Occupational Health & Safety Officer

The Occupational Health & Safety Officer is responsible for implementing and monitoring compliance to preventive medical actions and responses based on recommended mitigation measures for mandatory health support elements and disease outbreak/crisis. The role includes coordinating medical evacuations, facilitating health interventions, and ensuring health risk management recommendations are implemented for UN personnel in Uganda.

Responsibilities

• Act as in-country focal point for all medical emergency or MEDEVAC questions and requests.
• Provide ongoing in-country operational, logistics and administrative support for the MEDEVAC operations from field locations to advanced care centers.
• Be available 24/7 to facilitate communication between the requestor, local authorities, Medical Services of various agencies, staff counsellors, security and international stakeholders.
• Facilitate in-country medical referrals and coordination of medical care for personnel and dependents requiring acute, life-threatening, or specialized care.
• Collaborate with UN Senior/Regional Medical Officers or Medical Advisers on clinical management and MEDEVAC and follow-up care.
• Manage communication with health care providers to ensure clinical management and contact tracing of workplace exposures.
• Monitor number of personnel seeking occupational health services in recommended health facilities.
• Organize health education and health promotion activities.
• Organize/participate in addressing work environment and occupational health issues.
• Perform Duty Station Health Risk Assessments and Mandatory Health Support Elements assessment in new duty stations.
• Coordinate, facilitate and monitor implementation of the Health Support Plan for duty stations.
• Update the MHSE Status and the Health Support Plan for duty stations in Uganda.
• Conduct assessment of local health care facilities and develop or update medical referral pathways.
• Develop and update standard operating procedures for medical evacuation plans.
• Collaborate with UNDSS and the UN Security Cell on medical referral pathways into CASEVAC, MEDEVAC and Mass Casualty Incident plans.
• Ensure coordination of medical support for emergency medical response including Mass Casualty Incidents.
• Assist Administration in drafting and implementation of business continuity and crises preparedness plans.
• Establish and maintain medical referral pathways and identify referral centers for secondary or tertiary care.
• Support development and implementation of in-country training materials as per Security Risk Management Plan.
• Support implementation of health aspect of road safety elements.
• Provide advice on medical coordination matters to Operations Management Team, UN Country Team and UN Resident Coordinator.
• Prepare situational updates and monthly reports to relevant stakeholders.
• Collaborate with Procurement/Supply Unit on contracts related to health services or equipment.
• Monitor compliance of vendors to patient safety and quality standards.
• Coordinate health promotion including vaccination campaigns where applicable.
• Attend Medical Service, DHMOSH, UNMD and relevant meetings or briefing sessions.
• Participate in Health Sector Coordination meetings.
• Provide advice on health and medical services and developments in Uganda and neighboring areas.
• Support implementation of context specific mental health plan in liaison with Staff Counsellors.
• Ensure medical confidentiality and proper release of medical records.
• Maintain medical case records in the medical database.
• Plan based on Health Support Coordination Unit objectives and prepare budgets and reports.
• Develop and report key performance indicators documenting health support performance.
• Undertake regular coordination with the UN Medical Directors through Medical Service.
• Oversee workplace health and medical service communication products and liaison with external actors.
• Brief and advise UNRC, OMT and UN senior management on healthcare matters including health policies and crisis response.
• Ensure effective occupational health representation at the local Occupational Health and Safety Committee.
• Organize health education and health promotion activities for UN personnel.
• Supervise and manage Occupational Health & Safety Associate.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree) in Medicine from an accredited institution and currently licensed to practice in Uganda, or a first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) with an additional two years of qualifying experience.
• Minimum 2 years (with master’s degree) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience at the national or international level.
• Minimum 4 years of work experience in the humanitarian sector either in Occupational Health and Public Health with both Clinical and Project Management experience.
• Experience in health care management, supervision and coordination of medical teams is essential.
• Experience seeing projects through the full life cycle is an asset.
• Experience in Trauma and Emergency care and/or in Internal Medicine is desirable.
• UN field experience in the occupational health care sector is desirable.
• Previous experience in humanitarian crisis and infectious diseases is highly desirable.
• Previous international medical experience is desirable.
• Coordination/managerial experience in the medical field including budgeting, supervisory responsibilities and resource management is desirable.
• Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.), and advanced knowledge of web-based management systems such as ERP financials and database packages.
• Knowledge of MD-UN-wide health care policies and protocols (e.g. medical evacuation procedures).
• Knowledge of MD-Assessment of quality standards of health facilities.
• Knowledge of MD - Conduct health risk assessments.
• Knowledge of PH-Public Health Surveillance, Outbreak Investigation and Response.
• Knowledge of OS-Occupational Health and Safety critical risk control methods.
• Knowledge of OS-Occupational Health and Safety statistical reporting.
• Knowledge of MD-UN Medical Service standards and practices.
• Knowledge of MD-Medical Evacuation route planning and operationalization with MOU.
• Knowledge of PM-Project monitoring and evaluation.
• Knowledge of PM-Project lifecycle management.
• Fluency in English and local language is required.
• Knowledge of another UN language is desirable.

Skills

• Occupational Health and Safety
• Public Health Surveillance
• Outbreak Investigation
• Health Risk Assessment
• Medical Evacuation Planning
• Trauma and Emergency Care
• Internal Medicine
• Healthcare Management
• Medical Staff Supervision
• Project Lifecycle Management
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Humanitarian Experience
• Infectious Disease Management
• Budget Management
• Resource Management
• ERP Financial Accounting
• Database Management
• MS Word
• Excel
• UN Medical Service Standards

Languages

English