Team Lead, Global Digital Health Certification Network (GDHCN)

The Team Lead for the Global Digital Health Certification Network (GDHCN) will oversee governance, technical stewardship, sustainability, and stakeholder engagement to advance digital health solutions and interoperability standards globally. The role involves strategic leadership, policy development, and coordination with WHO regional offices and partners to strengthen health systems through digital health and AI integration.

Responsibilities

• Serve as WHO's managerial and strategic lead for the GDHCN trust architecture, overseeing governance, financial and consensus mechanisms across Member States and implementing partners.
• Lead the organization and secretariat function of the GDHCN Scientific Advisory Group (SAG), coordinating expert reviews and policy decisions related to use cases, trust domains, and standards.
• Design, establish, and continuously update standard operating procedures (SOPs), minimum datasets, policies, and operating rules for new and existing GDHCN use cases.
• Collaborate with the technical leads of Reference Architecture and SMART guidelines to oversee the design, validation, and maintenance of GDHCN infrastructure, ensuring alignment with WHO and international interoperability standards (e.g., HL7 FHIR, IPS, PKI).
• Ensure the technical and operational robustness of the GDHCN, including federation models, test infrastructures, conformance frameworks, and cybersecurity policies.
• Collaborate with WHO teams and external partners to ensure interoperability with digital health wallets, electronic health records, and public health systems.
• Develop and oversee strategies to ensure long-term financial sustainability of the GDHCN, including through the development of context-appropriate business models for key use cases.
• Engage in resource mobilization and donor coordination to align investments with WHO's digital health priorities and national country demand.
• Provide technical input on financial models that balance public good principles with scalable implementation approaches.
• Build political and institutional buy-in among WHO Member States, regional bodies, and multilateral organizations to support adoption and integration of GDHCN services.
• Facilitate partnerships with health authorities, technology providers, standards development organizations, and implementation partners to co-develop and scale GDHCN-aligned solutions.
• Serve as a technical liaison across WHO departments to ensure GDHCN integration with other digital health and surveillance initiatives.
• Ensure the scientific credibility and data protection principles of the GDHCN are upheld in line with WHO guidance and international norms.
• Monitor performance and uptime of the GDHCN infrastructure, coordinating service-level agreements and operational improvements as needed.
• Lead the continuous improvement of the trust network, including onboarding processes, feedback mechanisms, and federated trust arrangements.

Requirements

• An advanced university degree (Master's level or higher) in a relevant field such as health informatics, computer science, mathematics, public health, engineering, biomedical sciences, health policy, or information systems.
• A PhD in one of the above mentioned fields is desirable.
• Additional training or certification in digital health interoperability standards (e.g., HL7 FHIR, IHE, PKI), cybersecurity, enterprise architecture is desirable.
• Completion of recognized professional courses in project management (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2) is an asset.
• At least 10 years of experience in digital health or digital public infrastructure, including 5 years working with low- and middle-income countries and global interoperability standards such as HL7 FHIR and IPS.
• Demonstrated leadership in managing complex digital health systems, trust frameworks, and multi-stakeholder governance.
• Proven ability in strategic planning, policy development, and resource mobilization with international partners is essential.
• Experience in implementation of financial sustainability models, SMART Guidelines, and engagement with ministries of health, UN agencies, and global digital health communities.
• Demonstrated experience at the international level.
• Experience with national or regional trust frameworks, digital verification systems, and open-source digital health tools is highly valued.
• Contributions to global standards communities (e.g., HL7, OpenHIE), and leadership in digital health projects in humanitarian or cross-border contexts is desirable.
• Familiarity with verifiable credentials, digital wallets, and health data governance frameworks is desirable.
• Published work, participation in global digital health forums, and professional experience across multiple WHO regions is an added value.
• Skills and knowledge in digital trust frameworks and governance, including the design of federated networks and development of policies and operating models for complex digital infrastructure.
• Strong knowledge of global interoperability standards (e.g., HL7 FHIR, IPS, SNOMED, W3C Verifiable Credentials) and enterprise architecture principles is essential.
• Ability to navigate national and international regulatory environments, particularly in areas such as health data governance, cybersecurity, and cross-border data exchange.
• Knowledge in managing mission-critical digital systems, sustainability planning, and engaging diverse stakeholders—including governments, donors, and technical bodies.
• Scientific rigor, strategic leadership, and the ability to communicate complex concepts effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Expert knowledge of English is essential.
• Intermediate knowledge of French is desirable.

Skills

• Digital Health Interoperability
• HL7/FHIR Standards
• IPS Standards
• Digital Health Systems Management
• Trust Frameworks
• Multi-stakeholder Governance
• Strategic Planning
• Policy Development
• Resource Mobilization
• Financial Sustainability Methodologies
• SMART Guidelines Implementation
• Engagement with Ministries of Health
• Global Digital Health Communities
• National Trust Frameworks
• Digital Verification Systems
• Open-source Digital Health Tools
• Global Standards Communities
• Digital Health Project Leadership
• Digital Trust Frameworks
• Federated Network Design
• Health Data Governance
• Cybersecurity
• Cross-border Data Exchange
• Enterprise Architecture
• Project Management
• Verifiable Credentials
• Digital Wallets
• Health Informatics
• Public Health Policy Development
• Scientific Communication

Languages

English, French