Health Operations Specialist-(2504347)Grade:NO-CContractual Arrangement:Temporary appointment under Staff Rule Contract Duration (Years, Months, Days):6 months

Job Posting

:

Closing Date

:Dec 24, 2025, 11:59:00 PM

Primary Location

:Ukraine-Dnipro

Organization

:EU_UKR WHO Country Office, Ukraine

Schedule

:Full-timeIMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that the deadline for receipt of applications indicated above reflects your personal device's system settings.

.Purpose of the Post:

In the context of WHO Health Emergencies at the sub-national level, the incumbent will support the planning, implementation, and monitoring of health operations and related technical activities. Responsibilities include contributing to risk communication efforts, strengthening early warning and surveillance systems, supporting the delivery of quality health services, assisting with needs assessments, and engaging in operational research to inform and improve public health interventions.

Objectives of the Programme and of the immediate Strategic Objectives:

The WHO country office works with the National Authorities to achieve the highest standard of health as a fundamental human right, based on equity and on SDGs principle of leaving no one behind. WHO actions are engrained in the WHO 14th General Programme of Work with its 3 prong objectives of promoting healthier populations, keeping the world safe through addressing health emergencies, and protecting the vulnerable through Universal Health Coverage. WHO's mandate revolves around six core functions: (i) providing Global Health leadership; (ii) shaping the health research agenda; (iii) setting norms and standards; (iv) articulating evidence-based policy options; (v) providing technical support to countries; and (vi) monitoring and assessing health trends. The WHO Country Office is an integral part of the WHO Regional Office for Europe. Its main role is to facilitate and coordinate all WHO activities at country level and to implement the European Programme of Work 2020–2025 –“United Action for Better Health in Europe” which sets out a vision of how the WHO Regional Office for Europe can better support countries in meeting citizens’ expectations about health.
WHO at country level delivers this through practical, actionable and country focused solutions to health challenges, keeping in perspective that achieving health and well-being is a whole-of-society endeavour; This is done through facilitating the implementation of the Biennial Collaborative Agreement with the country and its corresponding workplan. The WHO Country Office maintains good working relations and ensures information exchange between the country and WHO, policy and strategic guidance on Health issues to all national and international partners in the country, provision of direct technical expertise when needed and aims at more community engagement and participation, and to promote health equity.

Organizational Context

Reporting to the Emergency Field Coordinator (P4, Dnipro) and under the overall guidance of the WHE Team Lead in the WHO Country Office, and in close coordination with other members of the WCO Ukraine team, the incumbent contributes to the management and coordination of WHO health programmes in response to outbreaks and health emergencies. S/he supports the technical quality and relevance of the operations to ensure alignment with WHO standards and best practices
This requires ongoing contacts with counterparts from health cluster partners, other technical staff in partner agencies (both within and outside the UN system), and counterparts of Departments of health (DOH), regional Centres for Diseases Control (r-CDC). S/He will work with technical staff at the WCO Ukraine.

Summary of Assigned Duties

In the context of the WHO Health Emergencies at the sub-national level, the incumbent will manage the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the health expertise and operations. This includes dissemination of risk communication messages, the strengthening of early warning and surveillance systems, the delivery of quality health humanitarian services at PHC, pre-hospital and hospital level, supply delivery (inter-agency convoys and bilateral), and the undertaking of needs assessments in the frontline Oblasts, as well as the operational and scientific research to improve WHE interventions.

During deployment, the duty station may change, and duties may be modified, based upon the technical needs of the Programme.

Depending on the level and complexity of the incident, the incumbent might be performing all or some of the following duties:

Manage the Health Operations team in Dnipro, guide, and ensure implementation of all pillars of the Ukraine Frontline Operational response plan, specifically focussing on: Health service delivery through management of casualties, maintaining continuity of essential health services and re-establishment of the referral pathway at primary, secondary and tertiary levels;
Health service delivery to ensure continuity of integrated primary health care services.Public health intelligence, early warning, disease prevention and control ;Contribute to the establishment of standards and norms, and assist in the development, adaptation, and dissemination of technical guidance, training, communication, and resource mobilization materials . Under the guidance of the Emergency Field Coordinator, support the coordination and implementation of health operations in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and partners, ensuring the effective application of WHO’s prevention, control, and response measures. Support national authorities and partners on equipping the health facilities with the necessary infrastructure, equipment, drugs, public health laboratories and blood safety, and medical supplies to address the existing and foreseen risks and to prevent the dissemination of infectious diseases within the facilities.  Monitor all health activities and follow up that health facilities provide quality preventive and curative health care to the affected population and continue to deliver routine essential health and services in addition to responding to the cause of the crisis. Make appropriate recommendations where necessary and complete necessary documents (reports, etc).Support capacity-building and training of health facility staff on best preventive, diagnostic, control and curative knowledge, practices and standards. Ensure that WHO activities are adequately reflected in the Health Cluster documents and templates by providing relevant reports against agreed indicator frameworks.Perform all other related duties as assigned.

Educational Qualifications:

Essential: First level university degree in medicine, public health, epidemiology, tropical medicine, health systems/services administration or related field. First university degree in medicine or public health from an accredited/recognized institute.

Desirable: Specialized training in emergency management; specific training in humanitarian response.

Experience:

Essential: At least five years of related experience, at the national and international levels, in health operations, with proven experience in managing outbreaks and health emergencies. Related experience in managing human and financial resources.

Desirable:

Relevant work experience in outbreaks and/or health emergency management.Related experience in development and implementation of strategies and action plans within WHO and/or UN agencies.Experience working in relevant nongovernmental, health cluster partners or humanitarian organizations.

Competencies

*Building and promoting partnerships across the Organization and beyond

*Communication

*Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences

Creating an empowering and motivating environment

Promoting WHO's position in health leadership

Teamwork

Functional Knowledge and Skills:

Demonstrated skills in and knowledge of the rapid response operations and their implementation in emergencies as related to public health, complemented by demonstrated ability to identify and manage difficult situations.Proven skills to manage multidisciplinary and multinational staff.Comprehensive knowledge of the theory, principles, methods and techniques of public health, communicable diseases and health service delivery.

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English. Expert knowledge of Ukrainian.
Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of any other UN languages