Advisor, Communicable Diseases Control and Elimination (CPCP) at World Health Organization

Description Of Duties
Under the technical guidance of the Director, Communicable Diseases Prevention, Control and Elimination (CDE) and the direct supervision of the PAHO/WHO Representative (PWR), the incumbent is responsible for, but not necessarily limited to, the following assigned duties:

• Lead and provide specialist technical guidance to national authorities in, and coordinate all aspects of PAHO’s communicable diseases control and elimination program; establish innovative action plans for high-risk groups and environments, and the inclusion of disease prevention and control interventions across the life course and continuum of care;
• Advise on and ensure the adoption of norms, standards, guidelines and tools to support the implementation of disease control projects;
• Manage the operational aspects of related operational research, surveillance, epidemiology and health surveys;
• Guide and facilitate the implementation of projects for the control and elimination of the respective diseases, including the procurement of safe, efficacious, and affordable medicines and technologies; guide the documenting and dissemination of best practices and partners' experiences;
• Analyze and evaluate a diverse range of data and information related to communicable diseases and outbreaks; identify disease sources and provide recommendations and reports on the appropriate response to identified risks, and the implementation of preventative and control measures;
• Monitor the national burden of communicable diseases, especially through health information systems and health research activities. Oversee the development or enhancement of existing information systems on communicable diseases and the monitoring of progress towards universal health coverage;
• Guide the epidemiological work of the country office and national- and state-level governmental authorities on policy formulation and the building of core capacities for surveillance, early detection, verification and rapid response to epidemics and other public health events of international concern, as required in the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005;
• Enhance national capacities in epidemic forecasting and detection systems, including epidemiology and laboratory surveillance for monitoring and evaluating the core surveillance, alert, event detection, verification, response and real-time analysis of outbreak intelligence data;
• Play a technical specialist role in developing appropriate project proposals, the institutionalization of tools, and delivery of training courses for national public health professionals on epidemiological surveillance, outbreak investigation, and the improvement of surveillance data management as part of the national, public-health capacity-building program;
• Conduct field investigations for outbreak verification and risk assessment, and provide technical support for a rapid, public-health response to public-health emergencies emanating from known or unknown disease pathogens;
• Promote PAHO’s position and influence national health authorities to develop infection prevention and control programs in health care facilities, particularly focusing on health facilities preparedness and response to epidemics and pandemics;
• Participate and build country office capacity in the organization-wide, event-management system of PAHO’s alert and response operations to epidemics and pandemics through risk assessment and response activities for unusual health events;
• Undertake and contribute to the analysis, interpretation and knowledge building of organizational surveillance data (including virological data) through PAHO and peer-reviewed publications and media;
• Sustain partnerships, develop advocacy initiatives and project proposals for joint action and resource mobilization to augment operational responses to epidemics and pandemics;
• Act as the main liaison between government and PAHO (all levels) on country-specific data gathering and dissemination of PAHO-generated data and data analysis;
• Act as a technical advisor to the public concerning communicable diseases in the country; and establish new community outreach activities concerning the prevention, control, diagnosis, and treatment of communicable diseases;
• Advocate, build and strengthen partnerships and networks to enhance multi-sectoral collaboration and mobilize resources to address integrated, communicable and noncommunicable disease prevention and control;
• Participate in the formulation and negotiation of, and consultation on, project proposals funded by external agencies; collaborate in the implementation, monitoring and reporting of those projects; contribute to the preparation of the Representation´s Biennial Work Plan (BWP) and the execution of international cooperation, including the analysis of political, technical and socioeconomic realities;
• 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;
• Perform other related duties, as assigned.

Education
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Essential: A bachelor’s degree in a health discipline related to the post, and a master’s degree in epidemiology, or any other field related to the functions of the position, from a recognized university.
• 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/. 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 working in epidemiology and control programs or in the administration of health services related to the control of diseases, health analysis and statistics. Practical managerial experience in the operational aspects of prevention and control programs.

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 - Relates well to diversity in others and capitalizes 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.
• 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

• In-depth knowledge of transmissions, specialized methods of diagnosis, development and treatment of communicable diseases, including HIV infection and other communicable diseases.
• Strong technical and programmatic knowledge of the prevention and control of a range of communicable and/or noncommunicable diseases.
• Expertise to strategically plan, coordinate, and support the implementation of health program interventions.
• In-depth knowledge of country situation in communicable diseases.
• In-depth knowledge of international best practices in the related disease control areas, ideally of PAHO's policies, practices, guidelines and procedures, and ability to apply them in the country office setting.
• Excellent knowledge of health and safety regulations; excellent analytical and organizational skills.
• Skills in developing and promoting collaborative multisectoral partnerships and mobilizing resources.
• Demonstrated ability to provide clear advice and guidance to multiple stakeholders and partners and to negotiate in the context of diverse views.

Languages
For Spanish-speaking countries:

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

For English-speaking Countries

• Very good knowledge of English. A working knowledge of Spanish and/or French 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.