Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) with duty station in Juba, in the Medical Section and under the Service Delivery Pillar of the Mission Support Division. The Medical Officer (Infections Diseases and Public Health) will report to the Chief Medical Officer. Juba is classified in the “E” category and as a non-family duty station.

Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), the Infectious Diseases and Public Health (IDPH) Officer provides professional, technical, operational, and administrative assistance to the development, coordination and delivery of high-quality comprehensive Mission-wide sustained interventions for health promotion, communicable and non-communicable disease prevention including STI, HIV&AIDS and related health conditions. He/she will be responsible of running a continuous and comprehensive program of health promotion, prevention, and control of communicable including HIV and non-communicable diseases targeting all mission personnel (both civilian and uniformed personnel).

Within delegated authority, the IDPH Officer will be responsible for supporting the following duties:
• Develop mission IDPH plan of action, progress and evaluation reports.
• Manage resources, budgets, prioritizes allocations, and identifies resource specific technical/management problems to ensure timely programme delivery.
• Develop and coordinate activities and tasks related to promotion of health and wellness amongst UNMISS personnel including in uniforms.
• Coordinate inductions for newly recruited/deployed including troops, raise awareness on communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases and Sexual Transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV&AIDS,
• Design and develop health promotion and disease prevention training modules including HIV&AIDS presentations and training materials update.
• Establish and strengthen disease surveillance and response systems to provide data on the magnitude and impact of chronic and infectious diseases on UN personnel for evidence informed programming.
• Develop social and behavioural change communication strategy/resources for implementation of sustained health promotion interventions to prevent chronic diseases and infectious diseases.
• Participate actively in emergency preparedness and response plan of UNMISS to include public health emergencies, disease outbreaks and other crisis through outbreak investigation, disease surveillance, active case finding and contact tracing.
• Maintain Monitoring and Evaluation IDPHU programmatic activities including surveys and review meetings, track interventions outcomes, share best practices, lessons learned and advise the CMO for better future planning and decision-making.
• Make effective implementation of training and course programs for Health Promoters HIV/AIDS Peer Educators, HIV Counsellors and PEP custodians.

• Maintain operational/functional Voluntary Confidential Counselling and testing (VCCT) facilities/services, safer sex advocacy and sustained condom dispensing/accessibility across the mission area, including availability of Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) kits and related products for peacekeeping personnel.
• Draft SOPs on prevalent diseases including revision of Mission HIV&AIDS Policy, VCCT and PEP Custodian protocols.
• Initiate surveillance surveys, baseline and KAPB (Knowledge, Attitude, Practices and Behaviour) surveys mission-wide upon troops deployments and prior to their rotations.
• Supervise disease surveillance by gathering information/data collection, analysis and interpretation, validation epidemiologic data, report and advise the mission senior management for decision-making.
• Mainstreaming STI/HIV/AIDS concerns in other sections/units’ mandates (UNPOL, SSR, Gender, Child Protection) to support UN SCR 1983.
• Participates in joint UN Team on AIDS and collaborate with other key international and national actors on the ground.
• Liaise with National (MoH, etc.) and International (WHO, UNAIDS) bodies involved in communicable disease prevention and control including HIV&AIDS.
• Establish networking system for referrals including at National and International level and supervise database management.
• Ensure all IDPH Unit staff members developed their individual workplans, and are implementing accordingly, provide feedback in time.
• Plan and organize annual retreat to discuss achievements, lessons learned and come out with a new unit workplan (next year).
• Manage with accountability resources, budgets, prioritizes allocations, and identifies resource specific technical/management problems to ensure timely programme delivery.
• Appraise Unit members performance with objectivity and feedback.
• Assess socio-economic effects of prevailing health conditions within the mission area, including gender issues with a focus on route causes, key transmission channels affecting the population.
• Review and submit monthly, quarterly, and annual reports to CMO and copy DHMOSH HIV focal point.
• Performing related ad hoc duties as may be tasked by the senior management.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Has knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to programming of holistic Infectious Diseases & Public Health (IDPH) intervention in peacekeeping; especially social and behaviour change communication for uniformed and civilian personnel. Has demonstrated ability to identify issues, analyse and participate in the resolution of IDPH and conflict/post-conflict issues/problems. Has demonstrated ability to provide effective IDPH specialized support and advice in a broad range of holistic issues, mainstreaming, multi-sociocultural perspectives, IDPH programme strategies and peacekeeping systems strengthening. Has ability to ensure adequate preparation of reports or conflict analysis with respect to IDPH programmatic activities. Has demonstrated ability to provide IDPH management guidance in project implementation. Can apply good judgment in the context of assignments given, plan own work and manage conflicting priorities. Can deliver outputs in line with agreed schedules, budgets and quality standards and within prevailing rules, regulations and procedures. Has very good communication skills to liaise, negotiate and advocate with key stakeholders. Shows pride in work and in achievements; Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations; Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work.

• Planning and Organising: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; Identifies priority activities and assignments; Adjusts priorities as required; Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; Uses time efficiently

• Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; Tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed

• Creativity: Actively seeks to improve programmes or services; Offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs; Promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas; Takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas, thinks “outside the box”; Takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things; Is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches

Education

Medical doctor (MD) with a master’s or equivalent in public health, infectious diseases, health promotion and education or HIV/AIDS specialist is required.

Work Experience

At least seven (7) years’ experience in internal medicine, family medicine, tropical medicine, epidemiology/public health, microbiology, infectious diseases, Sexual & Reproductive Health (SRH), Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and HIV&AIDS program is required.

Experience in Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, HIV&AIDS programming particularly in a conflict and post conflict scenario is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, Fluency in spoken and written English is required. Working Knowledge of Arabic is desirable.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

• This position is temporarily available for an initial period of six (6) months, possibility of extension subject to availability of funds. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment.

• While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post.

• Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station.

• This temporary job opening may be limited to “internal candidates,” who have been recruited through a competitive examination administered according to staff rule 4.16 or staff selection process including the review of a central review body established according to staff rule 4.15.

• Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation.

• Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as “retirement.” Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service.

• Qualified women that meet the requirements of this job opening are particularly encouraged to apply and will be given full consideration in accordance with the United Nations efforts to increase women participation in its workforce

United Nations Considerations

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. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.