages:

Very good knowledge of Spanish or English with working knowledge of the other language. Knowledge of Portuguese and/or French would be an asset.

IT Skills:

Demonstrated ability to effectively use current technology and software, spreadsheets and presentations, as well as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and management information systems. Other IT skills and knowledge of software programs such as Microsoft Office Suite are considered essential.

REMUNERATION

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

USD $92,731.00 post adjustment

Post Adjustment****: 63.5% of the above figure(s). This percentage is to be considered as indicative since variations may occur each month either upwards or downwards due to currency exchange rate fluctuations or inflation.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level****.

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

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 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 has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse. People who commit serious wrongdoing will be terminated and may face criminal prosecution.

PAHO/WHO is committed to workforce diversity. PAHO/WHO has a smoke-free environment.

PAHO/WHO offers an attractive compensation package including an annual net salary and post adjustment, which reflects the cost of living in a particular duty station and exchange rates (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. Benefits for internationally recruited staff may include home leave, travel and removal expenses on appointment and separation, education grant for dependent children, assignment grant and rental subsidy.

Candidates appointed to an international post are subject to mobility.

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

Candidates will be contacted only if they are under serious consideration.