Advisor, Workers’ Health

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Under the general supervision of the Director, Social and Environmental Determinants for Health Equity (DHE), and the direct supervision of the Unit Chief, Health Promotion and Social Determinants plus Health Legislation (DHE/HP), the incumbent is responsible for, but not necessarily limited to, the following assigned duties:

1. Provide technical, strategic and programmatic advice and direct technical cooperation for the implementation of the Organization’s mandates on worker’s health as approved by the Governing Bodies, and monitor and report on their progress on a regular basis;
2. Advocate for and support Member States in the design, implementation and evaluation of strategies and plans on workers’ health at national level and the creation or reinforcement of National Committees or councils for workers’ health, with specific attention to addressing the inequities;
3. Promote intersectoral spaces and initiatives at regional, subregional, national and subnational level to respond to the needs of workers, taking into account the important changes in the organization of work resulting from the pandemic;
4. Provide strategic guidance and technical cooperation to advance and increase the coverage of social protection, social security and occupational health for all workers in the region with a particular focus on underserved workers and those in the informal economy;
5. Address the new challenges of the world of work associated with the change in the organization of work, such as job insecurity, Gig economy; the ageing of the working population; the automation of labor processes, artificial intelligence, and those associated with climate change.
6. Advocate and provide advice and technical cooperation for the inclusion of workers’ health as an integral component in the implementation of public health and the Primary Health Care approach, aiming to provide access to health and health services to all workers, including those in the informal workforce, migrants, and other underserved populations;
7. Support the planning, implementation, and evaluation of workers’ health programs, particularly but not exclusively for the following economic sectors - health care, agriculture, and mining;
8. Support and promote participation of workers and their unions and organizations in planning and implementation of programs and actions;
9. Strengthen institutional and human resource capacities for addressing workers’ health in Member States, particularly in the Ministries of Health;
10. Establish mechanisms of coordination and collaboration within the Organization, particularly with Social Determinants of Health and Health Promotion programs, and with ILO, ISSA, OISS and other international organizations active in improving works health, employment conditions and addressing social determinants of health;
11. Maintain a dynamic network of experts across PAHO and with outside partners, including the Network of PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centers on Occupational Health, to further workers health in the region;
12. Support member states in the surveillance, prevention and control of key occupational diseases, particularly but not limited to chronic kidney disease of non-traditional origin (CKDnT), silicosis and poisoning of pesticides and diseases associated;
13. Support Member States in promoting healthy work and health promotion in the Workplace (as a key health promoting setting);
14. Support and advise Member States, in coordination with relevant internal and external partners, on the development and strengthening of information and surveillance systems with evidence-based indicators of work and employment, risks and protective factors that contribute to improve workers’ health and their quality of life;
15. Promote research and develop innovative approaches for Workers’ Health with academic institutions, research centers and knowledge networks and coordinate the collection and dissemination of evidence-based technical and scientific information; prepare, write and disseminate technical reports, position papers, literature reviews and technical documents on workers’ health;
16. Identify and disseminate knowledge and experiences as well as lessons learned using Workers’ Health approaches to encourage greater exchange and collaboration among countries and other regions of WHO;
17. Represent the Organization in technical meetings, seminars, congresses and academic events in the area of workers’ health;
18. Lead the Organization’s efforts to mobilize resources to support Workers’ Health programs and initiatives;
19. Collaborate in the preparation of the Biennial Work Plan (BWP) and other corporate planning processes;
20. When called upon to directly supervise staff, establish clear work objectives, conduct timely and effective performance appraisals, provide coaching and feedback, and support staff development opportunities;
21. Perform other related duties, as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

Essential: A bachelor’s degree in a health, social or behavioral science and a master’s degree in occupational health, public health, international health and/or development and health policy, or in any other area related to the functions of the post, from an accredited university. PhD in public health or related areas will be well evaluated.

Experience:

Essential: Nine years of combined national and international technical and managerial experience in developing and implementing health strategies and policies in the area of workers’ health, employment conditions and social protection at national and international levels, in particular collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and/or Ministry of Labor.

