Advisor, Veterinary Public Health

Vacancy Notice No: PAHO/11/FT54 Title: Advisor, Veterinary Public Health Grade: P4 Contract type: Fixed-Term Appointment Duration of contract: Two years, first year probationary period	Date: 14 February 2011 Application Deadline: 28 March 2011 (28 day(s) until closing deadline) Currently accepting applications Duty Station: Lima, Peru Organization unit: AM Americas (AM) PAHO/WHO Representative/Center Director, Pan American Foot-and-Mouth Disease Center (PANAFTOSA)
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME : The objective of the Veterinary Public Health program is to promote, coordinate, and implement technical cooperation activities to reduce health, social and economical burden of communicable and non communicable diseases, focusing in the surveillance, prevention and control, in ways that are technically sound and appropriate for the culture and society and strives to achieve sustainable impact through strengthened country capacity and effective inter-country collaboration; and to strengthen the coverage and quality of the health and vital statistics in the Region as the national capacity to monitor their health situation.
Description of duties: Under the general supervision of the PAHO/WHO Representative, and the technical guidance of the Director, Pan American Foot-and-Mouth Disease Center (PANAFTOSA), the incumbent is responsible for, but not necessarily limited to, the following duties: a) Provide technical advice to countries of the sub-region for strengthening food safety systems and zoonotic diseases surveillance, prevention, control and eradication, including planning, managing, monitoring and evaluating of resources. b) Coordinate the implementation of national and sub-regional initiatives on food safety and surveillance, prevention, control and eradication of zoonotic and food-borne diseases, and animal diseases with high impact on food security and nutrition. c) Mobilize partnerships within the sub-region with other international organizations, national agencies and other relevant organizations on zoonotic and food-borne diseases, and food safety, with the aim of integrating health and agriculture actions related to the human-animal interface and local development. d) Support the implementation of the national International Health Regulations (IHR) action plans as for zoonotic and food-borne diseases surveillance and response capacities. e) Coordinate with other technical areas in the development and implementation of food safety and surveillance, prevention, control and eradication of zoonotic and food-borne diseases and relevant animal diseases programs in the sub-region. f) Foster collaboration between the Organization and other international and national scientific or professional groups; collaborate with other UN Agencies and Programs and sub-units to achieve efficient coordination of activities and utilization of resources, and comprehensive development of study, research and analytical capacities required for the surveillance, prevention, control and eradication of zoonotic and food-borne diseases. g) Coordinate the development, implementation and integration of zoonotic and food-borne disease surveillance systems at sub regional level. h) Promote the mobilizations of resources from both the health and agriculture sector in relation to food safety, zoonotic and food-borne diseases, including preparation of project proposals for external funding. i) Collaborate in the development and implementation of innovative training in national institutions to transfer technology to national personnel on methods and techniques in veterinary public health, including public health and animal health administrations. j) Provide support to national institutions and universities, in designing, conducting and evaluating research projects. k) Provide technical advice and cooperation between countries, particularly in border areas. l) Prepare and disseminate scientific and evidence-based technical reports, policy documents and position papers based on the results of epidemiological and socioeconomic studies. m) Collaborate in the preparation of the Biennial Work Plan (BWP) and the execution of international cooperation projects, including the analysis of political, technical and socioeconomic issues and performance assessment. n) 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. o) Perform other related duties, as assigned.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Education: Essential: A university degree in a health-related profession and a master's degree in epidemiology, public health, veterinary public health or in a related field from a recognized institution. Desirable: A PhD in public health or epidemiology would be an asset.
