Technical Officer (PVD)
Overview
Provide technical advice and support to Member States and WHO offices for national immunization strategies, polio emergency action plans, and integrated VPD prevention, control, elimination, and eradication activities.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide technical advice and implementation support to Member States and WHO offices for national immunization strategies, polio emergency action plans, annual operational plans and integrated VPD prevention, control, elimination and eradication activities.
- Support the planning, coordination, implementation and monitoring of high-quality routine and supplementary immunization activities.
- Provide technical support for preparedness and response to importations or outbreaks of wild or vaccine-derived polio virus and other priority VPDs.
- Strengthen acute flaccid paralysis, environmental and case-based VPD surveillance and associated laboratory networks.
- Compile, validate, analyse and interpret epidemiological, immunization, vaccine-stock and programme-performance data.
- Support workplans, budgets, vaccine and supply forecasting, allocation and monitoring, cold-chain and logistics planning, grant implementation and reporting.
- Develop, adapt and disseminate technical guidance, standard operating procedures, training materials, monitoring tools and best-practice products.
- Plan and deliver capacity-building activities for national and subnational staff and partners.
- Support operational research, programme reviews and evaluations.
- Promote integration of polio assets and functions with routine immunization, primary health care, health-emergency preparedness and broader health-system strengthening.
- Liaise with technical teams at WHO headquarters, regional and country offices and with government, GPEI, UN, donor and development partners.
- Represent WHO in technical meetings, missions, workshops and working groups.
Required Experience
At least seven years of progressively responsible professional experience in public health, including at least four years in disease eradication, immunization, VPD surveillance/control or infectious-disease prevention and control. Demonstrated experience supporting national or subnational programmes, analysing programme and surveillance data, and translating technical guidance into implementation. International exposure through relevant work in a multicultural environment, with partners across different geographical or cultural settings, and/or on projects in different geographical or cultural settings. Desirable: Relevant experience gained outside the candidate's homecountry; significant work in polio eradication or large-scale immunization programmes; and experience with WHO, another UN organization, an international NGO, GPEI or immunization partners, work in developing-country, fragile, conflict-affected, humanitarian or outbreak settings.
Qualifications
Master's degree in public health, epidemiology, immunization, vaccinology, health sciences, infectious or communicable disease control, global health, international development or another field directly relevant to the functions of the position. Desirable: A first university degree in medicine or another health-related science, and/or professional training in field epidemiology, polio eradication, immunization programme management, VPD surveillance, outbreak response, biostatistics, data analysis or project management.