Chief Ethics Officer

Pan American Health Organization • Washington, DC

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Ethics Office promotes a culture of ethics, integrity, responsibility and accountability across PAHO. It strengthens ethical leadership, supports ethical-decision making, prevents and mitigates conflicts of interest, and ensures coherence in ethics-related policies, thereby enhancing the Organization’s trust and credibility. The Ethics Office serves as a champion for the Organization’s core ethical values, assesses ethics risks, and maintains an organizational culture that prioritizes ethical leadership and ethical decision-making. The Ethics Office provides guidance to help staff make the right ethical decisions in their professional work and conduct, and promotes consistent application of PAHO’s Code of Ethics, the International Civil Service Commission’s Standards of Conduct for the International Civil Service, and PAHO’s ethics-related policies. The Ethics Office focuses on creating and fostering an organizational culture based on integrity, honesty, impartiality, transparency, fairness, respect, independence and tolerance, and upholds the core ethical values that guide individual and organizational decision-making.

The Chief Ethics Officer reports to the Deputy Director. In carrying out the functions of the post, the Chief Ethics Officer must uphold the principles of integrity, objectivity and confidentiality. The incumbent is expected to remain free from any real or perceived conflicts of interest, ensuring that work is conducted independently and professionally. Additionally, the Chief Ethics Officer should be free from improper influences, internal or external pressures, and fear of retaliation.

The Chief Ethics Officer provides advice to executive leadership and personnel on ethics-related matters and supports efforts to strengthen organizational culture, governance, and trust. The incumbent is responsible for leading the Organization’s ethics framework, promoting the highest standards of integrity, accountability, and professional conduct across all levels of the Organization. He or she provides independent, confidential, and impartial advice on ethical matters and oversees the implementation of ethics-related policies and standards of conduct.

The selection of the Chief of the Ethics Office is done through a competitive process, and the selected candidate serves a non-renewable term of up to seven (7) years. After this term, the incumbent is ineligible for continued employment with PAHO. The incumbent may only be dismissed before the end of their term for cause, and this must be done after consultation with the Executive Committee.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in law, psychology, human resources, public administration, ethics, social sciences, or a related field and a master’s degree in law, social sciences, ethics, governance, organizational psychology, public administration, or other discipline related to the functions of the post from a recognized university.
• At least thirteen (13) years of combined national and international progressively responsible professional experience in the field of corporate or business ethics, including a minimum of ten (10) years in ethics, compliance, governance, organizational integrity, or related fields, preferably within international or multinational organizations.
• Demonstrated experience advising senior management on ethics, governance, and organizational integrity matters.
• Proven experience in policy development, training, and implementation of ethics or compliance programs.
• Proven experience in managing professional staff and operational budgets.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain credibility and trust across the Organization.
• Proven ability to provide independent, confidential, and impartial ethics advice in complex and sensitive situations.
• Strong analytical and advisory capacity in ethics risk assessment, conflicts of interest, misconduct prevention, and integrity systems.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including proven ability to prepare and oversee the preparation of policy documents, reports, and presentations for senior management and oversight bodies.
• Ability to design, implement, and evaluate ethics programs, training, and organizational integrity mechanisms.
• Demonstrated ability to use enterprise systems and modern digital tools to support ethics advisory, reporting, and knowledge management functions.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and collaboration platforms (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive).
• Fluency in English or Spanish, with a working knowledge of the other language.

Nice To Haves

• Postgraduate specialization or certification in ethics, compliance, governance, organizational behavior, or integrity systems as well as training in leadership, people management, and performance management would be an asset.
• Familiarity with international civil service standards and best practices in ethics and integrity systems desirable.
• Knowledge of current best practices relating to corporate ethics and business conduct/practice.
• Experience in multilateral organizations, international public institutions, or complex decentralized organizations.
• A working knowledge of French and/or Portuguese would be an asset.
• Knowledge of PowerBi, Workday, and strong familiarity with AI assisted platforms, such as Microsoft Co-Pilot and other AI tools to enhance productivity, automate insights, leverage data, and support efficient workflows.

Responsibilities

• Provide confidential ethics advice and guidance to personnel at all levels on standards of conduct, conflicts of interest, and ethical dilemmas.
• Conduct ethics risk assessments; identify systemic and emerging ethical risks and propose mitigation and prevention strategies.
• Promote ethical decision-making and values-based leadership across the Organization through policy guidance, advisory services, and awareness initiatives.
• Design, implement, and evaluate ethics training, outreach, and communication activities commensurate with the Organization’s risk profile and resources.
• Administer the annual conflict of interest disclosure and declaration program and provide guidance on disclosure obligations and mitigation measures.
• Foster and sustain a respectful, collaborative, and accountable organizational culture consistent with the Organization’s mandate, values, and policies.
• Promote and monitor compliance with PAHO’s Code of Ethics, the Standards of Conduct for the International Civil Service, and PAHO’s ethics-related policies.
• Develop, review, and update ethics-related policies, guidelines, and procedures in line with international organizations’ best practices and organizational requirements.
• Collaborate in the establishment and implementation of safeguards for preventing and responding to sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH).
• Oversee the implementation of criminal background checks and other integrity screening mechanisms for staff, contractors, and affiliated individuals, in accordance with applicable policies.
• Participate in the Integrity and Conflict Management System (ICMS) Committee and contribute to organizational integrity and conflict-resolution frameworks.
• Make and receive referrals from ICMS entities; analyze aggregated data to identify trends, assess ethical risks, and propose mitigation strategies.
• Serve as Chair of the ICMS Committee on a rotational basis, ensuring effective coordination and functioning of the Committee.
• Support the Chair in assessing the effectiveness of the ICMS and provide recommendations for continuous improvement.
• Represent the Organization in ethics-related peer networks, professional communities, and inter-organizational fora within multilateral organizations, including Inter-American Systems, the United Nations, and other international institutions, on matters of mutual interest.
• Prepare an annual report to the Executive Committee on the work of the Ethics Office, including the volume and nature of matters handled, outcomes achieved, and systemic trends identified.
• Develop and implement a results-based annual work plan informed by ethics risk assessments and performance indicators, and report regularly to the Director and Deputy Director on progress and outcomes.
• Lead and manage the Ethics Office, including planning, organizing, and directing the work of professional and support staff.
• Establish and monitor clear performance goals; ensure effective resource allocation, and foster a respectful, inclusive, and professional work environment.
• Supervise, mentor, and evaluate staff performance; promote learning, accountability, and professional development in accordance with organizational values and policies.
• Manage the Office’s financial and human resources, including budget planning, resource allocation, and monitoring expenditures.
• Establish internal procedures, workflows, and quality assurance mechanisms to ensure efficient, confidential, and timely delivery of ethics services.
• Contribute to organizational strategic planning, governance reforms, and organizational development initiatives related to ethics, integrity, and accountability.

Benefits

• Maintaining high standards of integrity and accountability.
• Promoting a work environment that is free from harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and other types of abusive behavior.
• Providing a smoke-free environment.
• Protecting the people in the communities we serve.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior