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Qualifications

OBJECTIVE OF THE OFFICE/DEPARTMENT

This requisition is for employment at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO)

The Social and Environmental Determinants for Health Equity (DHE) Department leads intersectoral, strategic and collaborative efforts at the regional, subregional and country levels, enabling countries to reduce health inequities, promote health and well-being, address social determinants of health -including its commercial, economic, political dimensions- to integrate equity, human rights, gender and

interculturality into the public health agenda, and to address the threats of climate change, to create healthy environments and to prevent disease by addressing environmental risk factors.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Under the general supervision of the Director, Social and Environmental Determinants for Health Equity (DHE) and the direct supervision of the Unit Chief, Health Promotion and Social Determinants of Health (DHE/HP), the incumbent is responsible for, but not necessarily limited to, the following assigned duties:

a) Provide technical, strategic and programmatic advice on population’s health in urban settings and on the development and implementation of policies, programs and strategies to promote and address health and reduce health inequities;

b) Lead the coordination of different experiences and programs related to Urban Health and local governance for health, bringing coherence within the Organization between various established strategies or initiatives such as the Healthy Cities, Municipalities, and Communities Movement (HMCC), Age-friendly Cities and Communities, TB in large cities, Breath Life, among others;

c) Provide technical advice to Member States to address the impact of urbanization as a social determinant of health and propose effective intervention strategies, in coordination with other areas of DHE/HP and beyond;

d) Provide technical advice and support the strengthening of the Organization’s capacity related to addressing health inequities in urban and local settings;

e) Provide technical advice and support to Member States in the production and development of evidence-based approaches for addressing urban health, utilizing strategies such as social observatories to enhance the discussion within society and key stakeholders;

f) Develop and disseminate strategies to advocate for healthy and sustainable urban environments through the formulation of public policies;

g) Strengthen the capacities of Ministries of Health to promote healthy urban and local environments;

h) Provide technical cooperation and advice to Member States to implement a health-in-all-policies and inter-sectoral approaches to improve healthy urban environments and local governance for health equity;

i) Support the implementation of the regional criteria of the Healthy Cities, Municipalities, and Communities Movement (HMCC) in collaboration with the regional advisor in health promotion who coordinate HMCC in the region;

j) Promote research and develop innovative approaches to Urban health, in partnership with WHO Collaborating Centers of health promotion, within academic and research institutions encouraging collaboration among Member States;

k) Facilitate the preparation and implementation of joint projects on urban health and local governance for health with social movements and civil society;

l) Provide technical support to the Organization’s work on implementation of the Sustainable Development Goal/Agenda 2030;

m) Collaborate on technical support and advice to Member States to implement programs and strategies to address the effects of climate change in population’s health in urban settings;

n) Collaborate on technical support and advice to Member States to implement health emergency preparedness, response and resilience programs in urban settings;

o) Support the resource mobilization efforts for Urban Health and Local Governance for Health;

p) Collaborate and support the implementation of monitoring activities and evaluate the implementation of effective policies and interventions to promote healthy urban environments that serve to strengthen research capacities and collaborations;

q) Work closely with partner agencies (UN, Interamerican System) on appropriate coordination mechanisms and measures that address urban health challenges, and to advocate for this topic to be high on global development and research agendas;

r) Collaborate in the preparation of the department’s Biennial Work Plan (BWP) and the execution of international cooperation, including the analysis of political, technical and socioeconomic realities;

s) When called upon to directly supervise staff, establish clear work objectives, conduct timely and effective performance appraisals, provide coaching and feedback, and support staff development opportunities;

t) Perform other related duties, as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

Essential: A university degree in a health, or social science and a master’s degree in public health, urban and local development, or any field related to the functions of the post, from an accredited university.

Desirable: MD and/or Phd in public health or related areas.

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.  PAHO, only considers official degrees 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/. PAHO will also use the databases of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation http://www.chea.org and College Navigator, found on the website of the National Centre for Educational Statistics, https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator to support the validation process.

Experience:

Essential: Nine years of combined national and international experience in technical cooperation programs and projects that address urban health, community-based solutions, policies on local social development programs , with a focus on health equity.

Desirable: Proven experience in managing complex international programs related to urban health, social determinants of health and health equity, would be an asset.

SKILLS:

PAHO Competencies:

Overall attitude at work: Maintains integrity and takes a clear ethical approach and stance; demonstrates commitment to the Organization’s mandate and

promotes the values of the Organization in daily work and behavior; is accountable for work carried out in line with own role and responsibilities; is

respectful towards, and trusted by, colleagues and counterparts.

Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences: Relate well to diversity in others and capitalize on such diversity – Treats all people

with dignity and respect. Relates well to people with different cultures, gender, orientations, backgrounds and/or positions; examines own behavior to

avoid stereotypical responses; considers issues from the perspective of others and values their diversity.

Teamwork: Collaborate and cooperate with others – Works collaboratively with team members and counterparts to achieve and build rapport; helps

others when asked; accepts joint responsibility for the team’s successes and shortcomings. Establish collaborative work and common goals with the other

members of the Health Promotion and Social Determinants of Health Unit team.

