Health System Officer- Health Workforce

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Overview of the programme

WHO India Country Office collaborates with the Government of India and relevant stakeholders within the framework of the collaborative Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS), to actively support the development and implementation of national health policies, strategies and plans aiming at promoting access to and utilization of affordable and quality health services and improving financial protection against health-related risks.

WHO Country Office for India is supporting the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare to strengthen the existing health systems to cater to the growing needs of mental health and substance abuse, palliative care and elderly care in the country.

Underlying Values and Core Functions of WHO

WHO’s mandate revolves around six (6) leadership priorities specifying (i) advancing universal health coverage (ii) health related sustainable development goals (iii) addressing the challenge of non-communicable diseases and mental health, violence and injuries and disabilities (iv) implementing the provisions of the International Health Regulations (2005) (v) increasing access to quality, safe, efficacious and affordable medical products (vi) addressing the social, economic and environmental determinants of health.

The South – East Asia Region (SEAR) of WHO is made up of 10 countries, with over 1.8 billion people, with India’s population of 1.4 billion. All the Member States of WHO/SEAR (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste), share the common value of the highest attainable standard of health as a fundamental human right. All WHO actions are based on this and rooted in the underlying values of equity, solidarity and participation.

Mission of the WHO Country Office for India

The mission of WHO India is to improve quality of life of the 1.4 billion people in India by supporting the government in eliminating vaccine preventable and other communicable diseases, reducing maternal and neonatal mortalities, promoting healthy lifestyles, addressing determinants of health, preparing and responding to health emergencies and strengthening health systems for universal health coverage.

Description of Duties:

Provide technical and coordination support for the implementation of health workforce (human resources for health) initiatives, with a focus on analytics, workforce information systems, and modelling. The role includes hands-on data analysis, technical documentation, and facilitation of stakeholder engagement to support evidence-informed implementation.

Background

Strengthening the health and care workforce is central to the achievement of universal health coverage and improved health outcomes. The WHO Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health: Workforce 2030 emphasizes the need for countries to scale up, strengthen, and optimize their health workforce through improved planning, governance, data systems, and investment.

Aligned with the WHO Fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW 14), health workforce development is a critical driver of resilient health systems, with a focus on building fit-for-purpose human resources, strengthening data and evidence systems, and enhancing country capacity for workforce planning and policy implementation. Health workforce (HWF) outputs under GPW prioritize improved availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality of health workers, supported by robust health workforce information systems and analytics.

Effective workforce planning requires integrated and reliable data systems, including the National Health Workforce Accounts (NHWA), as well as analytics to inform policy decisions. This project will contribute to GPW priorities by strengthening health workforce data systems, generating analytical evidence for workforce planning, and supporting coordinated implementation of Human Resources for Health (HRH) policies through multi-stakeholder engagement.

Purpose of Technical support through the project

The purpose of this position is to support the strengthening of health workforce (or HRH) initiatives in alignment with national priorities. This includes enhancing health workforce information systems, advancing data analytics and workforce modelling, and contributing to evidence-based policy, planning, and governance for strengthened and resilient health systems.

Key activities under the project

A. Health workforce data and information systems

· Undertake mapping and assessment of HRH registries and information systems, including NHWA.

· Compile and synthesize workforce data to support analysis, reporting, and decision-making.

· Identify system and data gaps and propose evidence-based solutions to strengthen HRH data ecosystems.

B. Health workforce analytics and modelling

· Conduct analysis of HRH datasets and databases to generate actionable insights.

· Support the development of monitoring frameworks, indicators, and analytical tools.

· Document modelling methodologies, assumptions, and outputs, and translate findings into policy-relevant insights.

C. Policy and knowledge support

· Develop policy briefs, technical reports, presentations, and other knowledge products on HRH.

· Prepare technical summaries and background documents to inform policy and planning processes for the project.

· Undertake analytical deep-dives into priority health workforce challenges.

· Contribute to the development of training materials and toolkits, including analytical and validation inputs.

D. Stakeholder coordination

· Organize and facilitate meetings, workshops, and technical consultations.

· Support coordination across project teams and stakeholders to advance implementation of HRH priorities.

E. Project Management and Implementation

· Support day-to-day implementation of HRH project activities as per timelines.

· Maintain project documentation, reporting templates, and records.

· Prepare progress reports summarizing key findings, recommendations, and follow-up actions.

F. Other Duties

· Undertake duty travel as required for project implementation.

· Perform other related tasks as assigned in support of health workforce objectives.

Education:

Essential: Advanced university degree (Master’s level or above) in public health, health economics, epidemiology, statistics, or a related field.

Desirable: Additional specialization in health-related domains of computational science, data science or analytics, or health informatics.

WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from accredited institutions. The list

can be accessed through this link: http://www.whed.net/

Experience:

Essential: A minimum of 2 (two) years of relevant experience in health workforce, health systems, or public health programmes.

Demonstrated understanding of health governance and regulatory frameworks within the HRH domain.

Desirable:

Five years of relevant experience in health workforce–related areas, including analysis of large datasets and health workforce analytics or health information systems–related projects would be an asset.

Experience working with central and/or state government systems, including inter-sectoral coordination and/or health workforce (HRH) modelling, would be desirable.

Competencies:

· Teamwork

· Communication

· Producing results

· Moving forward in a changing environment

· Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond.

Functional Skills and Knowledge:

· Experience in providing programmatic and/or technical assistance through or within the central / state government institution with proven track record of strong writing skills.

· Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to manage, analyse, and interpret large and complex datasets independently.

· Experience in development or application of analytical models, simulation tools, or workforce planning methodologies.

· Excellent technical writing skills, including the ability to prepare policy briefs, reports, and concise briefing documents.

· Strong communication, coordination, and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to present technical information clearly to diverse audiences.

· Proficiency in data analysis and statistical tools such as Excel, R, STATA, Python, and data visualization platforms such as Power BI or Tableau is desired.

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English.

Remuneration:

Monthly remuneration is 2,18,855 INR taxable as per Indian laws and the appointment will be through Special Services Agreement (SSA) extendable subject to satisfactory performance and continuing need for the function. S/he will be posted at New Delhi. The position may require travel to the states and districts.

The incumbent a national of the country (India) where he/she is to serve, is recruited locally and is not subject to assignment to any official station outside the home country. Only Indian Nationals should apply.

Additional information:

• This Vacancy Notice may be used to fill similar positions at the same level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test and interviews may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for 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.
• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
• The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits workforce 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 workforce. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversityequity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply for WHO jobs.
• 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 (https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/our-values) 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 short-listed candidates.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• 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.
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• This post is subject to local recruitment and will be filled by persons recruited in the local commuting area of the duty station.
• Any extension of appointment would be subject to programmatic requirements, performance of the incumbent and availability of funds.
• Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply.