Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Specialist, Bangkok, Thailand

Call for expression of interest – Vacancy announcement : 2101379

Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Specialist

Job Posting: 10/May/2021

Closure Date: 09/Jun/2021, 9:59:00 PM

Organizational Unit : RAP

Job Type: Non-staff opportunities

Type of Requisition : Consultant / PSA (Personal Services Agreement)

Grade Level : N/A

Primary Location: Thailand-Bangkok

Duration : 11 months (with the possibility of re-recruitment)

Organizational Setting

The main aim of FAO Country Offices, headed by an FAO Representative, is to assist governments to develop policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to help develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner. FAO participates in the development and implementation of field projects in the sectors of food security, agriculture and rural development. This requires the integration within the broader framework of sustainable food and agriculture that aims at increasing production and productivity, addressing climate change, and managing natural resources; and enhance rural livelihoods.

The tasks envisaged for this consultancy are to be carried out through the Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD), which is currently implementing a number of projects in various countries in Asia. The ECTAD Regional and Country Teams are dedicated to working with the governments in preventing and controlling emerging infectious and zoonotic diseases by working closely with regional and national stakeholders in the animal production and health sector.

Reporting Lines

The incumbent shall operate under the direct supervision of the Regional Manager of the Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) and the technical guidance of the Senior Animal Health and Production Officer based in the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP). The incumbent will be under the operational guidance of the Budget Holder (BH) and shall closely coordinate with the Regional Project Coordinator for AMR and FAO team members at country offices, RAP and HQ, as appropriate.

Technical Focus

The Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Specialist will be tasked with supporting the assigned project (OSRO/RAS/003/USA) that contributes to FAO’s existing strategic framework and is consistent with priority areas under the planned new Strategic Framework expected to be launched January 2022 through a specific focus on addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antimicrobial usage (AMU).

Tasks and responsibilities

• Coordinate with the AMR Regional Project Coordinator and the team in the overall planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting on the good practices pillar of the FAO Action Plan on AMR in Asia;
• Coordinate the development of regional IPC tools and the collation and documentation of relevant evidence-based interventions and new novel innovations that reinforce good practices particularly those that impacts antimicrobial use and AMR risk reduction;
• Promote and support capacity building initiatives relevant to IPC, particularly in poultry, swine and aquaculture;
• Develop and facilitate mechanisms for efficient and sustainable country access to IPC expertise;
• Collaborate closely with national governments, FAO country offices and other relevant FAO units, international experts and partners, regional platforms (ASEAN, SAARC, SPC) and other related entities, in order to promote, enable, and implement interventions to support farm IPC across the region;
• Provide coordination and technical support in identifying, refining, and piloting cost-effective tools designed to reinforce good practices, particularly those that will evidently lead to reduction of antimicrobial use in animal production;
• Promote evidence-based interventions and evolve this for further expansion;
• Carry out or coordinate studies to determine the social context of adapting good practices on the ground and identify strategic incentives and drivers for their adoption;
• Support FAO actions towards creating a reinforcing environment for good practices (e.g., establishment of regional/national platforms or networks on good practices);
• Assist in mobilizing and advocating for investments to improve farming conditions and farmer practices;
• Contribute to reporting requirements and monitoring and evaluation needs of the project;
• Perform other tasks as required; and
• Prepare and submit an End-of-Assignment report on the work carried out under this contract.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in in veterinary science/medicine, biomedical sciences or a related field;
• Five years of relevant experience in in national and regional approaches to providing support to animal health, biosecurity, and AMR projects and programmes, with two years of field experience in animal disease prevention and control, good animal husbandry practices, or AMR mitigation initiatives in farm settings.
• Working knowledge of English and limited knowledge of one of the other UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions is desirable;
• Extent and relevance of experience in animal health, biosecurity practices, and AMR related projects;
• Understanding of FAO policies and programmes is considered a strong asset;
• Related experience with regional and international organizations and/or public-private sector partnerships;
• Extent of experience in formulation, implementation and monitoring of animal health, biosecurity, and AMR projects;
• Experience in contributing to project monitoring, evaluation and learning, including preparation of technical reports
• Extent and relevance of experience in liaison with partners and institutional contexts;

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

FAO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing)

Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognized in the IAU/UNESCO list If you are in possession of language certificate/s from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT), please attach the certificate/s when submitting the application.

For more information, visit the FAO employment website

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Only applications received through the recruitment portal will be considered.

We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline

If you need help please contact: Careers@fao.org