Vacancy Notice No: SEARO/10/FT-25
Title: Technical Officer
Grade: P4
Contract type: Fixed-term appointment
Duration of contract: 1 Year
Application Deadline: 28 October 2010
Duty Station: Bangkok Thailand
Organization unit: SEARO Countries (SE_ACO) /
SE_THA WR Office, Thailand (SE_THA)
Department of Sustainable Development & Healthy Environment (SDE), Regional Office for South-East Asia (SEARO)
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME :
1. To improve and strengthen the leadership and the performance of WHO in enabling all stakeholders to better address the health dimensions before, during and after crises for the benefit of affected communities
2. To provide technical support to the MOH and its relevant directorates in organizing an emergency programme within the MoH
3. To ensure effective WHO capacity to provide sufficient support for effective health action before, during and after the crises
4. To ensure good coordination amongst partner agencies and organizations applying the principles of humanitarian reform
Description of duties:
Under direct supervision of the WR and in close consultation with WCO country team, the incumbent will work to strengthen WHO and MOH capacity and to coordinate health activities with national authorities, partners, donors, NGOs at all the levels.
The incumbent coordinates WCO's overall emergency and humanitarian action including emergency preparedness, response and recovery activities at country level. As the post is located in Bangkok, Thailand where most Asia Pacific Regional Offices of UN Agencies, INGOs and IGO are located, the work requires some Regional and Inter-Country coordination, liaising and collaboration. He/she is responsible for all aspects (operational, technical and programmatic) of the preparedness and response operations, including conceptualizing and elaborating WHO's emergency response strategy and work plans, and providing technical advice to national and international partners on strategies to address the health of emergency response operations. This would need a good knowledge of humanitarian reform and how it is to be rolled out in countries and in specific situations and contexts. This requires extensive contacts with a broad range of staff and partners, in particular leading and motivating staff and experts, building dynamic and efficient teams to bolster WHO's work before, during and after crises. It also involves extensive and ongoing contacts with officials and representatives from UN agencies, international, governmental and non-governmental organizations and institutions to provide authoritative advice and technical expertise to advocate and successfully influence national strategies for the implementation of emergency response operations. In addition, he/she should possess good technical knowledge of environmental health issues.
1. Provide technical support to the MOPH in Thailand in strengthening EHA programmes and assist in plan in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of emergency, preparedness, response and recovery activities in Thailand.
2. Support country and inter-country activities for strengthening national capability on emergency preparedness, response and management, including participation as a resource person in national training programmes and workshops.
3. Collaborate with the MOPH and other stakeholders and development partners; develop health sector technical and managerial guidelines for disaster preparedness and response for Thailand.
4. Ensure leadership role of WHO in the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Health Cluster Group of Agencies in providing leadership role and improve performance though close coordination mechanism (inter-cluster coordination) of the agencies on Health, Nutrition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and Early Recovery including the cross-cutting issues - HIV/AIDS, Environment/Climate Change and Gender.
5. Collaborate with the MOPH and the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation of the Ministry of Interior (MOI), and the IASC health and nutrition sector partners in developing the health and nutrition contingency plan for Thailand including addressing the cross-cutting issues.
6. Support/implement specific areas under SO8.
7. Performing other duties as may be assigned by the WR.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Education:
Essential:
University degree in medicine or postgraduate degree in public health or health sciences or disaster management complemented by degree or studies in specific public health topics (eg epidemiology, surveillance and monitoring, environmental health).
Desirable:
Degree, courses or short training in emergency response or disaster management in the context of public health, or in management of public health programmes.
Competencies:
1) Producing results (core)
2) Building and promoting partnerships across the Organization and beyond (managerial)
3) Moving forward in a changing environment (core)
4) Fostering integration and team work (core)
5) Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences (core)
Skills:
1) Experience of working under pressure and in difficult/insecure circumstances;
2) Advanced analytical skills and ability to apply such analyses to strategic development;
3) Well developed problem-solving skills;
4) Excellent communication and negotiation skills, ability to write high quality technical reports, ability to convene and work with all relevant national and international stakeholders;
Other Skills (e.g. IT):
Computer literate in office and presentation applications. Excellent presentation and technical writing skills. Proficiency in technical writing. Ability to work with diplomacy and tact in a multi-cultural and multi-agency environment including when under pressure during an emergency or in difficult/insecure circumstances.
Experience:
Essential:
Minimum seven years' experience in health sector coordination in developing countries, including three years of experience in international context, with emphasis on emergency preparedness, response and recovery. Experience in coordination work with various agencies and actors in humanitarian context and capacity building, developing and promoting collaborative partnerships.
Desirable:
Experience or sound knowledge of WHO mandate and goals before during and after crises
Previous work experience in international organizations and/or technical assistance to a MOH; and
Ability to convene stakeholders and facilitate a policy process between UN, NGOs, National Health Authorities and Donors.
Languages:
Excellent knowledge of English. Knowledge of another WHO official language a definite asset.
Annual salary: (Net of tax)
US$ 66,482 at single rate
US$ 71,393 with primary dependants
Post Adjustment: 41.2 % 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.
A written test and interviews may be used as a form of screening
Online applications are strongly encouraged to enable WHO to store your profile in a permanent database. Please visit WHO's e-Recruitment website at: www.who.int/employment. The system provides instructions for online application procedures.
All applicants are encouraged to apply online as soon as possible after the vacancy has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the vacancy announcement.
WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual. Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
Apply Now at https://erecruit.who.int/public/hrd-cl-vac-view.asp?o_c=1000&jobinfo_uid_c=23633&vaclng=en