Important WHO job opportunity: Global governance structures for AMR-related work

Dear All,

Just below my signature, you will find the details of WHO’s search for a consultant to help them create the global governance for AMR-related work.

Sorting through the acronyms takes a bit of effort, but this role will sit at the heart of the global OneHealth agenda of the UN IACG (Interagency Coordination Group on Antimicrobial Resistance, link). In brief, this role is about creating and implementing a joined-up global governance structure for work by (i) the WHO GCP on AMR (Global Coordination and Partnership on Antimicrobial Resistance) department, (ii) the UN FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization, link), and (iii) OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health, link).

The contract is initially for 6 months but there is an option to extend. The deadline is 20 Aug 2020 for expressions of interest.

This looks like a really interesting role … could this be you?

All best wishes, –jr

John H. Rex, MD | Chief Medical Officer, F2G Ltd. | Operating Partner, Advent Life Sciences. Follow me on Twitter: @JohnRex_NewAbx. See past newsletters and subscribe for the future: https://amr.solutions/blog/. All opinions are my own.

All the details

Contract Type: Individual consultancy
Application deadline: 20 August 2020
Contact: Rosalie Edma
Email address: edmar@who.int
Consultancy reference: AMR/GCP/2020/7

  1. Purpose of the Consultancy: Provide strategic support and technical facilitation in the establishment of the global governance structures recommended by the United Nations Interagency Coordination Group on Antimicrobial Resistance in close consultation with the Tripartite Organizations and other UN and international agencies.          

                                                                                               

  1. Background: The Department of Global Coordination and Partnership (GCP) on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) leads and coordinates the global One Health response to AMR in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the Organisation of Animal Health (OIE), the United Nations (UN) as well as other agencies, civil society, and the private sector, towards a world free from  the suffering of drug-resistant infections. The Department has the following functions in line with WHO’s General Programme of Work to protect antimicrobials important for human health and mitigate drug-resistant infections: Leads the global One Health multisectoral response to AMR across the human, animal, plant, food, feed and environment sectors, through multisectoral engagement and interventions, and strengthening advocacy and awareness; Facilitates global coordination and interagency engagement and partnership for creation and sustenance of shared global vision and goals; Shapes the research and development agenda through innovation, priority setting and supporting global initiatives that enable the generation, translation and dissemination of knowledge; Facilitates, nurtures and scales up evidence-based interventions to enhance stewardship, awareness, and understanding of antimicrobial resistance across the One Health spectrum.

 

  1. Planned timelines: As soon as possible

 

  1. Work to be performed
  • Task 1. Support the establishment of the global governance structures on AMR in close collaboration with the Tripartite organizations and a wide range of stakeholders, including UN and other international organizations, member states, civil society and the private sector.
    • Activity 1.1.  Finalise terms of reference of the global governance structures on AMR through iterative process with stakeholders.
    • Activity 1.2. Support the establishment of the global governance structures on AMR and its structural elements and mechanisms based on the approved terms of reference. 
    • Activity 1.3.  Support the Tripartite Joint Secretariat on AMR in the effective operation of the global governance structures including assistance with organizing meetings and preparation of relevant materials and reports.

 

  • Task 2. Promote synergy and strategic alignment of the global governance structures on AMR and communicate their work to the broad range of stakeholder.
    • Activity 2.1. Support the Tripartite Joint Secretariat on AMR in facilitating effectiveness of the global governance processes to ensure synergy and complementarity, as well as continuous improvement.
    • Activity 2.2. Facilitate implementation of communication activities to strengthen the impact of the governance structures on the global AMR response.

 

  1. Specific requirements
  • Qualifications:                           
    • Essential: Master’s degree in Public Health, Medicine or social sciences.
  • WHO Competencies:
    • Communicating in a credible and effective way
    • Producing results
    • Knowing and managing yourself
    • Moving forward in a changing environment
  • Experience:
    • Essential: At least seven (7) years of experience in public health, communicable diseases or AMR.
  • Technical skills and knowledge:
    • Good analytical and presentation skills
    • Good organizational and communication skills
    • Demonstrated capacity to write and communicate in English
    • Ability to work as part of a team, and high level of interpersonal skills
  • Language requirements:
    • English – advanced level (read, write and speak).

