Director, Governance, Languages, Communications and External Relations
Organizational Context
The World Health Organization (WHO) European Region (EURO) comprises 53 countries and over 880 million people. The Division of Programme Management ensures technical excellence, coordinating health programs, country support, and the Primary Health Care initiative. This division also manages planning, budgeting, resource mobilization, partnerships, communications, governance, external relations, and language services.
Job Purpose
This role leads the Regional Office's efforts in external relations, communications, publications, language services, and governing bodies. The incumbent will provide high-level strategic support, offering policy, managerial, and diplomatic advice to senior management. A key aspect is fostering a culture of high performance, teamwork, ethics, and integrity, aligning with WHO policies. The position also supports monitoring global policy decisions and strategic directions, building partnerships, and ensuring effective coordination across WHO levels to maximize support for countries. Additionally, it oversees information flow with other WHO regions and headquarters and contributes to regional coordination as a member of EURO's Executive Council.
Responsibilities
Lead the Regional Office's work in external relations, communications, publications, language services, and governing bodies. Provide strategic policy, managerial, and diplomatic advice to senior management. Promote a high-performance culture, teamwork, ethics, and integrity. Support the monitoring of global policy decisions and regional strategic directions. Build partnerships and ensure effective three-level coordination for optimal country support. Oversee information flow between regions and WHO headquarters. Contribute to regional coordination and serve on EURO's Executive Council. Coordinate the technical secretariat for WHO governing body meetings and senior management meetings. Ensure implementation of policy decisions through interaction with technical directors. Perform other assigned duties.
Work Experience
Essential: Minimum 15 years of national and international experience, including senior management roles and experience in developing countries. Requires extensive writing and communications experience, multipartner health program management, leadership, and familiarity with WHO procedures and governing bodies. Desirable: Experience in political or diplomatic arenas.
Skills
Leadership, effective collaboration (national and international), diplomatic skills, negotiation, partnership building, team coordination (multicultural environments), excellent English writing skills (diverse styles, tight deadlines), strategic messaging and positioning, networking, interpersonal skills, understanding of public health and international development, ability to process and communicate new information, planning, execution, collaboration, and independent work with donors/partners.