Technical Officer Immunization Equity

To facilitate the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of technical assistance activities supporting immunization equity improvement efforts in Member States, within the context of immunization programme strengthening under the overall domain of European Immunization Agenda 2030. The focus of responsibility will be to further strengthen the efforts to achieve stated goals and objectives of European Immunization Agenda 2030 through identification of un- and under-vaccinated; understanding the reasons why they are not vaccinated; deciding how they can be reached and vaccinated; and evaluating impact of the efforts. This responsibility will require development of capacity at national, sub-national and service delivery levels in Member States; and development and implementation of country specific equity improvement plans.

Under the supervision of Regional Technical Officer, IPS and overall guidance of the Regional Adviser, Vaccine-preventable Diseases and Immunization Unit, VIF, the incumbent will: 

• Ensure provision of technical assistance to Member States towards improving regional and national capacity in the area of vaccine-preventable diseases and immunization, with particular emphasis in the area of identifying, addressing and tracking inequities in immunization.
• Support to the Regional Technical Officer, IPS and the Regional Adviser, Vaccine-preventable Diseases and Immunization Programme, in development and implementation of long-term strategies for immunization pogramme strengthening in line with Global and Regional Immunization Agenda (plan) and the Medium Term Strategic Planning (MTSP), and support equity improvement efforts in Member States.
• Work closely with technical staff of other teams in VIF, particularly in conducting data triangulation to identify sub geographies and/or population groups with immunization inequities, and with technical staff of IPS team in interpreting findings of behavioral insight studies to tailor immunization interventions targeting to reach the un- and under-vaccinated individuals.
• Provide technical support and advice to Member States in identifying, addressing and tracking inequities in immunization, particularly by building capacities and supporting development, implementation and monitoring of equity improvement plans with the aim of building resilient immunization systems in priority Member States.
• Develop and adapt necessary tools to plan, implement and monitor immunization equity improvement efforts, and support development or revision of training materials.
• Monitor effectiveness and impact of immunization equity improvement efforts through use performance indicators at regional and country level and document best practices to be shared with all stakeholders.
• Ensure integration and coordination of immunization equity improvement efforts and activities at the Regional Office and country level, with all other activities of immunization services and within the context of health system strengthening.
• Collaborate and work with technical experts from partner agencies and organizations to advance strategies, approaches, tools and systems to support actions and initiatives towards improving equitable immunization coverage in Member States.
• Work with and strengthen collaboration with community-based and civil-society organizations and non-traditional immunization partners to forge renewed partnerships and harness the available technical expertise of academic institutions in the Region toward making the 2030 European Immunization Agenda a reality.
• Undertake any other duties which may be assigned according to the needs of the WHO, under the strategic guidance of supervisors.

Required Qualifications:

Education:

Essential:

• University degree (Master`s level) in medicine, public health, epidemiology, environmental science, health policy or social sciences relevant to the position.

Experience:

Essential:

• At least seven years’ public health experience in programme management, planning and policy development.
• Demonstrated experience at national and international level in vaccine-preventable diseases and immunization programme, particularly in the area of immunization programme strengthening.

Skills:

• Broad knowledge in public health, epidemiology and particularly in disease control and immunization programmes.
• In depth knowledge on immunization inequities and barriers to vaccination.
• Ability to design studies, skills on effective planning and policy development, analysing data and writing concise reports.
• Up to date knowledge of immunization programme strengthening policies and strategies.
• Emotional awareness; the ability to identify and harness one’s emotions and apply them to tasks; and the ability to manage emotions, which includes both regulating one’s own emotions when necessary and helping others to do the same.

Language Skills:

Essential:

• Expert knowledge of English.

Source: https://careers.who.int/careersection/ex/jobdetail.ftl?job=2403401