Team Lead (accelerated Diseases Control %26 Elimination)

Organizational Context

The World Health Organization's (WHO) Division of Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Care (PPC) focuses on advancing global health. Within this division, the Immunization, Vaccines & Biologicals (IVB) department works to ensure everyone benefits from vaccines. This role sits within the Accelerated Diseases Control & Elimination (ADC) department, contributing to global efforts against vaccine-preventable diseases.

Job Purpose

This role provides technical leadership and managerial support for accelerated disease control and elimination of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs), including outbreak reduction, response, and recovery. The position involves developing and proposing health policies and strategies, advising on control activities like measles and rubella elimination, and strengthening coordination across WHO's three levels. The role also includes managing a team, overseeing workplans and financial resources, and promoting research and innovation to optimize program deliverables and ensure effective implementation of WHO's mandate in disease control and elimination.

Responsibilities

Provide technical leadership and managerial support for accelerated disease control and elimination of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs), including outbreak reduction, response, and recovery. Develop and propose technical health policies and strategies, collaborating with regional and country offices, and advising on activities such as campaign optimization, polio integration, measles/rubella elimination, and meningitis/yellow fever control. Manage the program area by leading a technical team, developing and monitoring workplans and financial resources, and implementing planned activities. Promote and coordinate research and innovation, disseminate information for capacity building, and manage monitoring and evaluation of key performance indicators. Serve as a technical reference point for peers, UN agencies, and stakeholders, and liaise with UN agencies, donors, and research institutions to influence global and national policies. Represent the program area in meetings, advocate for WHO's priorities, and respond to media inquiries. Specific duties include leading the Measles and Rubella Partnership, coordinating with the Health Emergencies Programme for outbreak response, and overseeing financial resource management for outbreak response funds.

Work Experience

Essential: Minimum 10 years of relevant professional experience in international global health and communicable disease prevention/control, with at least 7 years in health policies and strategies for vaccine-preventable diseases. Demonstrated experience in elimination/eradication programs, field experience in low-resource settings, and experience managing human/financial resources. Desirable: Experience in complex multi-stakeholder partnerships, technical assistance, training, and working with donors.

Skills

Strong technical skills in accelerated vaccine-preventable disease control and elimination, with expertise in measles/rubella control. Demonstrated expertise in outbreak preparedness and response. Understanding of immunization systems and their interaction with outbreak reduction. Experience with Health Emergencies Programme, Polio Eradication, or Measles and Rubella Partnership. Skills in planning and coordinating public health programs. Excellent team and financial resource management abilities. Resource mobilization skills. Effective communication and diplomatic engagement with external partners. Commitment to collaboration. Knowledge of global immunization initiatives.

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