OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The Eastern and Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) of World Health Organization aims to streamline, fast-track, and directly pay its frontline health workers, vaccinators and other beneficiaries in their bank accounts or mobile money accounts. The Direct Disbursement Mechanism (DDM) that has been implemented in Pakistan and Afghanistan has shown increased transparency, efficiency, and speed of payment directly to community health workers and service providers. Budget and Finance Services (BFS), part of the Department of Business Operations (BOS) in EMRO, is entrusted with ensuring compliance with WHO’s financial regulations and rules, policies and procedures and maintaining strong internal controls to effectively discharge WHO’s accountability obligations to Member States and donors. Digital Finance is one of the initiatives supported by BFS for digitizing and delivering bulk payments in a transparent, speedy and compliant manner.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

1. Coordinate processes for end-to-end digitization of transactions and bulk payments to beneficiaries and service providers of campaign and other programme activities.
2. Prepare and update the database of beneficiaries, services and rate cards, and ensure proper approvals and authorizations in the system.
3. As the focal point for the digital finance, work with different networks, banking institutions, consultants, accounting firms, and financial service providers to coordinate different activities of digital financing initiative.
4. Act as a liaison between the digital finance team and country office to coordinate different activities including procurement, disbursement, meetings and workshops.
5. Plan and organize trainings in close coordination with digital finance and technology teams for building knowledge, skills and capacities for digital payments.
6. Coordinate and conduct reconciliations, prepare reports and assist the digital finance team in assurance activities for smooth and compliant digital finance operations in the Regional Office/Country Office.
7. Assist the digital finance team in organizing surveys, monitoring activities, addressing operational, technical and disbursement issues to ensure overall smooth implementation of digital finance and payments activities.
8. Address queries of vaccinators, health workers, beneficiaries and vendors relating to payments and reconciliations.
9. Participate in developing an exit strategy and mainstreaming digital finance and payments within the programme/country programme and routine financial operations.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: Completion of secondary school with additional training in financial and administrative transactions in an automated environment.
Desirable: University degree in finance, accounting, commerce, business administration or a related field. Fully or partly qualified professional accounting certification would be an asset.

Experience

Essential: At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in applying administrative and financial policies and procedures in payments or other related transactions, or in finance and accounting activities of campaigns and large programmes.
Desirable: Experience in WHO with a good understanding of WHO rules, and regulations.

Skills

• Demonstrated knowledge of WHO policies, procedures, systems, work methods and practices.

• Ability to understand, interpret and apply complex policies, procedures, rules, regulations and SOPs and promote best practices by advocating the same.

• Coordinate with a diverse team and provide clear communication on complex matters.

• Problem solving and ability to maintain good working relationships with clients and stakeholders.

• Delivering quality results in pressing situations and competing priorities.

• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.

• Excellent drafting skills.

WHO Competencies

Teamwork
Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
Communication
Producing results
Setting an example

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English. Expert knowledge of Arabic .
Desirable:
The above language requirements are interchangeable.

REMUNERATION

WHO offers staff in the General Services category an attractive remuneration package, which for the above position includes an annual net base salary starting at USD 27,814 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable) and 30 days of annual leave.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level

• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

• A written test and/or an asynchronous video assessment may be used as a form of screening.

• In the event that your candidature is retained for an 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.

• According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible.

• Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual.

• The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits and employs staff regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics.

The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its staff. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (

https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion

) are strongly encouraged to apply.

Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to

reasonableaccommodation@who.int

• An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice.

• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.

• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

• For information on WHO’s operations please visit: http://www.who.int.

• WHO also offers wide range of benefits to staff, including parental leave and attractive flexible work arrangements to help promote a healthy work-life balance and to allow all staff members to express and develop their talents fully.

• The statutory retirement age for staff appointments is 65 years. For external applicants, only those who are expected to complete the term of appointment will normally be considered.

• Please note that WHO’s contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Staff Health and Wellbeing Services (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at shws@who.int.

• This post is subject to local recruitment and will be filled by persons recruited in the local commuting area of the duty station.

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