Communication: Write effectively/Share knowledge – Writes down ideas in a clear, structured, logical and credible way; drafts and supports the

development of guidelines, policies and procedures. Shares relevant information openly and ensures that the shared information is understood; considers

knowledge sharing as a constructive working method and demonstrates awareness of the Organization.

Producing Results: Work efficiently and independently/Deliver quality results – Monitors own and others’ work in a systematic and effective way,

ensuring required resources and outputs. Aligns projects with Organization’s mission and objectives. Consistently solves own and team’s problems

effectively as needed. Proactively engages in projects and initiatives, accepting demanding goals, in line with Organizational Strategies and Program of

Work. Demonstrates accountability for work of team and sets an example, while explicitly articulating lessons learnt for own and team’s benefit.

Ensuring effective use of resources: Strategize and set clear objectives/Monitor progress and use resources well – Sets specific, measurable,

attainable, realistic and timely objectives for own team and/or the Organization; systematically analyses and anticipates priority projects for own team and

allocates necessary resources to achieve them; identifies the cross-Organizational resources needed for large- scale projects in line with key Organizational

objectives. Anticipates foreseeable changes and adapts own and team’s projects in the face of unforeseen circumstances and/ or challenges; creates

measures and criteria to monitor progress of overall projects against key Organizational objectives; creates cost-effective solutions for the Organization.

Building and promoting partnerships across the Organization and beyond: Develop networks and partnerships and encourage collaboration –

Builds and negotiates strategic partnerships and alliances with a wide range of key stakeholders to ensure Organizational results and success. Creates

innovative opportunities for promoting synergies inside and outside the Organization to improve Organizational success.

Technical Expertise:

− Excellent knowledge and skills on the theory and practice of addressing urban health and local governance and health inequities in the Region of the

Americas and the current and future trends and opportunities for strategically advancing in this field.

− Excellent knowledge, technical expertise and skills in translating social determinants of health theory into practice at urban and local level through

public health policies, programs and interventions,

− Excellent knowledge and understanding of health and development issues such as social determinants of health and health equity, as they apply to

urban health and local governance in the region of the Americas.

− Leadership and advocacy skills for the development, implementation and analysis of technical cooperation programs and activities, including budget

programming and control.

− Program and project management skills (program and project planning, implementation, evaluation and reporting).

− Strong knowledge and skills in resource mobilization

− Research expertise: ability to apply quantitative and qualitative methodologies and research, and skills for documenting problems, solutions,

outcomes, successful stories and lessons learnt.

− Ability to analyze problems associated with urban health and local governance in the region of the Americas, and to develop and plan innovative

and appropriate interventions to address them.

− Strong professional oral and writing skills, including the development of reports, oral presentations, and technical/persuasive documents for

consideration at the highest levels of the Organization

− Strong interpersonal skills, diplomacy and tact to effectively communicate with senior level officials, multiple stakeholders and professionals from

diverse cultural and professional backgrounds.

− Strong professional oral and writing skills, including the development of reports, oral presentations, and technical/persuasive documents for

consideration at the highest levels of the Organization.

Languages:

Very good knowledge of English or Spanish with a working knowledge of the other language. Knowledge of French and/or Portuguese would be an asset.

IT Skills:

Demonstrated ability to effectively use current technology and software, spreadsheets and presentations, as well as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and management information systems. Other IT skills and knowledge of software programs such as Microsoft Excel, Outlook, OneDrive, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint, and Word are considered essential.

REMUNERATION

Annual Salary: (Net of taxes)

USD $77,326.00 post adjustment

Post Adjustment: 70.2% of the above figure(s).  This percentage is to be considered as indicative since variations may occur each month either upwards or downwards due to currency exchange rate fluctuations or inflation.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level.

Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to PAHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and e-Manual.

For information on PAHO please visit: http://www.paho.org

PAHO/WHO is an ethical organization that maintains high standards of integrity and accountability. People joining PAHO are required to maintain these standards both in their professional work and personal activities.

PAHO/WHO also promotes a work environment that is free from harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and other types of abusive behavior. PAHO conducts background checks and will not hire anyone who has a substantiated history of abusive conduct.

PAHO/WHO personnel interact frequently with people in the communities we serve. To protect these people, PAHO has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse. People who commit serious wrongdoing will be terminated and may also face criminal prosecution.

PAHO/WHO is committed to workforce diversity. PAHO/WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

PAHO/WHO offers an attractive compensation package including an annual net salary and post adjustment, which reflects the cost of living in a particular duty station and exchange rates (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance).  Other benefits include: 30 days annual leave, dependency benefits, pension plan and health insurance scheme. Benefits for internationally recruited staff may include home leave, travel and removal expenses on appointment and separation, education grant for dependent children, assignment grant and rental subsidy.

Candidates appointed to an international post with PAHO are subject to mobility and may be assigned to any activity or duty station of the Organization throughout the world.

All applicants are required to complete an on-line profile to be considered for this post.

Candidates will be contacted only if they are under serious consideration. A written test and/or interview will be held for this post.  The post description is the official documentation for organization purposes.