 

  1. Place of assignment: Geneva, Switzerland

 

  1. Travel: When the department or office concerned determines that travel is necessary in order for the consultant to perform the work, a travel request will be raised and per diem will be applied as per WHO payment regulations.

 

  1. Fee rate, contract duration, timing of payments and performance evaluation: The remuneration will be based on a monthly fee in the range US$7,000 – US$9,000, depending on the selected consultant’s expertise and years of experience. This is in accordance with the WHO remuneration scales for international consultants. The daily fee will be agreed between WHO and the selected consultant in advance. The contract will cover a 6-month period with a possibility of extension. Payments will be made following satisfactory completion of a set of deliverables. Other terms and conditions of employment will be in accordance with WHO policy on the employment of consultants (details available upon request). For example, the consultant is responsible for ensuring that they have adequate health insurance (mandatory in Switzerland) and for obtaining any necessary visas and vaccinations required for travel. The consultant will also receive CHF 3,000 monthly per diem for living expenses in Geneva.

 

  1. Application deadline: Interested candidates should send their CV and motivation letter to edmar@who.int no later than 20 August 2020.

 
Additional Information section:

  • 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 will 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.
  • WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
  • WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
  • Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.

Current funding opportunities:

  • Novo REPAIR Impact Fund closed its most recent round on 31 Jul 2020. Go here for current details.
  • 2020 funding rounds for CARB-X have not been announced.
  • The Global AMR R&D Hub’s dynamic dashboard (link) summarizes funders and projects by geography, stage, and more.


Upcoming meetings of interest to the AMR community:

  • 17 Aug 2020 (online, 1-2.30p EST): ASM Microbe 2020, Industry & Science program. Go here for details.
  • 24-28 Aug 2020 (online, 9.45a-18.30p CEST daily): BEAM Alliance-sponsored AMR Conference. Go here for details.
  • September 2020. University of Sheffield (UK). Applications are being taken for a new 1-year (full-time) or 2-year (part-time) Masters of Science course in Antimicrobial Resistance. The program runs annually from September and covers microbiology, clinical practice and policy. The course webpage is here.
  • 9-10 Sep 2020 (Washington, DC): US PACCARB public meeting. Go here for details.
  • 21-25 Oct 2019 (online meeting), IDWeek 2020. Go here for details.
  • 26-29 Oct 2020 (online meeting), Annual ESPID meeting (European Society for Pediatric ID, #38)
  • 27 Oct 2020 (online meeting), BARDA Industry Day, a discussion of U.S. Government medical countermeasure priorities. Mark your calendar now and watch this website for details.
  • 10-13 Apr 2021 (Vienna): Annual ECCMID meeting (#31)
  • 18-21 May 2021 (Albuquerque, New Mexico): Biannual meeting of the MSGERC (Mycoses Study Group Education and Research Consortium). Save-the-date announcement is here, details to follow.
  • 20-24 June 2021 (Toronto): International Symposium on Pneumococci and Pneumococcal Diseases (ISPPD-12). Go here for details.
  • 3-7 Jun 2021 (Anaheim), ASM Microbe 2021. Go here for details.
  • 27 Jun-2 Jul 2021 (Ventura, CA): Gordon Research Conference entitled “Antimicrobial Peptides”. Go here for details, go here for the linked 26-27 Jun Gordon Research Seminar that precedes it.
  • 5-21 Aug 2021 (Marine Biology Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA): Residential course entitled “Molecular Mycology: Current Approaches to Fungal Pathogenesis.” This 2-week intensive training program has run annually for many years and gets outstanding reviews. Go here for details.
  • 8-11 Oct 2021 (Aberdeen, Scotland): 10th Trends in Medical Mycology. Go here for details.
  • 16-24 Oct 2021 (Annecy, France): Interdisciplinary Course on Antibiotics and Resistance (ICARe). This is a soup-to-nuts residential course on antibiotics, antibiotic resistance, and antibiotic R&D. The course is very intense, very detailed, and gets rave reviews. Registration is here and is limited to 40 students.
  • 6-11 Mar 2022 (Il Ciocco, Tuscany): Gordon Research Conference entitled “New Antibacterial Discovery and Development”. Go here for details, go here for the linked 5-6 Mar Gordon Research Seminar that precedes it.
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