The mission of WHO is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health.
Vacancy Notice No: AFRO/16/TASR52
Title: National Professional Officer (NPO)- HIV testing services
Grade: NO-C
Contract type: Temporary Appointment under Staff Rule 420.4
Duration of contract: 12 months with possible renewal
Date: 13 April 2016
Application Deadline: 5 May 2016
(21 day(s) until closing deadline)
Currently accepting applications
Duty Station: Harare, Zimbabwe
Organization unit: AF/DPC Disease Prevention and Control (AF/DPC) /
AF/CDS Communicable Diseases (AF/CDS)
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME :
To support WHO’s activities on HIV testing services with a special focus on HIV self-testing in the East and Southern African region.
Scaling up access to and uptake of HIV testing services is essential to achieve the United Nation’s 90-90-90 goals, starting with the first 90 to diagnose 90% of all people with HIV by 2020. To achieve this goal, greater efforts and innovative approaches are needed, such as HIV self-testing. This post will focus on providing technical support and coordinating HIV testing services activities with a special focus on HIV self-testing in the East and Southern African region.
The position will catalyse implementation and scale-up of HIV self-testing in the East and Southern African region, and also support the development, dissemination and implementation of normative guidance and good practices as part of existing HIV testing services in the East and Southern African region.
The position will contribute to strengthening the alignment between regional stakeholders, enhancing transparency among partners, increasing accountability to maximize results, and to strengthening WHO’s role as the convener of strategic collaborations in the area of HIV testing services.
This position will be located in Harare, Zimbabwe within WHO Office for the African Region Inter-Country Support Team for Eastern & Southern Africa (IST/ESA). This team member will report to the IST/ESA coordinator and the WHO Zimbabwe Country representative. They will also work closely with IST/ESA staff, WHO country staff in the ESA region and WHO HQ in Geneva.
Description of duties:
1. Support countries in ESA region to implement WHO new guidelines on HIV testing services, including the implementation of HIV self-testing.
2. Assist WHO HQ and IST/ESA with aligning activities on HIV self-testing in the region
3. Work closely with WHO HQ to support development of WHO guidelines on HIV self-testing through gathering and reviewing case studies, national policies and regulation documents, grey literature and reports on good practices, identify opportunities to integrate HIV self-testing within existing HIV testing services
4. Plan, coordinate and facilitate focus group discussions and community consultations among priority populations with in ESA region, eg adolescents, men, key populations, and other stakeholders and partners, eg. health workers, civil society networks, including networks of people living with HIV
5. Regularly engage and coordinate WHO engagement at country, regional and HQ in national meetings related to HIV testing services in ESA region
6. Regularly present and disseminate technical/policy briefs and updates on HIVST to Ministries of Health and other stakeholders, using both specially constituted and existing national forums.
7. Provide regular updates, briefing notes and reports to the WHO country office representative, WHO IST/ESA coordinator and HQ focal point on HIV testing services with focus on HIV self-testing
8. Participate in HIV self-testing technical working group meetings in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe and work with WHO country offices to develop technical working groups in the ESA region.
Key responsibilities
Mapping of HIV testing services and HIV self-testing activities in the ESA region
Participation in HIV self-testing technical working group meetings in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe
Formation of technical working groups in other countries within the ESA region
Produce a report on national policies and regulations on HIV self-testing for ESA region
Produce a report and complete community consultations and focus group discussions on HIV self-testing in the ESA region
Produce report to WHO IST/ESA on opportunities for strengthening HIV testing services within the HIV response, including opportunities for HIV self-testing
Support development ESA regional advocacy and communication plan on HIV self-testing in collaboration with WHO IST/ESA, WHO country offices and WHO HQ.
Support launch, dissemination and promotion of WHO guidance on HIV self-testing in ESA, through engagement with Ministries of Health, civil society organizations, and NGOs
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Education:
Essential: An advanced university degree (Masters level or above) in medicine, public health, epidemiology, health policy or other social science degree.
Verification of Educational qualifications:
“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 these will be reviewed individually”.
Skills:
Competencies:
1) Communicating in a credible and effective way;
2) Producing results;
3) Fostering integration and teamwork;
4) Moving forward in a changing environment
5) Knowing and managing yourself
1. Communicating in a credible and effective way
2. Ensuring the effective use of resources
3. Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond
4. Fostering integration and teamwork
5. Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
6. Delivering Results.
Functional Skills and Knowledge:
Excellent knowledge of HIV testing services and HIV self-testing, good knowledge in public health and/or development policy and planning, project management skills, epidemiology and databases management, qualitative and quantitative research skills, and experience in developing survey tools and discussion guides for consultations. Ability to work with minimal technical supervision, ability to work with large number of governments, international partners and civil society organizations on a global scale, and with good political sense and tact.
Familiar with needs of ESA region and resource-limited settings, as well as cultural sensitivity. Good analytical and presentation skills. Good interpersonal and skills to cope with high pressure environments such as large Governing Bodies meetings. Ability to guide, support and encourage colleagues to work towards common goals. Good knowledge in planning and organizing. Basic knowledge of policy analysis and research methods required.
Other Skills (e.g. IT): Ability to work with Microsoft suite, with advanced skills in PowerPoint and Excel
Experience:
Essential: At least 5 years of relevant experience in public health, with at least 3 years in HIV testing and at least 1 year in HIV self-testing. At least 5 years’ of relevant work experience at the international level.
Desirable: Experience in ESA region and resource-limited settings and WHO or other UN agency. Experience at all levels of the organization (country, regional and headquarters) is an asset.
Languages:
Excellent written and oral skills in English. Intermediate knowledge of French is desired.
Additional Information:
WHO offers an attractive compensation package including an annual net salary (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance), dependency benefits, pension plan, health insurance scheme, and 30 days annual leave.
Please visit the following websites for detailed information on working with WHO:
http://www.who.int Click on: . to learn more about WHO’s operations
http://icsc.un.org Click on: Quick Links > Salary Scales > by date
Candidates will be contacted only if they are under serious consideration.
Annual salary: (Net of tax)
at single rate
This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level.
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.