National Professional Officer

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The WHO Country Office supports the Member State to shape its health policy in line with WHO’s principles and values and advocates for an integrated approach to health development. By means of a single, unified and functionally integrated country representation, WHO facilitates the implementation of the BCA with the Member State and its corresponding country work plan.

WHO helps the country to improve its health system and provides technical support as necessary. The mission of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme (WHE) is to help countries, and to coordinate international action, to prevent, prepare for, detect, rapidly respond to, and recover from outbreaks and emergencies.

Within WHE, Country Health Emergency Preparedness & IHR (CPI) unit is responsible for monitoring and evaluation of countries’ preparedness for health and humanitarian emergencies, the planning and country capacity building for critical capacities and the Secretariat of the International Health Regulations (2005). CPI has an all-hazards approach and involves all three levels of the Organization. CPI prioritizes support to the most vulnerable and low capacity countries.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

In the context of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, the incumbent provides technical support to health authorities and partners and coordinates WHE activities in the country, supporting the development and implementation of national plans and critical core capacities for all-hazard health emergencies; as well as supporting activities related to the monitoring, evaluation and objective assessment of country core capacities, ensuring the implementation of the International Health Regulations. The incumbent acts as surge capacity when required.

Under the overall guidance of Head of WHO Country Office and the direct supervision of WHE Team Lead, the incumbent is assigned the following responsibilities:

1. Support the implementation of WHO activities in the area of Country Health Emergency Preparedness & IHR including providing support to the Ministry of Health and other sectors in activities which include:

   • Developing/updating national emergency preparedness and response plans;

   • Creating and updating the Country Office’s contingency and business continuity plans as well as assisting MoH in creating and updating their national contingency plans;

   • Provision of assistance in risk assessments, and critical core capacities for all-hazard health emergencies;

   • Supporting the monitoring, evaluation and objective assessment of country core capacities, ensuring the implementation of the International Health Regulations.

2. Under close technical guidance and supervision of the respective WHE unit, provide technical assistance at country level on priority issues such as: emergency preparedness, surveillance and response; strengthening health systems, operational readiness and essential public health functions.

3. Act as first-line emergency responder in case of a country emergency in line with the ERF II and support the Incident Management team in the country in case of a graded emergency. Support UN emergency teams, where relevant and in close collaboration with the Regional Office, support the provision of data and information required for any WHE-related documents to be presented to WHO Governing bodies, for the work and deliberation of an IHR Emergency Committee or an IHR Review Committee or a technical consultation.

4. Assist and contribute to promoting partnerships in the country with relevant health stakeholders, to ensure the successful implementation, monitoring and evaluation of capacities in line with IHR (2005) requirements, as well as the identification of financing for WHE country plans.

5. Link with institutions, associations and non-governmental agencies and scientific bodies, for exchange of information, coordination of activities and implementation of sector wide approaches.

6. Assist in preparations of missions to the country and support consultants in the country.

7. Assist the Head of WHO Country Office in all managerial, administrative and liaison activities with the Regional Office and support the effective implementation of all WHO activities in the country as elaborated in the BCA, CCS or other WHO action plans.

8. Perform other related responsibilities, including replacing and/or backstopping. Support other WHE programme areas, as needed.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: Bachelor’s degree in medicine, a health-related field or public health-related discipline.
Desirable: Master’s degree (or equivalent) in public health or other relevant areas. Specialized training in emergency/disaster preparedness and response.

Experience

Essential: Minimum two years of national professional experience in planning, developing and implementing programmes/projects in the area of health security, including emergency preparedness.
Desirable: Relevant work experience in WHO, other UN agencies; experience working in relevant non-governmental or humanitarian organizations. Relevant experience in the implementation of International Health Regulations (2005).

Skills

• Knowledge of International Health Regulations (2005), the epidemiology of infectious diseases and other global health security threats, and of issues and practices for disease prevention and control.
• Demonstrated organizational skills with the ability to multi-task and produce results under pressure.
• Knowledge of the UN and humanitarian systems for emergency response and preparedness.

WHO Competencies

Teamwork
Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
Communication
Moving forward in a changing environment
Producing results

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English. Expert knowledge of Local language.

REMUNERATION

Remuneration comprises an annual base salary starting at USD 36,813 (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 [email protected]

• 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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