Data Scientist

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The mission of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme (The Programme) is to build the capacity of Member States to manage health emergency risks and, when national capacities are overwhelmed, to lead and coordinate the international health response to contain outbreaks and to provide effective relief and recovery to affected populations. The Health Emergency Intelligence and Surveillance Systems division (WSE) is responsible to build a system of collaborative intelligence enabling better decisions to avert and manage public health threats and risks. Its goal is to enable, strengthen and support countries, regional and global actors in averting and managing public health threats and risks through collaborative problem-solving and decision-making for short-term action and long-term policies, informed by better data and analytics. The WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence is a new office of WHO, located in Berlin. It works with partners to enable the generation of public health relevant information to provide timely actionable insights and improve decision-making to prepare for, avert and respond to public health threats. It also aims to reduce fragmentation and inefficiency by creating an ecosystem that promotes collaboration across multiple professional disciplines, sectors, and initiatives; and empowers decision-makers, public health professionals, and civil society to make informed public health decisions.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Within the framework of the delegated authority, the incumbent is assigned all or part of the following duties which are performed according to needs:

• Coordinate priorities for analysis relevant to pandemic and epidemic intelligence and engagement with relevant communities.
• Provide specialist technical expertise and guidance in data science principles and methods, including but not limited to advanced analysis, spatial analysis, federated analysis, graph-powered analysis, and machine learning.
• Coordinate the analysis and pipelines from different available data and develop and improve outputs to communicate the results.
• Coordinate the development and implementation of state-of-the-art analysis-sharing and dissemination strategies along the identified priorities.
• Oversee and guide the systematic documentation of code and analytic approaches to ensure information sharing with inside and outside collaborators.
• Research, create, and validate algorithms as required for epidemic and pandemic intelligence within the team’s scope and mandate.
• Connect and collaborate with staff at all levels in The Programme, WHO HQ, Regional and Country Offices, as well as countries and partners to encourage data and analysis-sharing as key component of promoting and nurturing a culture of multi-disciplinary and cross-cutting approaches within The Programme, WHO and with key partners.
• Perform other related responsibilities as assigned, including replacing and backstopping for others as required.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: Advanced university degree (Master’s level) in data science, epidemiology, demography, statistics, health sciences, or a related discipline that includes quantitative methods.
Desirable: PHD in any of the above areas.

Experience

Essential: At least 7 years of experience in advanced data analysis, including modeling and machine learning, developing and using quantitative methods in infectious diseases. Experience in conducting joint analysis, sharing code on different platforms and documenting outcomes. Experience in visualizing the results. Demonstrated exposure at international level.
Desirable: Experience in carrying out analysis in a federated setup. Technical experience with graph-based analysis. Experience in working with infectious disease surveillance data.

Skills

• Proven ability to conduct quantitative data analysis, including mathematical modeling in emerging/re-emerging diseases with machine learning components in a multi-disciplinary and cross-cutting environment.
• Proven ability to visualize interactively the results of further analysis.
• Excellent organizational and data management skills combined with the ability to multi-task and produce accurate results under pressure.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, complemented by the ability to synthesize information clearly and concisely.
• Tact, diplomacy, and courtesy.

WHO Competencies

Teamwork
Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
Communication
Producing results
Knowing and managing yourself

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English.
Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of French. Intermediate knowledge of another WHO language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Spanish).

REMUNERATION

WHO salaries for staff in the Professional category are calculated in US dollars. The remuneration for the above position comprises an annual base salary starting at USD 77,326 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable), a variable post adjustment, which reflects the cost of living in a particular duty station, and currently amounts to USD 3145 per month for the duty station indicated above. Other benefits include 30 days of annual leave, allowances for dependent family members, home leave, and an education grant for dependent children.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test and/or an asynchronous video assessment may be used as a form of screening.
• In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link:http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
• 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. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible.
• Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual.
• Staff members in other duty stations are encouraged to apply.
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• Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to[email protected]
• An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put theWHO Values Charter into practice.
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