Purpose of the Consultancy
Member States and WHO are using the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) to rapidly and efficiently share information on food safety events of an international nature in order to minimize the public impact of these events. The development and operations of INFOSAN are priorities for the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety. Additional support is required at the INFOSAN Secretariat in order to move several projects forward, many of which were identified during the Global INFOSAN Meeting in December 2019. In particular, there is a need for additional human resources to support INFOSAN members in Arabic-speaking countries. The consultant will assist with several priority projects undertaken by the INFOSAN Secretariat.
Background
INFOSAN links up all the national food safety authorities and other relevant national agencies in charge of managing food-safety events at the national level. The network is responsible for the development and maintenance of a network community website and tools to ensure effective international coordination and management of major food safety or food-related events, and to provide support to countries in strengthening their food safety surveillance and response capabilities in support of the IHR (2005) implementation.
Work to be performed
- Increase the number of active and engaged members registered on the INFOSAN Community Website, with a specific focus on Arabic-speaking countries.
- Support the INFOSAN Secretariat to identify and follow-up on food safety events, particularly involving countries in the Eastern-Mediterranean region.
Specific requirements
Qualifications required:
University degree in public health, life science, veterinary medicine, food safety, or other related areas.
Experience required:
- Experience working in the field of food safety or public health (required)
- Experience working with international organizations, including WHO or FAO (desirable)
- Experience working with INFOSAN (desirable)
Skills / Technical skills and knowledge:
- familiarity with food safety issues and international emergency response activities
- knowledge of INFOSAN and related activities
- ability to interact in a multidisciplinary and cross-cutting environment involving technical, cultural and political elements
- sound analytical and organizational skills
- excellent presentation and communication skills (in English and Arabic)
- proven ability to work and produce results under pressure in critical situations
- tact, diplomacy, and courtesy
- ability to work harmoniously as a member of a team, adapt to diverse cultural and educational backgrounds and maintain a high standard of personal conduct
Language requirements:
Essential: Expert knowledge of written and spoken English and Arabic
Dates and Duty Station
The consultant is intended to start in 1 July 2020 and will run through 31 December 2020. The consultant is expected to be based in Geneva, Switzerland (TBC). There may be a possibility to work remotely for part of this assignment given the COVID-19 pandemic and related travel restrictions
How to apply
Interested parties should prepare their CV in WHO format here: https://careers.who.int/careersection/ex/jobsearch.ftl then download the CV in PDF format and submit it to infosan@who.int with a short cover letter by 15 June 2020.