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DESCRIPTION:

Vacancy Notice No: PAHO/08/FT827 
Grade: P4 
Contract type: Fixed-term appointment 
Duration of contract: Two years, first year probationary period. 
Deadline for application: 12 November 2008 
Duty Station: Brasilia Brazil 
Organization unit: AM Americas (AM) Regional Office of the Americas (PAHO)/PAHO/WHO Representative, Brazil/Area of Family & Community Health (FCH) 

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME:

FCH promotes, coordinates and implements technical cooperation activities at the country level, emphasizing the central role of family and community to foster a culture of health promotion and protection in which health becomes a social value. It focuses on the development and implementation of maternal, perinatal and sexual reproductive health and nutrition programs including HIV/AIDS-STI. Supports the country, in collaboration with national and international partners, in identifying, developing, implementing and evaluating evidence-based approaches, which are mutually reinforcing and cover the whole spectrum of the life course from critical maternal and child survival actions to healthy growth and development into adulthood. Involve technical cooperation/guidance in the design and development of research activities, policy, inter-sectoral programs and projects for family health in a primary health care context, and taking into consideration prevailing health situations, as well as socio-economic conditions.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Under the direct supervision of the PAHO/WHO Representative and the technical guidance of the Manager, FCH, the incumbent is responsible for, but not necessarily limited to, the following assigned duties:

• a) Promote the formulation of country plans for integrated family health and reproductive health; promote the health of the individual throughout the life cycle; plan, identify and harmonize the need for external cooperation from different sources; promote, coordinate and collaborate, among the different technical components of the regional, maternal, neonatal child and adolescent health programs;
• b) Promote the mobilization of resources at the country and regional levels with the donor community in support of health services to women, focused on gender equity and quality;
• c) Provide technical assistance in the design, organization, implementation, supervision and evaluation of national projects/programs on family health and population, with emphasis in women health, gender and equity;
• d) Provide technical cooperation of necessary instruments such as standards, manuals, curricula, equipment selection, etc., for the technical and scientific operation of the women health programs at the national and sub national level;
• e) Participate in needs assessments, project proposals, work plans, budgets, evaluation exercises and technical and financial reports related to women's health;
• f) Serve as a teaching resource and knowledge management in the area of comprehensive women health and population;
• g) Promote the identification and development of institutions to serve as referral centers to provide technical cooperation in the area of women health and family health and population; participate in the definition of priorities, and the monitoring and evaluation of the strategies and intervention of the Women Health Program;
• h) Participate in the design, negotiation, monitoring and evaluation of maternal, neonatal and child health and family planning projects, and work with other agencies and bilateral donors with a special emphasis on the integration of women as actors of health programs;
• i) Promote research on the relationships between the developmental process, both individual and family and fertility, reproductive behavior and family health; promote the implementation of measures to strengthen the positive aspects of the relationships while reducing the more restrictive aspects;
• j) Coordinate and provide technical and administrative support to the Family and Community Health and consultants operating in the country and in the region, in coordination with CLAP/WR;
• k) Participate and integrating activities with the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), specially related to the HPV vaccine, the Integrated Management ad Childhood Illness program (IMCI), HIV/STI program, Gender, Ethnicity and Health, with focus on adolescent sexual and reproductive health;
• l) Identifying specific technical cooperation which could be provided through short-term consultant contracts, national professional; orienting, supervising and evaluating their work;
• m) Perform other related duties, as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:

• A bachelor's degree in a health science with postgraduate degree at the master's level, from a recognized university, in a health related profession with specialization in family health or public health.

Skills:

• Intrainstitutional 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.
• Information Management: Processes and analyzes the data objectively, presenting it clearly and equitably. Leads the effort to acquire relevant and selected information that facilitates the achievement of organizational results. Evaluates/leads the evaluation of information systems on the basis of its advantages/disadvantages for processing information relevant to the area of work.
• 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.
• 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.
• Knowledge Management: Supports and develops networked and community working. Identifies, develops and nurtures networks and communities. Identifies and builds on working networks that enable knowledge and information flow. Designs and implements knowledge and information services. Enables utilization of knowledge and information sources. Delivers relevant knowledge and information in most appropriate form. Participates in and learns from networked and community approaches.
• 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:

• Knowledge of family health programs and the organization of country health systems with focus on primary health, sexual and reproductive health, gender and ethnicity. Familiarity with the intercultural aspects of child and maternal health.
• Familiarity with the clinical aspects and essential interventions to support the healthy growth and development of all members of a family.
• Technical expertise in formulating and developing tools for monitoring and evaluating family and reproductive health strategies.
• Demonstrated managerial skills, strategic thinking, and technical knowledge with strong communication skills.
• Strong professional oral and writing skills in English and Portuguese and/or Spanish, including the development of reports, oral presentations, and technical/persuasive documents for consideration at the highest levels of the Organization.

Experience:

• Essential: Nine years of combined national and international experience in managing inter-sectoral health or social projects and programs in the area of family health with emphasis in sexual and reproductive health. Of these, at least five years should include development of policies, ability to negotiate and coordinate with all relevant sectors of government, scientific societies, universities, international agencies and organized community groups.
• Desirable: Experience of work in different cultural contexts, especially related with indigenous health, will be an asset.

Languages:

• Very good knowledge of Portuguese or English with a working knowledge of the other language. Knowledge of Spanish and/or French would be an asset.

Additional Information:

A WRITTEN TEST AND/OR INTERVIEW MAY BE HELD FOR THIS POST. CANDIDATES WILL BE CONTACTED ONLY IF THEY ARE UNDER SERIOUS CONSIDERATION. ALL APPLICANTS ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE AN ON-LINE PERSONAL HISTORY FORM. THE POST DESCRIPTION IS THE OFFICIAL DOCUMENTATION FOR ORGANIZATIONAL PURPOSES.

Annual salary: (Net of tax)
US $63,052 at single rate
US $67,709 with primary dependants

TO APPLY:

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.

Applications from women and from nationals of non- and under-represented member states are particularly encouraged. 
Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual. Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.