Technical Officer Oral Cholera Vaccines (OCV) at World Health Organization

Description Of Duties
The incumbent is assigned the following responsibilities:

• Leadership
• Facilitate the acceleration of Oral Cholera vaccine rollout initiatives and vaccination in the development, implementation, and monitoring of WHO AFRO’s regional strategies, polices, plans, programmes, and interventions to achieve the SDGs in the WHO African Region.
• Facilitate coordinated and integrated approaches contributing to the needs of the Member States of the Region.
• Oversee capacity building and training based on technical norms, standards, best practices, and Standard Operating Procedures.
• Collaborate with the UHC/LC, EPR and UHC/HP Clusters to build strong and resilient health systems for preventing and controlling vaccine preventable diseases by accelerating the introduction of Ebola vaccine in members states.
• Promote cross-cutting activities and ensure full collaboration and coordination of activities.
• Continue to collaborate in cross-Cluster work and task teams to achieve organizational results, including for resource mobilization and evidence guided advocacy.
• Generation of evidence, data & information products
• Conduct analytical studies and implementation research as needed and collaboratively develops guidelines and recommend solutions for Oral Cholera vaccine rollout.
• Facilitate the documentation of best practices and success factors within the countries in the Region.
• Facilitate the development of progress monitoring tools and reports on Oral Cholera vaccine implementation.
• Perform other related responsibilities as assigned, including replacing and backstopping for others as required,
• Document authoritative reports on Oral Cholera vaccine rollout status in African region.
• Technical support to countries
• Determine and set policies for the introduction of Oral Cholera vaccine, and related technologies, including strengthening country capacity to assess the burden of VPD.
• Develop and implement harmonized protocols to facilitate policy decisions and organize regional training on new vaccine introduction.
• Support WCO in the submission of applications to GAVI to receive financial support (for GAVI eligible countries),
• Support planning, vaccine forecasting, country readiness, assessment on logistics, and training of immunization staff at all levels.
• Develop work-plans and activities based on assessment of Oral Cholera vaccine roll out activities of the Member States,
• Adapt and develop guidelines and training materials for Oral Cholera vaccine rollout for use in the African member states.
• Support the verification and validation strategies for Oral Cholera vaccine rollout in member states.
• Solicit feedback from countries technical experts on global and regional policies to strengthen recommendations made at the global and regional levels and ensure feasibility of implementation at the national level.
• Communications
• Support advocacy, communication, development of key messages for social mobilization, launching of the vaccines and evaluation of the introductions.
• Regularly conceive and publish bulletin/newsletter on Ebola vaccine roll out and vaccination data.
• Develop and disseminate programme advocacy materials (Region, Sub-region & countries…) on Oral Cholera vaccine rollout.
• Partnership, resources mobilization, grant Management
• Establish and strengthen communication and partnerships with national and regional officials, health professionals, representatives of multi- and bilateral agencies as required.
• Identify problems and provide broad guidance for resolving challenges and for possible redesign of existing policies and integration of such policies into other programme areas within the framework of WHO Staff Rules and Regulations, financial rules, and AFRO accepted procedures.
• Support WHO countries offices to collaborate with national immunization programme to include regional and global immunization policies and strategies in the Country Cooperation Strategy, through nationally relevant evidence and discussions with the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) and the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG).

Required Qualifications
Education

• Essential: University Degree in medicine, epidemiology, public health or health policy, infectious diseases, or communicable diseases.
• Desirable: Specialization in vaccinology, immunology, clinical research.
• Post-graduate degree in epidemiology, public health or health policy, infectious diseases, or communicable diseases.

Experience
Essential: A minimum of five (5) years’ experience in developing, designing, and implementing public health programmes, especially implementation and/or M&E of vaccine preventable disease programmes in low and/or middle-income countries.
Desirable: Experience in epidemiological field, quality management, strategic and policy planning as well as facilitating consultations.

• Experience in resources mobilization and partners coordination.
• A track record of research, with publications at senior authorship level in peer reviewed journals, would be an asset.
• Experience in implementation of accelerate disease control initiatives.
• Experience in overseeing implementation, reviewing, and updating existing policies, strategies and guidelines and recommending new initiatives and innovative approaches.
• Experience in the development of capacity building tools and databases for monitoring and evaluation purposes, introduction process of new vaccines, monitoring of VPD programme including demand generation through inclusive community engagement approach and vaccines management.
• Experience in facilitating coordinated and integrated approaches to effective programme management and implementation; monitoring and evaluation; national strategic plan development.

Skills

• Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of principles, practices, methodology and techniques of immunization programmes.
• Excellent capacity in analyzing vaccine-preventable diseases and EPI-related data, synthesizing information, and presenting clear and concise conclusions to foster decision-making,
• Monitor and reporting on results, progress, lessons learnt and obstacles,
• Proven track record in the development and implementation of norms, standards, monitoring and evaluation,
• Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to write in a clear and concise manner and provide technical advice and guidance taking into consideration the views of multiple stakeholders and partners in resource-limited contexts; and to participate in resource mobilization and advocacy activities,
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to promote consensus, communicate progress and results, and resolve issues in a proactive manner, while ensuring effective work practices and ethics, diplomacy, tact, and courtesy.
• Familiarity with the UN system, including knowledge of WHO country, regional and global functions. Ability to work as a team member, and sensitivity to working in a multi-cultural environment.

WHO Competencies

• Teamwork
• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
• Communication
• Producing results
• Ensuring effective use of resources

Use of Language Skills

• Essential: Expert knowledge of English or French.
• Desirable: Working knowledge of other UN official languages.