Technical Officer (Strategic and Technical Advisory Group (STAG))

Job Description - Technical Officer (Strategic and Technical Advisory Group (STAG)) (2404820)

Technical Officer (Strategic and Technical Advisory Group (STAG)) - (2404820)

Grade: P5

Contractual Arrangement: Fixed-term appointment

Contract Duration (Years, Months, Days): 1 year

: Jul 5, 2024, 9:26:33 AM

: Jul 26, 2024, 9:59:00 PM

: Switzerland-Geneva

: HQ/IHS Integrated Health Services

: Full-time

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that the deadline for receipt of applications indicated above reflects your personal device's system settings.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The Traditional, Complementary and Integrative (TCI) team is a unit within the Integrated Health Services (IHS) department in the Division of Universal Health Coverage and Life Course (UHL). At the center of the work of the IHS Department is what and how healthcare is delivered and experienced, in the encounter between the person getting healthcare and the provider. Ensuring healthcare for all at every stage of life is at the heart of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). How health care is organized affects access and health outcomes. Our objective is to get care to people and people to the care they need. We aim at trusted and quality healthcare for all that is safe, effective, respectful and compassionate, timely, and efficient. To do this, we provide strategic and normative guidance and operational tools that support countries in optimizing how health services are designed, delivered, and measured to improve the settings where care is delivered and how they relate, to equip workers with process tools, competencies, and equipment and to engage and empower patients, families and communities for shared decision-making at all levels. Through our “integrator” role, we amplify the impact of WHO's normative guidance across the organization, anchoring it on the complex reality at point of care and people's comprehensive needs. More specifically, we foster integrated delivery at the point of care by working across disease - and population-specific health programs and we drive alignment of health system components towards shared service delivery goals. We adopt a holistic approach to health and health care, rooted in the understanding that each person and situation is unique and the importance of the values, preferences and beliefs and the context in which healthcare is accessed. The overarching objective of the unit is to promote the integration of traditional and complementary medicine within health system, particularly at the level of primary health care, in pursuit of Health for All. The unit is aligning its key areas of work to the strategic shift of the organization, by providing leadership, producing Global Public Health Goods and enhancing country support. In convening STAG, TCI is closely coordinating with WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC) and all WHO Regional offices, Country offices and technical departments on related work.

.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

• Establish and manage the secretariat functions for the STAG on TCIM to ensure its proper running within the framework of the overarching WHO TM strategy, including supporting the process of the call for applications, selecting and appointing expert members to the STAG, providing secretarial support for the group and maintaining its documentation and records.
• Act as focal point from the unit to ensure cross-cutting linkages with the STAG and related WHO workstreams through close collaboration with GTMC, Regional and Country Offices and relevant HQ technical departments to:
• facilitate strengthening the evidence base of traditional medicine to support policies and strategies, establish norms and standards, establish new approaches and capacity-building initiatives for traditional, complementary and integrative medicine, and provide advice in the broad area of traditional medicine for strengthening technical capacity within Member States;
• promote innovative and sound research methods for traditional medicine which will capture its complex, holistic and individualized approaches; and,
• collaborate on the setting of research priorities, promoting implementation research and supporting digital and innovative approaches in traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine.
• Compile and finalize the STAG meeting report with the STAG chair, develop internal briefs for WHO senior management on the STAG processes and recommendations, including cross-cutting technical area reviews on the implications for WHO's work, and support the STAG chair in the development of the annual report to ADG.
• Coordinate with other units in IHS and other HQ departments, GTMC, Regional and Country Offices in WHO to develop, test and implement guidance and approaches as developed by the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group (STAG).
• Perform all other related duties as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: An advanced level university degree (Master level or above) in traditional medicine.

Desirable: Additional post-graduate qualifications (Masters or PhD) in public health, policy, or research.

Experience

Essential:

• A minimum of 10 years of professional experience, in the practice or policy development of traditional medicine.
• Experience in leading cross-organizational areas of work and in convening and engaging with partner networks in traditional medicine.
• Demonstrated experience at the international level.

Desirable:

• Working experience in a senior capacity with WHO or United Nations counterparts at regional and country levels.
• Experience with guideline development or other policy development

Skills

• Deep understanding of WHO's strategic view on traditional medicine.
• Excellent skills in collaborating with diverse teams across traditional medicine systems including the Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC).
• Demonstrated knowledge of evidence-based medicine and traditional medicine research.
• Demonstrated knowledge of WHO quality assurance system and its implications to technical products on traditional medicine.

WHO Competencies

• Teamwork
• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
• Communication
• Producing results
• Moving forward in a changing environment

Use of Language Skills

Essential:

• Expert knowledge of English.

Desirable:

• Intermediate knowledge of French.
• Intermediate knowledge of Other UN language.

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 92,731 (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, and currently amounts to USD 6638 per month for the duty station indicated above. 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 may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level.
• 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.
• 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 the WHO Values Charter into 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 at shws@who.int.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• 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