The objective of the WHO Health Emergencies Preparedness and Response Programme is to safeguard global health security by strengthening the capacity of all countries and communities to prevent, prepare for, detect, and respond to a broad spectrum of health emergencies. This includes building resilient health systems, reinforcing core capacities under the International Health Regulations (IHR), advancing surveillance and laboratory networks, developing a skilled healthcare workforce, and ensuring rapid and equitable access to countermeasures. Working across all three levels of WHO and with a wide range of partners, the Programme leads coordinated risk reduction, response, and recovery efforts, anchored in inclusivity, equity, and sustainability, and promotes cross-sector collaboration to address diverse risks and vulnerabilities within a cohesive global framework. The WHE Project and Change Management Office (PCMO) is a strategic enabler for WHE, working across internal and external business units to capture business needs, define appropriate projects and manage them to address the identified requirements through new and established collaborations and relationships. The PCMO ensures proper set-up of programmes and projects, assignment of capable project managers (and other resources) to agreed initiatives, establishment of proper project governance structures and timely monitoring of financial and technical progress. The PCMO ensures that all projects are managed effectively, aligning with and influencing WHO standard project management methodology as appropriate in order to deliver them according to expectations, on time, and on-budget with a change management approach.
Manage a team of project managers, change managers, project support officers and other relevant resources by ensuring their application of the established project management methodology and standards, effective management of scope-time-resource triple constraint, quality delivery of expected outcomes and outputs, and active engagement with stakeholders.
Perform change management and mapping of customer experience journeys in projects, products, and services. Work closely with business units to define their change management approach, identify and plan for impact on business operating model, and design their training approach and continuous user adoption.
Manage, improve and expand the WHE portfolio of projects by creating visibility on project plans, status, dependencies, collaborations, risks, and issues. Actively manage and track status and milestones across projects. Ensure timely, relevant, and sufficient reporting to senior management in order to make informed decisions.
Oversee the WHE Digital Ecosystem ensuring coherence, impact, value for money and strategic alignment.
Monitor the performance and support the implementation of strategic cross-cutting projects such as the Pandemic Fund.
Drive and lead the implementation and operation of a project management discipline and culture across WHE by promoting a standard project management methodology, establishing relevant governance mechanisms, encouraging the use of templates, establishing a project management platform for sharing and collaboration, providing guidance on executing projects, and enforcing tracking and reporting of progress.
Provide strategic analysis and guidance to the EXD and leadership team on elements related to portfolio management and strategic delivery.
Serve as the principal advisor on data, digital, and platform matters to WHE leadership, programme teams, and cross-divisional counterparts. Provide structured, evidence-based guidance on digital architecture, technology selection, data strategy, and digital transformation. Represent WHE's digital and data interests in inter-agency and external forums as required
Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor.
Essential:
An advanced level university degree (Master's level degree) in Business Administration, Project Management, Engineering, Computer Science or related discipline.
Professional qualification or foundation certification in project management methodologies such as PMI and Prince 2.
Desirable:
Training in Software Development Life Cycles, ITIL 4 or other technology related methodologies.
Certification or formal training in enterprise architecture, data governance, or digital health (e.g. TOGAF, DAMA-DMBOK, or equivalent).
Essential:
At least 10 years of professional experience in portfolio, programme and project planning, management and successful delivery of complex cross functional or interdependent projects, some of which should be at the international level.
Demonstrated professional experience working with senior- level or executive-level management.
Proven experience in leading and managing a Project Management Office (global or local) or managing large scale and complex programmes.
Proven experience in implementing tracking systems, reporting mechanisms and operational improvement initiatives.
Demonstrated experience defining and implementing a data or digital strategy at programme or organizational level.
Experience in digital ecosystem governance, including platform lifecycle management, data architecture, and interoperability.
Successful experience working, adapting and delivering results in fast-paced and rapidly shifting environments such as health emergencies.
Desirable:
Experience in management consulting.
Experience in managing complex projects within a UN and health context with an understanding of public health surveillance and intelligence concepts.
Experience in change management, quality assurance, and communications.
Proven leadership skills and decision making; proven skills in the areas of Project and Portfolio Management, planning, organizing, budget, and finance with careful attention to detail to continuously monitor progress, actions and initiatives.
Ability to adapt and manage deliverables and resources in a climate of change and to think and act quickly, sometimes under pressure, yet remain effective.
Ability to effectively collaborate with teams in an international, multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary and cross-sectoral environment; separated by geographical locations and working under different time-zones.
Ability to promote best practices with pragmatic implementation, advise on improvements, independently perform research, and apply information from a broad range of sources.
Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to influence, negotiate, advocate, motivate, resolve conflict, and adapt relevant leadership styles to a variety of situations.
Excellent communication (both oral and written), problem solving and analytical skills.
Strong supervisory, organizational, management, and consultancy skills.
Proactive, flexible, resourceful and able to work independently with limited supervision.
Demonstrated ability to develop and communicate data and digital strategy to diverse audiences, including non-technical senior leaders.
Familiarity with emerging technologies relevant to health emergencies, including AI/ML applications, interoperability platforms, and cloud-based infrastructure.
Teamwork
Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
Communication
Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond
Driving the Organization to a Successful Future
Creating an empowering and motivating environment
Essential: Expert knowledge of English.
Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of French. Intermediate knowledge of Other WHO Language.
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 103,165 (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 7462 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.
Staff members separated due to the 2025 Prioritization and Realignment Process will receive special consideration according to the applicable regulatory framework.
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.
The Director-General retains the discretion to not make any appointment to this vacancy, to make an appointment at a lower grade, or to make an appointment with a modified job description, including shortening the duration of the appointment.
Staff members in other duty stations are encouraged to apply.
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WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its staff. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply.
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