Technical Officer (Laboratory) (Roster)

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The mission of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme (WHE) is to build the capacity of Member States to manage health emergency risks and, when national capacities are overwhelmed, to lead and coordinate the international health response to contain outbreaks and to provide effective relief and recovery to affected populations.

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 responsibilities such as, but not limited to:

1. Provide support to the Ministry of Health in developing and implementing strategies to strengthen the International Health Regulations (IHR, 2005) core capacities in the areas of laboratory, biosafety and biosecurity; including the national public health laboratory network, specimen referral mechanisms, introduction and rollout of new diagnostic technologies, implementation of quality management systems, in accordance with the APHSAF and guided by performance in other IHR M&E frameworks like the IHR Joint External Evaluation; State-Party Annual Reporting and National Action Plan for Health Security, where available
2. Support the development and implementation of technical guidelines and standard operational procedures on laboratory testing for the detection of emerging, re-emerging, vaccine-preventable, and other
   infectious diseases, including the development and implementation of quality assurance mechanisms that contribute to strengthening quality management at the public health laboratories.
3. Support the enhancement of laboratory infrastructure and the development of standard operating procedures to ensure safe and quality collection, handling, shipment storage and analysis of human specimens;
4. Coordinate and organize, in collaboration with WHO HQ/RO and WHO Collaborating Centers, capacity building activities for strengthening national and subnational laboratory capacity to detect, confirm and characterize emerging, re-emerging, vaccine-preventable, and other infectious diseases pathogens, including those of epidemic and pandemic potential;
5. Participate, in timely and efficient response to outbreaks/epidemics in collaboration with national health officials and with other partner organizations;
6. Promote coordination among partners from national laboratories and international/regional laboratories, including One Health partners, as needed;
7. Support the development and implementation of national biosafety and biosecurity frameworks, using an all-of-government approach;
8. Support planning and implementation of research activities to strengthen policy and performance of public health laboratories; and
9. Perform other related duties as may be required relevant to the context of the country or regional office

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: First university degree in Laboratory medicine, Laboratory sciences, microbiology, pathology, molecular biology, virology, bacteriology, and/or related fields, from a recognized university.

Desirable: Advanced university degree in Laboratory medicine, Laboratory sciences, microbiology, pathology, molecular biology, virology, bacteriology, infectious diseases, epidemiology, public health and/or global health. Additional training in biosafety and biosecurity.

Experience

Essential: Minimum of five years’ relevant experience working in laboratory diagnostics or related work at public health laboratories or clinical laboratories, or research laboratories, including, experience working at national and international levels.

Desirable: Experience working with the incident management teams to respond to disease outbreaks (epidemics/ pandemics). Experience working in/with WHO-coordinated laboratory network programmes. Experience in establishing country laboratory surveillance systems for routine disease surveillance and in response to public health emergencies. Experience working with Ministry of Health to strengthen national laboratory systems. Experience working in Asia is an asset.

Skills

• Sound knowledge of standards, methodology and techniques in public health laboratories, including those in microbiology, molecular biology, virology, bacteriology, and, biosafety and biosecurity;
• Knowledge in communicable disease prevention and control, including the concept and principles of surveillance, laboratory confirmation, risk assessment, rapid response and
  preparedness;
• Knowledge of international public health laboratory systems including quality management systems and external quality assessment schemes;
• Ability to assess laboratory capacity and to find solutions to fill gaps;
• Ability to work flexibly, autonomously and efficiently, in a fast-paced environment, with the ability to adapt to shifting priorities;
• Demonstrated ability to use and make sense of complex data and/or information to effectively solve problems and contribute to public health decision-making;
• Strong writing skills including for presentations, proposals, concept notes, reports and other documents;
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and diplomatic skills;
• Ability to work harmoniously as a member of a team, adapt to diverse cultural and educational background and maintain a high standard of personal conduct.

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 written and oral English is essential. Working knowledge of other UN languages is an advantage.

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 64,121, (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. 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 will be used to fill the same position in the following country offices: Mongolia, Fiji, Cambodia, Laos, Papua New Guinea, Philippines and Viet Nam
• 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 theWHO Values Charterinto 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.
• Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with WHO and an underlying premise of the international civil service. 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.
• 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 atshws@who.int.
• 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.
• In case the website does not display properly, please retry by: (i) checking that you have the latest version of the browser installed (Chrome, Edge or Firefox); (ii) clearing your browser history and opening the site in a new browser (not a new tab within the same browser); or (iii) retry accessing the website using Mozilla Firefox browser or using another device. Click this link for detailed guidance on completing job applications:Instructions for candidates