Chief Medical Officer

Position Title: Chief Medical Officer

Job Code: VN 2024 506

Duty Station: Geneva, Switzerland

Classification: Professional Staff, Grade P5

Type of Appointment: Fixed term, one year with possibility of extension

Estimated Start Date: As soon as possible

Closing Date: 27 August 2024

Context:

IOM is the leading Organization in the field of migration and has a staffing complement of 20,000+ staff in more than 580 locations worldwide working on humanitarian and development programmes.

Under the direct supervision of the Director, Staff Health and Welfare Division and overall supervision of the Deputy Director General for Management and Reform, the Chief Medical Officer is responsible for all activities implemented by the Organization’s Occupational Health and Safety Unit (OHS).

The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) is responsible for ensuring that the health needs of the IOM workforce are addressed through appropriate strategies.

The CMO provides policy guidance, standard setting and quality assurance, as well as medical supervision of the activities implemented by the Organization with respect to Occupational Health and Safety that aim at maintaining and enhancing the highest health standards for the staff.

Core Functions / Responsibilities:

OVERALL MANAGEMENT OF THE IOM MEDICAL SERVICES

1. Lead and supervise OHU Offices and ensure that allocated resources are managed effectively.
2. Supervise the health monitoring of IOM staff worldwide; report and analyze regular morbidity and mortality statistics based on OHU tool data records.
3. Review decisions about work accommodations, fitness for work, and rotation that are base don medical assessments, monitoring of care and follow-up of chronic medical conditions diagnosed and for which treatment has already started.
4. Support and monitor operations to implement programs to mitigate health risks to staff.
5. Guide and supervise the Occupational Safety Officer in the creation and implementation of the occupational safety framework.
6. Ensuring that the occupational safety guidelines are in line with the objectives and directives of the health unit.
7. Medical evacuations and medical travel:
8. Authorize and supervise medical evacuation worldwide.
9. Support Regional and Country Offices to develop and implement medical evacuation plans and capacity.
10. Support for Regional and Country offices:
11. Provide guidance and advice to Regional and Country Offices on public health matters.
12. Support IOM Regional and Country Offices in the identification of main health hazards at duty stations that can affect the IOM workforce.
13. Advise and support Regional and Country Offices in establishing agreements with local service providers, including hospitals; evacuation service providers; pharmacies, etc., to ensure staff’s access to good health care structures while controlling costs.
14. Health education and promotion:
15. Develop and coordinate the implementation of a comprehensive strategy to prevent and mitigate health hazards in the workplace.
16. Develop, plan and supervise health education and promotion programs to promote a healthy work environment.

STRATEGIC PLANNING

1. Develop the strategic planning and vision for the Occupational Health and Safety Unit (OHS) according to the evolving needs and priorities of the Organization.
2. Ensure that OHS has a comprehensive strategy which links the provision of OHS services, capacity building and policy compliance, provide guidance and implement measures on OHS issues.
3. INTERNAL LIAISON AND COORDINATION
4. In collaboration with the Staff Welfare Unit, provide advice and briefing on staff health policies and support mechanisms to HR partners and managers.
5. Serve as Medical Advisor to the Department, Human Resources Management (DHR) on work-related illnesses and accidents; the IOM Staff Pension Committee (SPC) on disability benefits; and the Insurance Unit Manila (IOM) on reimbursements, justification of bills, health promotion programs, etc.
6. Provide advice to HR policy makers on health issues and propose policy drafts directly related to this area.
7. Coordinate the management of complex and sensitive insurance and/or medical cases with independent medical experts.
8. Ensure that the medical aspects of the Medical, Health and Compensation Insurance Plans are applied correctly and propose improvements to the existing services and coverage.

EXTERNAL REPRESENTATION AND LIAISON

1. Represent IOM in relevant OHS fora.
2. Liaise with similar services in the wider UN family to harmonize delivery of OHS services and to identify the best practices.
3. Collaborate with counterparts in other UN and international organizations in order to align the IOM response to common health threats in collaboration with UN Medical Directors, local health service providers and other national public health authorities.
4. Perform other duties as may be requested.

Required Qualifications and Experience:

Education

• Master’s degree in Medicine, General Practice, Internal Medicine or related field from an accredited academic institution with a minimum of ten years of progressively responsible clinical experience in Medicine, General Practice, Internal Medicine or related field; or,
• University degree in the above fields with twelve years of relevant professional experience.

Experience

• Experience in Occupational Safety and Health databases such as EarthMed or Cority is desirable;
• Experience in occupational health, public health and travel medicine is desirable; and,
• Emergency training (Pre-hospital Trauma Life Support, MIMMS or equivalent) is an asset.

Skills

• Strong decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• Experience in managing multidisciplinary teams, including medical professionals, nurses, and administrative staff.
• Strong negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills for interacting with employees, management, and external stakeholders.

Languages

IOM’s official languages are English, French, and Spanish. All staff members are required to be fluent in one of the three languages.

For this position, fluency in English is required (oral and written). Working knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish) is an advantage.

Proficiency of language(s) required will be specifically evaluated during the selection process, which may include written and/or oral assessments.

Notes

Accredited Universities are the ones listed in the UNESCO World Higher Education Database (https://whed.net/home.php).

Required Competencies:

Values – all IOM staff members must abide by and demonstrate these five values:

• Inclusion and respect for diversity: Respects and promotes individual and cultural differences. Encourages diversity and inclusion.
• Integrity and transparency: Maintains high ethical standards and acts in a manner consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct.
• Professionalism: Demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent and committed manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting day-to-day challenges.
• Courage: Demonstrates willingness to take a stand on issues of importance.
• Empathy: Shows compassion for others, makes people feel safe, respected and fairly treated.

Core Competencies – behavioural indicators level 3

• Teamwork: Develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve shared goals and optimize results.
• Delivering results: Produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely manner. Is action oriented and committed to achieving agreed outcomes.
• Managing and sharing knowledge: Continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge and innovate.
• Accountability: Takes ownership for achieving the Organization’s priorities and assumes responsibility for own actions and delegated work.
• Communication: Encourages and contributes to clear and open communication. Explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way.

Managerial Competencies – behavioural indicators level 3

• Leadership: Provides a clear sense of direction, leads by example and demonstrates the ability to carry out the Organization’s vision. Assists others to realize and develop their leadership and professional potential.
• Empowering others: Creates an enabling environment where staff can contribute their best and develop their potential.
• Building Trust: Promotes shared values and creates an atmosphere of trust and honesty.
• Strategic thinking and vision: Works strategically to realize the Organization’s goals and communicates a clear strategic direction.
• Humility: Leads with humility and shows openness to acknowledging own shortcomings.

IOM’s competency framework can be found at this link.

https://www.iom.int/sites/default/files/about-iom/iom_revised_competency_framework_external.p df

Competencies will be assessed during a competency-based interview.

Other:

Internationally recruited professional staff are required to be mobile.

Any offer made to the candidate in relation to this vacancy notice is subject to funding confirmation.

This selection process may be used to staff similar positions in various duty stations. Recommended candidates endorsed by the Appointments and Postings Board will remain eligible to be appointed in a similar position for a period of 24 months.

The list of NMS countries above includes all IOM Member States which are non-represented in the Professional Category of staff members.

Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and background verification and security clearances. Subject to certain exemptions, vaccination against COVID-19 will in principle be required for individuals hired on or after 15 November 2021. This will be verified as part of the medical clearance process.

Vacancies close at 23:59 local time Geneva, Switzerland on the respective closing date. No late applications will be accepted.