Executive Director

The Executive Director leads the Regional Office's work in external relations, communications, and governing bodies. The role provides strategic support, promotes high performance and ethical behavior, builds partnerships, and coordinates WHO governing body meetings and regional coordination.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Regional Office's work in external relations, communications, and governing bodies.
• Provide high level strategic support through policy, managerial and diplomatic advice to senior management.
• Promote a culture of high performance, teamwork, ethical behaviour and integrity.
• Support monitoring of the implementation of the Global Policy Group of WHO (GPG) decisions and strategic directions of WHO's work in the Region.
• Build partnerships and contribute to effective three level coordination ensuring countries benefit from WHO resources.
• Oversee and ensure rapid and clear information flows with other Regions and WHO/HQ in areas of responsibility.
• Contribute to WHO Regional coordination and serve as a member of EURO's Executive Council.
• Coordinate the work of the technical secretariat for WHO governing body meetings and other senior management and advisory meetings.
• Interact with Technical Directors to ensure implementation of policy decisions of WHO Governing bodies.
• Perform any other duties assigned by supervisors.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (master's degree) in public health, international relations, communications, social sciences or business management.
• Training in public health related issues (desirable).
• At least fifteen (15) years of national and international experience with some years at the international level in a senior management position including experience in developing countries.
• Extensive writing and communications experience.
• Experience in multi-partner health programme management and leadership.
• Experience in the political and/or diplomatic arena (desirable).
• Experience guiding and interpreting WHO rules and procedures, including close familiarity with the work of the Regional Office, and WHO Governing Bodies (desirable).
• Ability to exercise leadership and to work effectively with colleagues at national and international levels.
• Diplomatic skills.
• Ability to negotiate and engage in new partnerships.
• Ability to coordinate teams with different backgrounds in a multicultural environment.
• Excellent writing skills in English in a variety of styles and under tight deadline pressure.
• Ability to develop messaging and positioning for an international Organization.
• Demonstrated networking skills, excellent interpersonal skills.
• Thorough understanding of public health and international development issues, with the ability to quickly understand, process and communicate new information.
• Proven ability to plan, execute, collaborate and work independently with donors, partners, etc.
• Expert knowledge of English.
• Intermediate knowledge of French (desirable).
• Intermediate knowledge of German (desirable).
• Intermediate knowledge of Russian (desirable).

Skills

• Public Health Expertise
• International Relations
• Communications Strategies
• Social Science Knowledge
• Business Management
• Health Programme Management
• Senior Management Experience
• Communications and Writing
• Multi-Partner Coordination
• Political and Diplomatic Experience
• Leadership in Multicultural Settings
• Diplomacy Skills
• Negotiation Skills
• Team Coordination
• Messaging Development
• Networking Skills
• Interpersonal Skills
• Public Health Policy Development
• International Development
• Donor Relations
• WHO Rules and Regulations

Languages

English, French, German, Russian