Health Workforce Specialist

Job Posting Organization:
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. Established on April 7, 1948, WHO's mission is to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve vulnerable populations. With over 7,000 employees in more than 150 countries, WHO operates in various regions to address global health challenges and improve health systems worldwide. The organization focuses on ensuring that everyone has access to competent health workers and sustainable health systems, contributing to a healthier future for all.

Job Overview:
The Health Workforce Specialist position is integral to the WHO Academy's mission of enhancing health workforce capacity globally. The role involves promoting best practices in health workforce interventions, supporting the development of tools for improving technical capacity in health workforce international mobility, and contributing to the normative and technical work related to the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel. The specialist will engage in operational research to deepen the understanding of health personnel migration and will prepare technical documents and policy analyses on health workforce development. This position requires collaboration with various stakeholders, including national governments and international agencies, to advocate for health workforce development and resource mobilization.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Promote best practices for health workforce interventions in alignment with health care delivery systems and public health programs.
• Develop and draft tools to enhance technical capacity regarding health workforce international mobility.
• Contribute to the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel, including policy guidance and progress reporting.
• Provide implementation support for projects funded towards the realization of the WHO Code of Practice, including technical and financial reporting to donors.
• Conduct operational research to analyze international migration of health personnel and develop appropriate policy responses.
• Prepare drafts of technical documents and flagship reports on health workforce development, including migration and governance issues.
• Follow up on the dissemination and implementation of WHO recommendations and technical reports.
• Provide technical support for capacity building in health workforce management at global, regional, and country levels.
• Collaborate with countries on health workforce issues, focusing on migration. 1
• Organize and follow up on global meetings and events related to health workforce development.

Required Qualifications:
Essential qualifications include a first university degree in health sciences, economics, international relations, law" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">international law, or a relevant field. Desirable qualifications include an advanced university degree in health sciences or law. Candidates must demonstrate a strong technical background in human resources for health and health system strengthening, with knowledge of policy and technical cooperation on health workforce international mobility being an asset. Skills in research, writing policy reports, and program implementation are also essential.

Educational Background:
Candidates must possess at least a first university degree in a relevant field such as health sciences, economics, international relations, or international law. An advanced degree in health sciences or law is desirable, indicating a higher level of expertise in the field.

Experience:
Candidates should have a minimum of five years of progressive professional experience in health system strengthening, management, education, and regulation of health personnel at both national and international levels. Experience should include a demonstrable focus on human resources for health and international mobility of health personnel. Desirable experience includes working on collaborative projects with United Nations agencies or international organizations.

Languages:
Expert knowledge of English is essential for this position. Intermediate knowledge of other WHO languages such as French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, or Chinese is desirable, enhancing communication and collaboration in a multilingual environment.

Additional Notes:
The position offers a competitive salary starting at USD 70,212 annually, with additional benefits including a variable post adjustment reflecting the cost of living, 30 days of annual leave, allowances for dependent family members, home leave, and an education grant for dependent children. The position may involve a written test and/or video assessment as part of the screening process. Candidates must provide scanned copies of required degrees and certificates prior to the interview. WHO emphasizes diversity and inclusion in its hiring practices and encourages applications from women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of underrepresented Member States. The organization has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and abuse, and candidates must adhere to high ethical standards.