OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The mission of the Division of WHO Health Emergencies (WHE) is to build the capacity of Member States to assess, prevent and manage health emergency risks, and lead and coordinate the international health response to contain outbreaks and to provide effective relief and recovery to affected populations.

The WHE Division 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. The Programme 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.

The main objective of the WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme Area is:

WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme (WHE) works with all countries and partners to ensure the world is better prepared for all-hazards health emergencies that threaten global health security.

The mission of 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, the Health Security Programme (HSP) contributes to strengthening Turkiye’s health security through integrated preparedness and response to epidemic threats of all origins in line with international standards, as well as improving capacities for threat detection, outbreak identification, management, communication including communicable disease case diagnosis, reporting and epidemic intelligence through Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP), and in line with the needs of Early Warning and Response System (EWRS).

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

The position is responsible for supporting the Turkish Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP):

1. Advise and guide the Turkish national authorities in updating objectives, structure, curriculum, training material, operational and administrative procedures, for an effectively functioning and sustainable field epidemiology training programme/in-service training programme at the central and provincial level.

2. Collaborate WHO GDO, Istanbul and WHO Regional office for Europe to develop user-friendly materials for risk communication and training. Establish strong collaborations with other teams/departments at WHO and other partner agencies to cover the various aspects of the public health response to outbreaks.

3. Ensure that the current FETP in Turkiye is complying with global/regional best practices; provide guidance to update the existing training curricula and support with development of new training modules models to address the national priorities and needs, and existing gaps.

4. Propose appropriate mechanisms and tools to maximize the institutionalization and sustainability of activities implemented for the FETP, in close consultation with the Project Coordinator and the Beneficiary.

5. In collaboration with different stakeholders, plan, coordinate, conduct, evaluate and report on the FETP capacity building activities, within the framework of the Health Security project and in accordance with the Description of Action (DOA).

6. Provide technical expertise and lead FETP trainees through the course and during field placement, and guide participants in preparing their presentations for dissemination of their findings and recommendations.

7. Provide technical support for strengthening the national surveillance system for early detection, containment and response to emerging and other high threat pathogens; develop plans to improve/enhance surveillance capacities for event detection, verification and response.

8. Liaise with the national authorities on the development and dissemination of outputs such as the Field Epidemiology Bulletin, outlining brief outbreak investigation reports, surveillance reports, FETP news, and events as per the timeline specified.

9. Implement training in field epidemiology and research methods and supervise/mentor training fellows and their research projects activities.

10. Represent the WHO country office in national and international meetings, as and when required.

11. Maintain regular contacts with the WHO Country Office in and the WHO Regional Office for Europe to ensure that the Project Implementation is consistent with administrative and financial organizational rules, regulations, reporting requirements, and regional strategies.

12. Perform other duties as required by the WHO Representative/Head of Country Office and/or the WHO Project Coordinator for the successful implementation of the Project.

13. Perform other related duties including replacing and backstopping as required.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: Advanced university degree (master’s level) in medicine, public health or equivalent from an accredited/recognized institute.
Desirable: Training on epidemiological surveillance and response/outbreak investigation/field epidemiology. Knowledge of WHO policies and procedures.

Experience

Essential: At least 7 years’ experience working on the control and prevention of infectious diseases including on epidemic diseases and networking with clinicians. At least 3 of the 7 years with international exposure.
Desirable: Proven primary responsibility for managing cross-cutting initiatives involving different departments or organizational entities in a multinational context such as the UN, WHO or similar.

Skills

• Proven ability to successfully coordinate, manage and lead projects, and build partnerships, across agencies and organizational departments in the context of health emergencies.

• Expert knowledge of infectious disease epidemiology, prevention, control, monitoring, and vaccination, with practical experience in an international context.

• Proven understanding of the management of emergency response, including to infectious disease outbreaks, and experience in outbreak investigation and management.

• Proven experience in management (finances, budgets, and staff) and clear evidence of responsibility for managing work plan activities.

• Demonstrated effectiveness in building sustainable partnerships and collaborating with others in international settings.

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.
Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of Russian, French or German.

REMUNERATION

WHO salaries for staff in the Professional category are calculated in US dollars. The remuneration for the above position comprises an annual base salary starting at USD 77,326 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable), a variable post adjustment, which reflects the cost of living in a particular duty station, and currently amounts to USD 2784 per month for the duty station indicated above. Other benefits include 30 days of annual leave, allowances for dependent family members, home leave, and an education grant for dependent children.

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.

• Staff members in other duty stations are encouraged to apply.

• 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.

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• 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.

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