Unit Head, High Impact Epidemics

Contract

This is a P-6 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. More about P-6 contracts.

-

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The mission of WHO's Health Emergencies Programme (The Programme) 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. The WHE Response division (WRE) is responsible for rapidly detecting and responding to health emergencies while leveraging relevant national and international partnerships, ensuring that emergency-affected populations in acute and protracted emergencies have access to essential health services and that systems are maintained and strengthened in fragile, conflict and vulnerable settings while implementing at scale, proven prevention strategies for priority pandemic/epidemic-prone diseases. The HEI Department is responsible for ensuring that emergency-affected populations have access to timely and effective health services, ranging from humanitarian interventions, Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Fragile, Vulnerable and Conflict Affected Settings (FCVs) to key high impact epidemic diseases including Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers (VHFs), Yellow Fever (YF), Meningitis and Cholera. The Department prioritizes support to the most vulnerable and low capacity countries.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Generic duties:

• Coordinates and provides senior technical leadership in establishing new approaches, evidence-based policies and strategies, surveillance, and capacity building initiatives for implementation across Regional and Country Office programmes in the respective area of work.
• Provides senior level health technical expertise and advice to the Director and Senior Management in the area of key high impact epidemic diseases on the development and establishment of new health strategies and policies for implementation into and/or the monitoring and evaluation of national and global policies.
• Ensures effective coordination, management, and accountability of the programme area in delivering its objectives through efficient managing adiverse team of technical experts, financial resources and effective work plan coordination to optimize the programme's deliverables in line with the mandate of the Organization.
• Ensures the coordination and management of the monitoring and evaluation and reporting of the Department's area of work of key performance indicators and global reporting requirements and mechanisms to optimize performance of Department deliverables.
• Serves as the scientific/technical reference among UN Agencies and the peer community on key high impact epidemic diseases.
• Builds technical partnerships with other UN Agencies, Donors, research institutions and other stakeholders in key high impact epidemic diseases to position the technical area of work and implementation into respective policies.
• Represent the programme area of work in global fora and capacity building activities.
• Performs all other related duties as assigned.

Specific duties:

• Lead the EHI UnitLead WHO's work under GPW output 2.2.2. Explore and enhance partnerships within WHE and WHO and with external partners, in particular those in the Global Health scene.

-

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential:

• An advanced university degree in medicine, public health or epidemiology in infectious diseases related to the functions of the position.

Desirable:

• A PhD in one of theabove-mentioned fields.

Experience

Essential:

• A minimum of 15 years of professional experience in the management of key high impact epidemic diseases, including experience providing senior level advice and guidance to Senior Management/Decision makers, managing human and financial resources, as well as experience in the area of developing and establishing policies and strategies.
• Demonstrated experience at the international level.

Desirable:

Skills

• Globally-respected level of technical expertise and knowledge of infectious diseases, particularly in those areas critical for promoting a public health perspective and approach, such as infectious disease epidemiology, prevention or control, and significant practical application of this knowledge in an international context.
• Proven understanding of the management of acute and complex public health responses, including infectious disease outbreaks in humanitarian emergencies.
• Strong skills in the area of developing and establishing polices and strategies.
• Excellent skills and ability in managing diverse teams and financial resources.
• Strong understanding and skills in mobilizing resources.
• Ability to engage, build consensus and communicate effectively and diplomatically with Member States, partners and media. Commitment to collaborate effectively with other key partners in the Health Subject area.

WHO Competencies

Teamwork Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences Communication Moving forward in a changing environment Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond Creating an empowering and motivating environment

Use of Language Skills

Essential:

• Expert knowledge of English.

Desirable:

• Intermediate knowledge of French.
• Intermediate knowledge of WHO 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 102,715 (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 7122 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 selection is subject to special selection procedures, involving an Executive Search Firm

• 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.