National Infectious disease surveillance consultant

..Purpose of consultancy

The consultant will contribute to strengthening the infectious disease surveillance system in Ukraine, including indicator- and event-based surveillance systems, through capacity-building interventions and the development of national guidance.

Background

Since the full-scale war in Ukraine on 24 February 2022, widespread population displacement, damage to infrastructure, and disruptions to essential health services have significantly increased the country’s vulnerability to infectious disease threats. In such a complex humanitarian environment, maintaining and strengthening national public health surveillance systems is critical for early detection of outbreaks, monitoring disease trends, and timely implementation of control measures. Effective surveillance is fundamental to minimizing the health impact of outbreak-prone diseases and protecting population health.

Deliverables

 Deliverable 1. Co-facilitation of event-based surveillance (EBS) and Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) training for regional Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (rCDCs). The consultant will deliver selected presentations, co-facilitate at least two training sessions, and prepare and submit key observations and recommendations.
Expected by 31 October 2026.
Deliverable 2. Support preparation for the technical discussion event on draft blood safety regulations in Transfusion-Transmitted Infections (TTI) surveillance. The consultant will prepare the committal documents, co-facilitate group work sessions, and submit a summary report that includes key observations and recommendations for next steps.
Expected by: 31 November 2026.
Deliverable 3. Support the implementation of the national simulation exercise (drill) on preparedness and response to water-related infectious disease. The consultant should prepare materials for and deliver selected sessions and submit a final technical report with recommendations.
Expected by: 31 December 2026.
Deliverable 4. Assist in the organization and co-facilitation of electronic surveillance system (ESS) data analytics and visualization training sessions for rCDC epidemiologists in priority regions according to the developed training plan; deliver at least 6 training sessions and prepare a summary report.
Expected by: 28 February 2027. 
Deliverable 5. Co-facilitation of joint training activities on the surveillance of priority diseases, conducted in collaboration with the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine (UPHC). The consultant will prepare presentations in line with WHO recommendations, co-facilitate sessions, and submit a report with key observations and recommendations.
Expected by: 31 March 2027.
Deliverable 6. Co-facilitate the delivery of rapid risk assessment (RRA) training for rCDCs’ emergency response departments. The consultant should analyze current gaps in the preparation of RRA reports, develop training materials to improve understanding, and co-facilitate training sessions on the topic.
Expected by: 31 May 2027.
Deliverable 7. Support the delivery of the national workshop on Early Warning, Alert, and Response (EWAR). The consultant should review the available materials, develop additional materials to enrich the sessions, co-facilitate the workshop, and submit a summary report. 
Expected by: 31 July 2027.
Deliverable 8. Review and update the Rapid Response Teams (RRT) framework legislation and activation and deployment standard operational procedures (SOPs). The drafts should be developed in consultation with UPHC to ensure practicability and adoption by rCDCs.
Expected by: 31 August 2027.

Qualifications, experience, skills, and languages

Educational Qualifications

Essential: University degree in Medicine, Epidemiology, public health, or another related field from an accredited/recognized institute. 
Desirable: Graduation from a Field Epidemiology Training Program

Experience

Essential: minimum 3 years of experience working at the national and/or international levels, in areas related to surveillance, epidemiology, public health, or related fields
Desirable: relevant experience in the WHO or another UN agency

Skills/Knowledge

Essential: Proven skills in delivering training sessions and co-facilitating events, including group sessions. Sound knowledge of global infectious disease surveillance and outbreak investigation standards, national reporting regulations, epidemiology, and public health context.

Languages and level required:

Essential: Ukrainian (Expert), English (Expert)

Location 

On-site: Kyiv, Ukraine

Travel

The consultant is expected to travel

Remuneration

Contract total value: 39600 USD 
Monthly rate, daily rate and numbers of the days: 3600 USD/month, daily rate 180 UDS, 20 days/month (220 days total)
Consultant pay band range: NO-B
Terms of payment: payment will be made monthly after the Technical Report is provided and approved by the Responsible Officer.

Expected duration of contract 

Target Start Date: 02 October 2026
Target end date: 31 August 2027
Contract Duration (Years, Months, Days): 11 months

Additional Information:

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for 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.
•  For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
• The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits workforce regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics. 
  The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its workforce. 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 for WHO jobs. 
  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  reasonableaccommodation@who.int 
• 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 the WHO Values Charter (https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/our-values) into practice.
• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of short-listed candidates.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority. 
• WHO shall have no responsibility for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.
• Please note that WHO’s contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Staff Health and Wellbeing Services (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at shws@who.int.
• In case the recruitment website does not display properly, please retry by: (i) checking that you have the latest version of the browser installed (Chrome, Edge or Firefox); (ii) clearing your browser history and opening the site in a new browser (not a new tab within the same browser); or (iii) retry accessing the website using Mozilla Firefox browser or using another device. Click the link for detailed guidance on completing job applications: Instructions for candidates