Desirable: Experience working in different cultural contexts and/or experience working with an international health agency and experience working with workers’ unions would be an asset.

SKILLS:

Overall attitude at work: Maintains integrity and takes a clear ethical approach and stance; demonstrates commitment to the Organization’s mandate and promotes the values of the Organization in daily work and behavior; is accountable for work carried out in line with own role and responsibilities; is respectful towards, and trusted by, colleagues and counterparts.

Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences: Relate well to diversity in others and capitalize on such diversity - Relates well to diversity in others and capitalizes on such diversity. Treats all people with dignity and respect. Relates well to people with different cultures, gender, orientations, backgrounds and/or positions; examines own behavior to avoid stereotypical responses; considers issues from the perspective of others and values their diversity.

Teamwork: Collaborate and cooperate with others - Works collaboratively with team members and counterparts to achieve and build rapport; helps others when asked; accepts joint responsibility for the team’s successes and shortcomings.

Communication: Share knowledge - Shares relevant information openly and ensures that the shared information is understood; considers knowledge sharing as a constructive working method and demonstrates awareness of the Organization.

Producing Results: Work efficiently and independently/Deliver quality results - Monitors own and others’ work in a systematic and effective way, ensuring required resources and outputs. Aligns projects with Organization’s mission and objectives. Consistently solves own and team’s problems effectively as needed. Proactively engages in projects and initiatives, accepting demanding goals, in line with Organizational Strategies and Program of Work. Demonstrates accountability for work of team and sets an example, while explicitly articulating lessons learnt for own and team’s benefit.

Ensuring effective use of resources: Strategize and set clear objectives/Monitor progress and use resources well - Sets specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely objectives for own team and/or the Organization; systematically analyses and anticipates priority projects for own team and allocates necessary resources to achieve them; identifies the cross-Organizational resources needed for large-scale projects in line with key Organizational objectives. Anticipates foreseeable changes and adapts own and team’s projects in the face of unforeseen circumstances and/or challenges; creates measures and criteria to monitor progress of overall projects against key Organizational objectives; creates cost-effective solutions for the Organization.

Building and promoting partnerships across the Organization and beyond: Develop networks and partnerships and encourage collaboration - Builds and negotiates strategic partnerships and alliances with a wide range of key stakeholders to ensure Organizational results and success. Creates innovative opportunities for promoting synergies inside and outside the Organization to improve Organizational success.

Technical Expertise:

·Excellent knowledge and skills on the theory and practice of workers’ health with an understanding of the history of workers’ health, employment conditions, work/labor and social protection labor markets in the Region of the Americas and the current and future trends and opportunities for strategically advancing in this field.

·Excellent knowledge, technical expertise and skills in public health, workers’ health, working and employment conditions and social protection with concrete experience in the development and implementation of health policies, strategies, and programs; expertise on intersectoral collaboration, working with multiple sectors, including government (health, labor, social protection), workers and employers’ organizations, community and academic institutions.

·Excellent knowledge and understanding of health and development issues such as social determinants of health and health equity, as they apply to workers’ health in the Region of the Americas.

·Managerial, leadership and advocacy skills for the development, implementation and analysis of technical cooperation programs and activities, including budget programming and control.

·Program and project management skills (program and project planning, implementation, evaluation and reporting).

·Strong knowledge and skills in resource mobilization.

·Research expertise; ability to apply quantitative and qualitative methodologies and research, and skills for documenting problems, solutions, outcomes, successful stories and lessons learnt.

·Ability to analyze social determinants of health as they apply to employment and working condition and workers, and to develop and plan innovative and appropriate interventions to address them.

·Strong professional oral and writing skills, including the development of reports, oral presentations, and technical/persuasive documents for consideration at the highest levels of the Organization.

Languages:

Very good knowledge of English or Spanish with a working knowledge of the other language. Knowledge of French or Portuguese would be an asset.

IT Skills:

Demonstrated ability to effectively use current technology and software, spreadsheets, and presentations, as well as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and management information systems. Other IT skills and knowledge of software programs such as Microsoft Excel, Stata, SPSS, Outlook, OneDrive, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint, and Word are considered essential.