National Professional Officer (Immunization & Surveillance)

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The incumbent will report to the Medical Officer, EPI and Coordinator, Integrated Immunization and VPD Surveillance Officer, and under the general guidance of the Head of the WHO country office. Within the delegated authority and in collaboration with other units in the country office, officer will work independently under broad guidance of the supervisor, including establishing /maintaining good relations with national counterparts, multiple stakeholders from professional agencies to United Nations agencies, from development banks and other donors and funding agencies to establish collaborative and consultative models of policy dialogue and resource mobilization for projects.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

The incumbent will have the following assigned responsibilities/duties :

1.Provide Technical support to the MOH in developing, implementing and evaluating national immunization programme (NIP) strategies at national and local levels in updating and adapting relevant guidelines, materials and tools, and in performing training needs assessments, organizing and implementing training activities.

2.Support the Ministry of Health or other health related interlocutors in the country in planning and organizing vaccination campaigns

3.Support the Programme Coordinator, Immunization in implementing projects on vaccinations, including support in capacity building activities.

4.Develop joint actions with MOH counterparts, such as working groups, roundtables, meetings to facilitate the NIP and VPI project implementation process at national and oblast levels, with emphasis on documenting experience for later review;

5.Liaise with professional and general service staff on unit activities, follow-up on administrative actions, programme /project reviews to ensure timely implementation;

6.Provide Liaison between the Programme Coordinator and field staff Federal member states in in facilitating partnership and coordination between the Ministry of Health and partners involved in the NIP;

7.Facilitate smooth information flow of activities between National and field staff and MOH, and other involved institutions and partners (UNICEF particularly) through sharing of reports, meetings etc;

8.Support and advise the MOH in on national policy and guidelines in the area of immunization in line with WHO recommendations;

9.Draft/write regular reports and provide updates to the Programme Coordinator, WHO Representative and to the WHO Regional Office;

10.Provide assistance in other areas of immunization programme support as needed.

11.Conduct any other duties as assigned by the supervisors.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: University degree in a health-related field medicine, public health or other related field from an accredited/recognized institute.
Desirable: Advanced degree in Medicine/Public Health.

Experience

Essential: At least 5 years of relevant work experience in strengthening immunization programmes at national level. Field experience in developing EPI operational plans, strengthening immunization programmes in low coverage countries.
Desirable: Relevant work experience with WHO and/or UN agencies, health cluster partners; experience working in relevant nongovernmental or humanitarian organizations.

Skills

1.Interpersonal skills using tact, patience, and courtesy.

2.Excellent knowledge of Maternal, newborn and child health care systems and safety regulations.

3.Proven knowledge of technical aspects in the field of specialty.

4.Public speaking techniques.

5.Excellent drafting and communication skills.

6.Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work.

7.Team leadership, team spirit and time management skills.

WHO Competencies

Enhanced WHO Global Competency Model:

who-enhanced-competence.pdf

Teamwork
Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
Communication
Producing results
Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English.

REMUNERATION

Remuneration comprises an annual base salary starting at USD 55,151 (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 reasonableaccommodation@who.int

• 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 shws@who.int.

• 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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