Board Relations and Information Officer

Vacancy Notice No: HQ/14/HQ/FT3 Title: Board Relations and Information Officer Grade: P4 Contract type: Fixed-Term Appointment Duration of contract:  2 years	Date: 7 January 2014 Application Deadline: 28 January 2014 (3 day(s) until closing deadline) Currently accepting applications Duty Station:  Geneva, Switzerland   Organization unit: HQ Headquarters (HQ) / HQ/HTM HIV/AIDS, TB and Neglected Tropical Diseases (HQ/HTM) UT/UTD UNITAID International drug purchase facility
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME : UNITAID's mission is to contribute to the scale-up of access to treatment for HIV/AIDs, malaria and tuberculosis for people in developing countries by leveraging price reduction for quality drugs and diagnostics, and accelerating the pace at which they are made available.
Description of duties: Reporting to the UNITAID Executive Director and working in close collaboration with the Executive Office and other units involved in Governance matters, the Board Relations and Information Officer is responsible for: - Ensuring appropriate governance mechanisms and practices are in place; - Coordinating and guiding Board-related activities within the Secretariat; - Providing support to the Chair of the Board of UNITAID and to other Board members as needed; - Providing support to the Executive Director on specific important initiatives or issues; - Ensuring appropriate governance mechanisms and practices are in place; - Guiding the development of the agenda of Board meetings, Committee meetings, Quarterly Meetings of the Chairs of the Committees and other meetings involving Board members. Each agenda should incorporate the priorities and concerns of all parties while reflecting and furthering sound governance practices; - Keeping track of Board decisions or guidance to the Secretariat. Monitoring their implementation by the Secretariat. Reporting and guiding accordingly; - Serving as an effective and proactive conduit between the Board and the Secretariat, ensuring a continuous and appropriate information flow and that suggestions or concerns from one party are effectively considered and responded to by the other; - Supporting and facilitating changes to governance rules and mechanisms as appropriate. Continuously benchmarking UNITAID governance against modern standards and emerging trends and introduce appropriate changes to the UNITAID practice; - Supporting Governance Reviews and Board as well as Board Committee self-evaluations; - Overseeing Secretariat communication related to the Board, Board decisions and Board matters more generally. This includes postings on the website as per the UNITAID Transparency Policy; - Organizing and coordinating orientation for new Board members, coordinating and guiding Board-related activities within the Secretariat; - Initiating/ coordinating/ monitoring all formal communication with Board members including the Chair and Committee Chairs; - Coordinating the preparation of documents to be submitted for meetings of Board members. Ensuring that they comply with high quality standards and are made available in a timely and appropriate manner; - Ensuring proper archiving and distribution of Board documents and records; - Overseeing the logistics of Board meetings, ensuring smooth, efficient and effective support to Board members. Managing the budget for Board meetings. Supporting the Chair of the Board of UNITAID and other Board members as needed; - Supporting and facilitating the Chair's interactions with Board members as necessary; - Liaising and coordinating to facilitate Chair's initiatives. Serving as focal point for activities of the Chair of the Board on resource mobilization, advocacy and communication. Interacting continuously with the Chair's Assistant; - Serving as the focal point for the grant to the Civil Society Delegation. Providing support to the Executive Director on specific initiatives or issues. Representing the Executive Director at Board meetings of Global Health actors as appropriate. Keeping track of decisions and matters of importance to the Senior Management Team. Monitoring their development and reporting as appropriate. Monitoring the implementation of key action plans (e.g. outcomes of external evaluations of UNITAID); - Carrying out other duties as required by the ED.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Education: Essential Advanced university degree in management, international relations, health or related field. Desirable Educational qualifications in global development, governance, trade or international policy.
Skills:  - Excellent writing and editing skills in English. - Skills in presentation and public speaking. - Excellent negotiation skills. - Good understanding of strategic decision making. - Highly developed management skills. - Good at building and maintaining interpersonal relations. WHO Competencies 1. Communicating in a credible and effective way 2. Fostering integration and teamwork 3. Moving forward in a changing environment 4. Producing results 5. Ensuring the effective use of resources.
Experience: Essential At least 7 years of experience with governance issues and/or health management, of which at least 3 of international bi- or multi-lateral experience. Desirable Experience with health issues at international level. Experience in managing a team. Experience working with diverse stakeholders (governments, the UN system, civil society). Experience in communicating and building relations in sensitive political environments.
Languages: Expert knowledge of French and English are required. Intermediate knowledge of another UN language would be desirable.
Additional Information: A written test may be used for screening purposes. Other similar positions at the same level may be filled from this vacancy notice. This vacancy is published in English only. As a WHO staff member assigned solely and exclusively to support UNITAID, selected staff will have no right of reassignment or transfer outside of UNITAID either during or at the end of his/her appointment, including pursuant to WHO Staff Rule 1050. (This does not apply to WHO fixed-term staff members reassigned from a non-Partnership position).
Annual salary: (Net of tax) USD 67'483 at single rate USD 72'467 with primary dependants	Post Adjustment: 103.3 % of the above figure(s). This percentage is to be considered as indicative since variations may occur each month either upwards or downwards due to currency exchange rate fluctuations or inflation.
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.
WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual. Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.