Animal Health Officer

The Animal Health Officer supports risk information sharing and early reaction to emerging and re-emerging transboundary animal and zoonotic diseases. The role involves improving global risk monitoring and early warning through integration and analysis of surveillance and diagnostic data to support preparedness and response by FAO Members.

Responsibilities

• Plans and leads components of multi-disciplinary teams, leads and/or participates in Organization-wide, cross-divisional committees, project teams and working groups and/or provides specialized expertise on technical networks and/or international technical policy and standard setting bodies.
• Develops technical, analytical, monitoring and reporting frameworks, and related methodologies, tools, systems and databases, etc. to support the planning, implementation/delivery and monitoring of programmes of work, projects, products and/or services.
• Designs and conducts research, data collection, validation, analysis and/or reporting activities to support the development of technical standards, international instruments, innovative approaches and strategies, new tools, technologies, technical reports/publications, and/or policy proposals as well as the provision of technical/policy/specialist/advice and expertise.
• Responds to country requests for technical and policy assistance, provides technical advice, assistance and solutions to Decentralized Offices and provides technical backstopping to field projects.
• Collaborates in, provides technical backstopping to and ensures the quality/effectiveness of capacity development and knowledge sharing activities within Member Nations such as policy support, organizational development and individual learning events including preparation of related information, learning materials and on-line tools.
• Promotes international cooperation/advocates best practices, increased policy dialogue and provides technical expertise at international/intergovernmental meetings.
• Participates in resource mobilization activities in accordance with the FAO Strategic Framework.
• Improves global risk monitoring and early warning systems, by integrating and analysing data to generate and share timely risk information for effective preparedness and response; conducts analysis on evolution of epidemic and emerging livestock diseases, including changes in distribution, virulence, etc, and making such risk information available to FAO Members.
• Coordinates communication of disease risk information, through situation reports, updates, alerts and risk communication products, including EMPRES-AH and related web pages.
• Assists Member countries' early reactions to emerging and re-emerging transboundary animal diseases (TADs) by facilitating and coordinating confirmatory diagnosis and advance analysis at FAO Reference centres, including promoting transport of diagnostic specimens in accordance with international regulations and advocating fast track under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the Nagoya protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing for disease emergencies.
• Develops standard operating procedures for surge support to outbreaks, including the deployment, and coordination of the emergency stockpile.
• Provides Infectious Substances Shipping Trainings (ISST) to decentralized offices to ensure qualified individuals for handling and shipping biological samples and coordinate with World Health Organization (WHO) and International Air Transport Association (IATA), on updating requirement to support rapid diagnosis.
• Contributes to quality of procurement under FAO field projects by serving as/or supporting Technical Competent Officers (TCO) as required.
• Coordinates the FAO - World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) - African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU/IBAR) - International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Consultative group for Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia for developing policy and technical guidance.
• Coordinates collaboration with the WHO Global Influenza Programme on zoonotic influenza risk assessment and response.
• Collaborates with other units of FAO, other international organizations (such as WHO, WOAH, Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species and Wild Animals), and regional organizations (such as Southern African Development Community (SADC), AU-IBAR, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)) in collaboration with FAO RO/SRO.
• Designs and implements programmes and projects related to EMPRES-AH, including the formulation, appraisal of field projects, the recruitment and technical supervision of field staff and provide technical backstopping, and resource mobilization as required.
• Assists in work-planning, monitoring, and year-end reporting using FAO Programme Planning, Implementation Reporting and Evaluation Support System (PIRES).

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in veterinary science / medicine, epidemiology or related subject.
• Seven years of relevant experience in active disease surveillance programmes for epidemic diseases of livestock and in epidemiological analysis of outbreaks of such diseases.
• Working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency – level B) of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).
• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions, is desirable.
• Extent and relevance of experience in surveillance, prevention and control of animal diseases, in particular transboundary animal disease eradication/control programmes.
• A postgraduate qualification is considered an asset.
• Work experience in computer-based disease mapping and geographical information systems (GIS) or in decision support systems for the control of epidemic diseases is required.
• Extent and relevance of experience co-ordinating joint activities with other international organisations (such as WOAH, WHO).
• Extent and relevance of experience on UN Model Regulations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and other regulatory frameworks.
• Experience in FAO Programme Planning, Implementation Reporting and Evaluation methodologies.
• Extent and relevance of experience in different countries and regions, especially in developing countries and countries in transition.
• Ability to communicate clearly to different audiences and partners on emerging disease situations.
• Ability to mobilize resources is an asset.

Skills

• Veterinary Science
• Epidemiological Analysis
• Disease Surveillance
• Transboundary Disease Control
• Epidemic Disease Prevention
• Disease Mapping
• Geographic Information System
• Decision-Support Systems
• International Coordination
• UN Model Regulations
• Programme Planning
• Programme Implementation
• Programme Reporting
• Programme Evaluation
• Risk monitoring
• Early Warning Systems
• Resource Mobilization

Languages

English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish