Senior Public Health Advisor
Organizational Context
The Office of the Director, Programme Management at WHO AFRO provides strategic leadership and oversight for programme implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. It drives policy development, promotes coherence across technical clusters, and strengthens programme planning and performance systems to ensure alignment with global and regional health priorities.
Job Purpose
The Senior Public Health Advisor will provide high-level technical and strategic support to the Director of Programme Management (DPM). This role is crucial for guiding programme planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting, ensuring alignment with WHO's General Programme of Work (GPW14) and AFRO's strategic priorities. The incumbent will foster policy coherence and integrated programmatic approaches across various technical clusters, enhancing coordination and efficiency within the Regional Office. Additionally, the role involves supporting key governance and managerial platforms, contributing to the quality assurance of strategic documents, and strengthening institutional collaboration to effectively deliver on organizational objectives and regional health goals.
Responsibilities
Provide high-level technical and strategic inputs for programme planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting, ensuring alignment with GPW14 and AFRO strategic priorities. Strengthen policy coherence and advance integrated programmatic approaches across technical clusters. Facilitate coordination of cross-cluster initiatives to enhance coherence, efficiency, and collective impact. Support the integration of cross-cutting priorities such as gender, equity, human rights, and data-for-action. Contribute to strengthening linkages between emergency preparedness, polio eradication, and development clusters. Provide technical and coordination support to key managerial and governance platforms, including Executive Management and Regional Programme Meetings. Support coordination of strategic processes like programme budgeting and work planning. Contribute to the technical review and quality assurance of strategic documents, ensuring WHO standards are met. Support the coordination of strategic initiatives and regional processes led by the DPM Office. Strengthen collaboration with internal and external stakeholders to support programme delivery.
Work Experience
Essential: At least ten years of progressively responsible experience in public health, programme management, or international health, including international-level experience. Desirable: Experience within the UN system or international organizations, and experience in cross-sectoral programme coordination, partnerships, and resource mobilization.
Skills
Expert knowledge of English and French. Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills in public health and programme management. Ability to coordinate complex, multi-disciplinary programmes. Capacity to synthesize complex information and produce high-quality outputs. Ability to work effectively across organizational boundaries and manage competing priorities. Knowledge of WHO programme planning, budgeting, monitoring, and evaluation frameworks. Strong interpersonal, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills.