Technical Officer - Disaster Preparedness and Response

CARIBBEAN PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCY (CARPHA)

JOB DESCRIPTION PART A 1 Job Information Type of Contract: CORE Associate Consultant Title: Technical Officer, Disaster Preparedness & Response Department: Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control

Category Grade: P3 Duty Station: Trinidad & Tobago Date Prepared: March 11, 2026 First Level Supervision Director SDPC Second Level Supervision Executive Director Objective/Overview of the Programme

CARPHA’s mission is to provide strategic direction in analysing, defining and responding to the public health priorities of Member States, in order to prevent disease, promote health and respond to public health emergencies. To support solidarity in health, as one of the principal pillars of functional cooperation, in the Caribbean Community. 3 Organizational Context / Job purpose: (Job summary - a concise statement of the role’s overall purpose and how it contributes to CARPHA’s mandate, strategic objectives, and service delivery, the role of the individual within the team e.g. team member, specialist, advisor, facilitator, coordinator/manager, representative, expert, authority in the field, etc.) available guidelines and degree of independence, nature and purpose of contact within and outside the Organization.

Provide technical assistance and support to CARPHA, CARPHA Member States (CMS) and other key stakeholders with regard to disaster preparedness and response functions by leading/supporting rapid needs assessments and surge deployments, operationalizing CARPHA’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) procedures, as well as coordinating health-sector engagement across the Caribbean Development Partners Group (CDPG), Thematic Working Group (TWGs) and the regional response mechanism.

4 Key of Responsibilities (Main responsibilities. Use action verbs (e.g., Leads, Manages, Coordinates, Develops, Implements). Focus on results and outputs rather than tasks.

• Collaborate in the area of International Health Regulations (IHR), core capacity strengthening to assist CMSs to fulfil IHR (2005) obligations at the country level with a particular emphasis on strengthening public health preparedness for emergencies, disasters and epidemics including improving capacities for detection and rapid response to epidemics and other public health events of local and international concern.
• Support the coordination of the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA); use results to prioritize capability gaps and develop targeted capacity-building activities and simulation exercises.
• Design and deliver training in strategic operational planning for health emergencies, training-of-trainers cascades, regional simulation exercises, and After Action Reviews (AARs); convert lessons learned into actionable recommendations and follow-up workplans.
• Oversee the collection, analysis and dissemination of assessment and surveillance data during emergencies; maintain shared information products (needs lists, situation reports) and ensure timely reporting to the Caribbean Development Partners Group (CDPG), national authorities, and donors.
• Support the coordination and deployment as part of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA)-led Rapid Needs Assessment Teams (RNAT); design and maintain RNAT tools, train assessors, and ensure timely submission of assessment products to national authorities and partners.
• Serve as CARPHA’s focal point for CDEMA led coordination, Regional Response Mechanism, deployments for Disaster SOP etc, training, reports to operationalize the CDPG Health Thematic Working Group; convene preparedness and response meetings, maintain partner contact lists, and ensure effective linkages with Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), shelter, logistics, and other thematic working groups (TWGs).
• Support the standardization and formalization of CARPHA’s multi-hazard framework; translate strategic operation planning/Crisis Action Team (CAT) findings into prioritized workplans and operational SOPs for EOC activation, surge operations, and incident management.
• Maintain and expand CARPHA’s surge rosters and Rapid Response Teams (RRT); coordinate pre-deployment training, field hospital support, and technical deployments to Member States within agreed timelines (e.g., 72 hours on request).
• Perform other related duties as required or instructed, including providing administrative support to other areas of work and departments or teams as assigned.
• The list of duties in the job description should not be regarded as exclusive or exhaustive. There will be other duties and requirements associated with your job and, in addition, as a term of your employment you may be required to undertake various other duties as may reasonably be required.

5 Expected Outputs: (Define tangible and measurable deliverables linked to CARPHA’s goals, e.g.: technical reports, policy briefs, laboratory analyses, training sessions, improved service delivery outcomes, compliance with quality standards (ISO, WHO/PAHO, CARICOM), and capacity-building contributions.)

