Overview
The Senior Animal Health Officer (Vaccine and Diagnostics) role focuses on providing leadership and technical expertise for the planning, development, and implementation of divisional programmes related to animal health, with a specific emphasis on vaccines and diagnostics.
Key Responsibilities
- Supervises and provides guidance to the cluster on Reference Centres, vaccines, and laboratory capacity development.
- Acts as Technical Competent Officer for Vaccine (TCO-Vaccine), providing leadership and vision for the assessment and procurement of veterinary vaccines.
- Enforces vaccine quality control testing for products procured by FAO.
- Provides leadership on the availability and stewardship of quality vaccines for the prevention and control of priority animal diseases.
- Conducts, coordinates, and oversees site visits to vaccine manufacturing facilities.
- Establishes and manages collaborations with research institutes, private sectors, and Reference Centres.
- Collaborates with other clusters on animal health prevention, preparedness, and response on vaccination strategies.
- Provides leadership and oversees the designation and renewal of FAO Reference Centres.
- Ensures regular follow-ups on Reference Centre performance and compliance.
- Coordinates with Reference Centres to establish networks for support to FAO Members.
- Provides oversight to FAO's lab capacity development programme.
- Strengthens partnerships and engagement with FAO, Reference Centres, regional organizations, and national stakeholders.
- Represents FAO in Global and Regional Forums as a technical authority on laboratory systems and vaccine-related issues.
- Advocates for innovation, sustainability, and best practices in laboratory diagnostics, biosecurity, and capacity development.
- Supports the safeguarding of freedom from rinderpest through technical guidance for vaccine stockpile management.
- Contributes to effective liaison, integration, and synergy with NSAH-CJW clusters and hubs.
- Guides, supervises, and evaluates the work of staff under supervision.
- Performs other related duties as required.
Required Experience
- Ten years of relevant experience in animal health laboratory systems, infectious disease management, vaccine related initiatives, with a focus on transboundary diseases, including regulatory aspects, standards, and policies.
- Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions, is essential.
- Extent and relevance of knowledge or experience in infectious disease control measures, including vaccines and vaccination, within multidisciplinary approaches.
- Track record of peer-reviewed publications in field positions.
- Proven expertise in coordinating laboratory networks at the global or regional level and engaging with international and national stakeholders.
- Familiarity with FAO's animal health programs and demonstrated ability to lead cross-disciplinary teams in a multicultural environment.
- Proven experience in writing technical reports skills in English.
- Extent and relevance of experience in planning and implementation of programmes related to animal health in development organizations.
- Extent and relevance of experience in different countries and regions, especially in developing countries and countries in transition.
- Ability to mobilize resources.
- Extent and relevance of experience in organizing international meetings, seminars and training courses.
Qualifications
- Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in veterinary medicine, biosciences, microbiology, virology, vaccinology, diagnostics, immunology or related field.
- A PhD will be considered an asset.
