Team Coordinator, WHO Health Emergencies Programme (WHE)

Job Description

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The mission of WHE is to help countries coordinate international action, to prevent, prepare for, detect, rapidly respond to and recover from outbreaks and emergencies.

WHE brings together and enhances WHO’s operational, technical and normative capacities in outbreaks, emergencies and risk analysis to address all health hazards across the risk management cycle in a predictable, capable, dependable, adaptable and accountable manner. WHE is designed to operate within the broader humanitarian and emergency management architecture in support of people at risk of, or affected by, outbreaks and emergencies, consistent with ways that strengthen local and national capabilities.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Within the framework of the delegated authority, the incumbent is assigned the following responsibilities:

1. Provide technical leadership and support in strengthening Member States’ capacities including preparedness for managing health security, information management and risk assessments, infectious hazard management and emergencies in the country:
-Provide technical leadership and support in implementing, monitoring and evaluating IHR (2005) core capacities through the implementation of APSED III;
-Strengthen disaster risk management for health including disaster preparedness and response;
-Provide guidance on the development and implementation of national action plans;
-Provide support in the management of infectious hazards, enhanced surveillance and response for the control of influenza including pandemic preparedness;
-Provide technical support in planning and implementing field epidemiology training, analysing and interpreting epidemiological information and in monitoring epidemiological services;
-Provide technical support to the Ministry of Health and other partner organizations in order to strengthen mechanisms to address cross-cutting issues related to communicable disease response capacity such as infection control and diagnostic microbiological services in Viet Nam;

2. Provide leadership and coordination of the communicable disease control programmes of WHO in Viet Nam in terms of personnel, programme and budgetary aspects;

3. In collaboration with national health officials, WHO staff and other partners, support the development of comprehensive, sustainable systems for communicable diseases and emergencies;

4. Contribute and participate in regional/global event-based surveillance analysis and joint risk assessment including timely information sharing;

5. Improve WHO’s readiness by providing the WHO Country Office with guidance on technical oversight and standards on organizational readiness activities, in coordination with the Technical Officer (Readiness) in the Regional Office;

6. Manage outbreaks and emergencies through the principles of an Incident Management System (IMS) and ensure application of established technical guidance and standards of IMS functions; support the Head of WHO Office (HWO) in Viet Nam in government relations to ensure an effective response;

7. Foster strong country-level emergency-related partnerships, build and coordinate partner networks and coordinate response partners during graded and protracted events;

8. Lead workplan development, financial and human resources (HR) planning processes and oversee country workplans and financial and HR management and implementation within his/her authorities. Play a key role in overseeing sound and effective leadership, motivation, guidance, management and performance evaluation of WHE and other assigned staff in the country office;

9. Drive and guide resource mobilization activities, working closely with the resource mobilization of HWO Viet Nam, RED and WHO resource mobilization teams;

10. Provide technical support in strengthening national food safety system and other cross-cutting issues, as required;

11. Foster close collaborative work with other technical programmes and represent the WHE team;

12. Upon request, provide technical and managerial support, backstopping and gap-filling for emergency activities at any level of the Organization or scale of emergency; and

13. Perform other related duties, as requested by supervisor, including provision of support to other areas of work and teams or programme areas, as required.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: Advanced university degree in a health-related field such as medicine, infectious disease epidemiology or public health from an accredited/recognized institution.
Desirable: Specialized training in epidemiology, infectious disease epidemiology, public health, outbreak and/or emergency management.

Experience

Essential: Minimum of ten years of relevant work experience, at national and international level, in multisectoral coordination, strengthening country capacities and responding to emergencies and disasters, including infectious disease outbreaks, natural disasters or complex emergencies. Experience in coordinating operational activities in preparedness and response with a range of actors.
Desirable: Relevant work experience in WHO and/or other UN agencies. Field experience in public health programmes or outbreak and emergency surveillance and response programmes in developing countries. Experience in management, development and planning.

Skills

• Demonstrated knowledge of the rapid response operations and their implementation in emergencies as related to public health, complemented by demonstrated ability to identify and manage difficult situations, to lead and direct multidisciplinary and multinational staff.
• Strong leadership, decision-making and management skills, including programme management skills.
• Excellent skills in the assessment, monitoring, analysis and evaluation of emergency situations, with the ability to conceptualize and implement innovative strategies and advocate their implementation.
• Authoritative and comprehensive knowledge of the theory, principles, methods and techniques in the Incident Management System.
• Strong strategic thinking with the ability to quickly comprehend strategic and tactical objectives and to formulate comprehensive plans to address challenges/risks.
• Strong operational competencies in managing and coordinating humanitarian programme cycle, including efficient human and financial resource management.
• Data analysis and interpretation of scientific information and synthesising, analysing, interpreting and reporting data from multiple sources.
• Ability to work harmoniously as a member of a team, adapt to diverse educational backgrounds and maintain a high standard of personal conduct.

WHO Competencies

Teamwork
Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
Communication
Driving the Organization to a Successful Future
Building and promoting partnership across the Organization and beyond
Creating an empowering and motivating environment

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Excellent written and spoken English

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 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.

Closing Date: June 29, 2022