Technical Officer, Respiratory Viruses Preparedness

Pan American Health Organization•Washington, DC

About The Position

Join us and help strengthen regional readiness for influenza, COVID‑19, and other respiratory threats The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (WHO), is seeking a motivated and technically skilled Technical Officer, Respiratory Viruses Preparedness to support Member States in strengthening surveillance, preparedness, and response capacities for seasonal and pandemic influenza, COVID‑19, and other respiratory viruses. As part of the Infectious Hazards Management Unit within the Health Emergencies Department, the selected candidate will contribute to the implementation of the Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats (PRET) Initiative, working closely with national counterparts, regional networks, and internal technical teams. Under the direct supervision of the Advisor, Epidemic‑prone Diseases Epidemiology, the selected candidate will:

Requirements

A bachelor's degree in public health, epidemiology, or a field related to the functions of the post, from a recognized university.
Seven years of combined national and international experience working in surveillance of communicable diseases, including surveillance of influenza and other respiratory diseases.
Very good knowledge of English and/or Spanish, with a working knowledge of the other language.
Demonstrated ability to effectively use current technology and software, spreadsheets and presentations, as well as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and management information systems.
Other IT skills and knowledge of software programs such as Microsoft Excel, Outlook, OneDrive, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint, and Word are considered essential.
Technical expertise in communicable diseases epidemiology and disease burden studies.
Strong organizational and analytical skills for filtering and managing epidemiological data.
Ability to analyze technical information and synthesize inputs from multiple sources.
Ability to integrate managerial and administrative inputs into decision‑making recommendations.
Excellent database management and reporting skills.
Strong oral and written communication skills, including preparation of reports, presentations, and technical documents.

Nice To Haves

An advanced degree in any of the following fields: medicine, veterinary medicine or epidemiology would be an asset.
It would also be desirable to have completed a field epidemiology training program.
Experience in pandemic preparedness or working within the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) would be an asset.
Knowledge of French and/or Portuguese would be an asset.

Responsibilities

Provide technical support for reviewing and developing national preparedness and response plans for influenza, COVID‑19, and other respiratory viruses.
Support countries in disseminating and implementing frameworks and programs related to respiratory virus preparedness.
Coordinate technical cooperation on public health and social measures during epidemic and pandemic events.
Participate in action reviews, simulation exercises, and capacity‑building activities at the country level.
Develop, update, and organize training materials and educational courses on respiratory virus preparedness and response.
Contribute to regional surveillance networks (e.g., SARInet) and support data collection, management, analysis, and dissemination.
Conduct monitoring and evaluation of national and local surveillance systems, including on‑site assessments.
Deliver targeted training and technical support for surveillance and preparedness activities.
Serve as focal point for risk communication and community engagement related to respiratory viruses.
Participate in emergency and disaster response operations and provide backstopping as needed.