Senior Public Health and Policy Specialist

The Palestinian Authority has decided to establish a Palestinian National Institute of Public Health (PNIPH) following a feasibility study undertaken by the World Health Organization (WHO). The PNIPH will undertake health surveillance, data analysis and research in order to provide science-based information and advice on health issues to the PA and Palestinian civil society and will also have a role in training and capacity building for the health sector. WHO has been given the responsibility to establish the PNIPH in partnership with the PA Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health over a two year period to February 2014 with funding from the Norwegian Government. Once it is established as a legal entity with a governing body, the PNIPH will be a semi-autonomous government body within the Palestinian Authority, fully accountable for its own staff, its professional and technical responsibilities and its budget.

The WHO office for West Bank and Gaza is recruiting a national project team to start the work of establishing the Institute and build up its initial core functions. We are currently recruiting for six temporary posts. Brief descriptions of these posts are below. Inquiries and Applications must be submitted by June 20, 2012 to [email protected]. Applications must be in English and include your CV and covering letter. Secondments will be considered. Only Palestinians are eligible to apply.

Organizational Context
Under the supervision of the WHO Head of Office and the Project Manager, the incumbent will be responsible for the specified assigned duties described below in collaboration with the rest of the project team.

The incumbent will be based at the new premises for the PNIPH in Ramallah, West Bank, but will have extensive contact with the WHO office in Jerusalem and with other stakeholders to carry out the functions.

Purpose of the Post
- To analyze, interpret and present public health information in order to provide advice to policy makers

Organizational Context
Under the supervision of the WHO Head of Office and the Project Manager, the incumbent will be responsible for the specified assigned duties described below in collaboration with the rest of the project team.

The incumbent will be based at the new premises for the PNIPH in Ramallah, West Bank, but will have extensive contact with the WHO office in Jerusalem and with other stakeholders to carry out the functions.

Purpose of the Post
-To analyze, interpret and present public health information in order to provide advice to policy makers

Description of duties
The incumbent will perform the following duties
-Lead the work in analysis, interpretation and presentation of available public health information
-Build a team to carry out these functions with the capacity to provide policy advice on a range of public health issues
-Work closely with stakeholders to develop capacity in policy analysis
-In close collaboration with Palestinian Health Information Centre and other stakeholders, elaborate on the results presented in the annual report in prioritized areas
-Participate in the development of the core functions of the Institute, providing technical guidance and support and high quality outputs
-Perform research and tutor others on public health issues
-Initiate the further development of public health functions at the Institute

Duration of contract
-Temporary appointment for 12 months with a possibility of extension

Recruitment Profile

Education
Essential:
-Masters Degree in public health or epidemiology or health statistics or related field

Desirable:
-PhD in one of the above subjects
-Medical Doctor

Skills
Competencies
1)Producing results
2)Fostering integration & team work
3)Creating an empowering and motivating environment
4)Building and promoting partnerships across the Organization and beyond
5)Communicating in a credible and effective manner

Functional Skills and Knowledge
-Ability to evaluate and interpret public health data
-Ability to initiate research and development of new projects
-Knowledge of public health including epidemiology, health data analysis and research
-Excellent drafting skills
-Ability to work in a team, to lead and gain assistance of others in a team endeavour
-Excellent communication and inter-personal skills and cultural sensitivity

Other skills (e.g. IT):
-MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
-Preferably also statistical programmes like STATA, SPSS, R or other

Experience
Essential:
-At least 7 years of work experience combined at national and/or international level in the field of public health
-Experience in analysing, interpreting and presenting public health data

Eligibility
Only Palestinian Nationals are eligible to apply

Languages
Fluency in English and Arabic