• Increased capacity of CARPHA Member States (CMS) in preparedness and response to disasters and public health emergencies by delivering targeted training, providing technical guidance, and implementing simulation exercises, as measured by improved national emergency response plan scores and post-training evaluation results.
• After Action Reviews (AAR) in CARPHA and CARPHA Member State (CMS) affected by a disaster as required.
• Increased human resource capacity in Rapid Response Teams (RRT) in CARPHA Member States (CMS). This can be done in collaboration with the Field Epidemiology Laboratory Training Programme (FELTP).
• Deployments to CARPHA Member States (CMS) affected by a disaster, providing technical support within 72 hours of the official request and contributing to documented response actions in post-mission reports.
• Coordination and execution of regional simulation exercises involving CARPHA Member States (CMS),
• Coordinate and conduct regional exercises on the activation and deactivation of the CARPHA Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) in collaboration with CMS.
• Developed and updated regional/CARPHA preparedness response documents including frameworks, roadmaps, plans and relevant Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). 7 Technical Expertise (List and describe, in order of priority, the abilities required to perform the job, including technical, managerial and soft skills required.)
• Ability to execute critical and swift needs evaluation during emergencies.
• Proficiency in conducting risk assessments, hazard identification and vulnerability analysis.
• Understanding of Public Health Emergency management systems, frameworks, and protocols e.g. IHR 2005 and WHO Response Framework.
• Expertise in relation to regional and international standards for emergency response.
• Knowledge of cross-functional collaboration in multi-agency coordination, and understanding of partnership building with local, regional and international emergency response. Education (Qualifications)

Essential: Bachelor’s degree in Public Health or other relevant/related discipline.

Desirable: Master’s degree in Public Health, Disaster Risk Management, Epidemiology, or a related area. Relevant specialist knowledge or expertise acquired in public health, communicable diseases and epidemiology and or outbreak investigation.

PART B KEY BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES List and describe essential competencies to perform the job

6 COMPETENCY DESCRIPTION Leadership & Management Demonstrates the ability to guide, motivate, and empower others to achieve high performance while modelling CARPHA’s values. Encourages continuous learning, provides constructive feedback, and supports the growth and development of self and others. Fosters an inclusive, accountable, and results-oriented environment that enables teams to excel. Communication and Collaboration Communicates clearly, respectfully, and professionally with cultural sensitivity to support effective information sharing across teams, departments, and Member States; tailors messages to different audiences. Works cooperatively across departments, campuses, and Member States; values diverse perspectives; builds relationships that support shared goals. Results Orientation and Accountability Delivers expected outputs on time and to established department standards; takes ownership of tasks; follows through on commitments. Problem Solving and Analytical Thinking Uses evidence, sound judgment, and innovative approaches to identify and resolve challenges. Customer Focus and Service Excellence Shows commitment to understanding and responding to the needs of Member States and stakeholders. Provides timely, professional, and courteous support while upholding CARPHA’s service standards. Proactively seeks opportunities to improve service quality and strengthen stakeholder trust. Integrity and Professional Ethics Acts with honesty, transparency, and fairness, ensuring confidentiality and trust in the organisation. Adaptability and Resilience Responds positively to change, ambiguity, and crisis conditions; remains productive under pressure.

Experience

At least 3–5 years of progressively responsible experience in disaster management, or related field.

Languages

Proficiency in English (spoken and written). Working knowledge of French or Spanish will be an asset. IT Skills

Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) or equivalent. Strong Excel skills for data entry, analysis, and reporting (pivot tables, charts, conditional formatting).