Skills: Key Behavioral Competencies Intra-institutional Action: Leads team efforts toward full understanding of the policies the organization must operate within as well as the Standard of Conduct for the International Civil Service. Leads employees and co-workers toward operating in a fair, consistent and equitable manner, and displays such behavior by example. Behaves consistently in accordance with the Code of Ethics of the Organization. Teamwork: Embraces and leads consensual decision-making, that is, leading the fulfillment of team decisions, even when they may not fully coincide with one's own opinions or proposals. Knows how to manage difficult team situations and promotes consensus building. Takes responsibility for the team's successes and failures. Analysis, Synthesis, and Forecasting: After analyzing situations on the basis of the available evidence and knowledge, leads one's area of responsibility toward individual and collective actions. Encourages the importance of continual analysis. Verifies and promotes that action is taken in situations that will require future intervention, based on ongoing analysis. Leads others in decisions needed to implement required actions. Is capable of anticipating the implications of analyzed situations between one and two years ahead. Devising the budget for interventions and cost optimization: Demonstrates initiative and managerial capacity in obtaining alternative sources of financing and in mobilizing extra-budgetary resources for interventions. Acquires adequate funding, based upon the resources allocated in intervention plans. Thinking, planning and the strategic management of technical cooperation interventions: Selects priority ideas for executing the interventions after anticipating their potential problems and solutions. Participates in the preparation of strategic plans, providing input about their impact, quality, critical points, and risks. Evaluation of technical cooperation interventions: Evaluates criteria for the interventions at the process, management, and outcome level, in addition to technical cooperation evaluation plans, in keeping with the PAHO's strategic direction. Resource Mobilization: Works in an objective manner to obtain and apportion resources (financial and non-financial) according to need. Supports and advises technical areas to enable best use of resources are aligned with the mission and vision of the Organization. Is able to work in a multicultural environment. Is flexible and has the ability to work well under pressure. Is able to give feedback to partners within and outside the organization about the use of the resources and the results acquired. Technical Expertise. - Theoretical and practical expertise in all aspects related to principles, methods, and recent developments in food safety and food-borne and zoonotic diseases with emphasis in epidemiology and control. - Expertise on principles, practices and recent developments in the control of food-borne and zoonotic diseases with special emphasis in epidemiology of microbiological hazards. - Technical competence and leadership qualities on the principles and application of standard and innovative practices, methods and techniques in the field of food-borne and zoonotic diseases. - Ability to transfer knowledge and technology to national counterparts and to promote the adoption and/or application of appropriate knowledge and technology that would be responsive to the different social, cultural, and economic realities in the countries. - Knowledge and skills in the formulation of technical cooperation interventions and in the development of criteria for evaluating program interventions veterinary public health. - Ability to analyze current surveillance systems and possess the capability to develop and plan innovative and appropriate solutions for improvement. - Mature judgment, strong technical, analytical, conceptual, interpersonal and communication skills; demonstrate ability to identify, assess, analyze, synthesize and provide recommendation on key political and technical issues. - Strong professional oral and writing skills, including the development of reports, oral presentations, and technical/persuasive documents for consideration at the highest levels of the Organization. IT Skills Demonstrated ability to effectively use a computer and utilize software programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Other IT skills and knowledge of other software programs such as Statistical Packages (SAS, SPSS) Visio, Microsoft SharePoint and Project will be an asset.
Experience: Essential: Nine years of combined national and international experience in the area of public health in programs involving the control and prevention of food-borne and zoonotic diseases, and in the application of epidemiological principles and methods to disease surveillance, health care planning, health promotion, training and/or research; including supervisory, administrative, advisory and research experience.
Languages: Very good knowledge of Spanish or English, with a working knowledge of the other language. Knowledge of Portuguese and French would be an asset.
Additional Information: A WRITTEN TEST AND/OR INTERVIEW MAY BE HELD FOR THIS POST. APPLICANTS WILL BE CONTACTED ONLY IF THEY ARE UNDER SERIOUS CONSIDERATION. APPLICANTS ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE AN ON-LINE PERSONAL HISTORY FORM. THE POST DESCRIPTION IS THE OFFICIAL DOCUMENT FOR ORGANIZATIONAL PURPOSES.
Annual salary: (Net of tax) $67,395.00 at single rate $72,373.00 with primary dependants
Online applications are strongly encouraged to enable WHO to store your profile in a permanent database. Please visit WHO's e-Recruitment website at: www.who.int/employment. The system provides instructions for online application procedures.
All applicants are encouraged to apply online as soon as possible after the vacancy has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the vacancy announcement