Demonstrated ability to manage the use of web conferencing platforms such as Zoom, Webex, GoTo Meetings etc. Scope and Complexity

This post is of high complexity at a technical level. The incumbent is required to:

• Support to CARPHA, CARPHA Member States and other key stakeholders with regard to epidemic preparedness, capacity building and response to communicable disease outbreaks, natural disasters and other public health events
• Support the implementation of the International Health Regulations. Functional Relationships

Internal: Head of Emergency Preparedness and Response Department, Other Surveillance Units, Laboratory Services, Monitoring & Evaluation, Communication. External: Member States/Ministries of Health, Regional and International health networks and partners such as CARICOM, OECS, PAHO, WHO, CDC, Universities, Hospitals.

Authority (Specify the areas where the jobholder has decision-making authority and where higher approval is required.)

• Timely operational decisions in urgent cases.
• Provides expert technical recommendations on disaster preparedness, surveillance, and response strategies to internal teams and Member States. Accountability
• Mobilize resources by initiating, developing, maintaining and leveraging partnerships with key stakeholders and communities related to health emergencies.
• Accountable for programme performance and compliance standards.

16 Working Conditions (Describe whether the job is office-based, requires travel, fieldwork, or exposure to health and safety risks)

• Moderate to low resource environments with high potential for health hazards.
• Based in an office environment at the Agency headquarters.
• Travel requirements to Member States and other applicable locations.
• On-the-ground fieldwork requirements. Problem Solving Requirements
• Ability to analyze disasters as well as complex and rapidly evolving public health emergencies including those in low resource environments to recommend evidence based response strategies.
• Competence in balancing competing priorities and developing pragmatic solutions in emergency situations.
• Ability to apply judgement in adapting appropriate regional or international framework in response to emergencies.

18 Communication & Influence (Indicate the level of interaction, stakeholder engagement, advocacy, and representation at regional/international levels)

• Ongoing engagement with internal technical teams and relevant stakeholders providing technical input for decision making processes.
• Stakeholder engagement in emergencies: Liaise with Ministries of Health, emergency response units and surveillance units to support response readiness.
• Excellent communication skills required, with experience in disseminating information via written reports and presentations to a wide range of audiences to advocate for the Agency in resource mobilization.
• Represent the Agency at regional and international meetings, technical working groups or other forums as required. 19 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) (Specify the metrics used to measure the role’s success (timeliness, quality, efficiency, impact, compliance)
• Coordinate and conduct a regional exercise on the activation and deactivation of the CARPHA Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), engaging representatives from all relevant CARPHA units and achieving at least 80% compliance with established EOC procedures, as documented in the post-exercise evaluation report in keeping with established timelines.
• Coordinate and execute a regional simulation exercise involving four CARPHA Member States (CMS), ensuring participation from at least 80% of targeted national agencies, and produce an evaluation report with identified strengths and areas for improvement within 30 days of the exercise by established year-end timeline.
• Participate in at least one deployment to each CARPHA Member State (CMS) affected by a disaster, providing technical support within 72 hours of the official request and contributing to documented response actions in post-mission reports within agreed timeframe.
• Consistent with established timeframe, increase human resource capacity in Rapid Response Teams (RRT) in two CARPHA Member States (CMS) by training at least 10 additional team members per country, achieving a minimum of 85% competency in post-training assessments. This can be done in collaboration with FELTP Coordinate and complete an After-Action Review (AAR) in each CARPHA Member State (CMS) affected by a disaster, ensuring stakeholder participation from at least 80% of relevant agencies, and produce a final report with actionable recommendations within 60 days of the review.
• Increase the capacity of four CARPHA Member States (CMS) in preparedness and response to public health emergencies by delivering targeted training, providing technical guidance, and implementing simulation exercises, as measured by improved national emergency response plan scores and post-training evaluation results in keeping with agreed targets. 20 Supervision & Leadership (Describe the number and type of staff supervised, guidance provided, and leadership responsibilities.)
• No direct reporting requirements
• The incumbent may be required to coordinate teams and provide technical guidance. Coordinate within department and other departments and lead agreed activities in the area of emergency preparedness and response. 21 Validation/ Approvals First Level Supervisor: Signature: Date: March 11, 2026 Second Level Supervisor: Signature: Date: March 11, 2026 Executive Director: Signature: Date: March 11, 2026