Technical Officer (Vaccine Preventable Diseases and Immunization)

About the role

The WHO Representative Office for Samoa and neighboring Pacific territories is seeking a Technical Officer to support the control, elimination and eradication of vaccine‑preventable diseases. The role focuses on reaching missed and zero‑dose children, scaling‑up priority vaccines and strengthening preventive vaccination campaigns.

Key responsibilities

• Provide technical advice to governments and national stakeholders on immunisation strategies, policies, work programmes and sustainable financing.
• Monitor national burden of vaccine‑preventable diseases through health information systems, coverage surveys, seroprevalence studies and evaluation of new interventions.
• Assist Ministries of Health in planning and organising national and sub‑national vaccination campaigns aligned with strategic immunisation goals.
• Support implementation of Sub‑regional Verification Committee recommendations for measles and rubella elimination in the Pacific.
• Contribute to work‑plan development, budget monitoring and resource mobilisation for sustainable immunisation programmes.

Required profile

• University degree in medicine, nursing, public health or related sciences; specialised training in immunisation or vaccine‑preventable diseases is desirable.
• Minimum two years of experience supporting public‑health policies or programmes on vaccine‑preventable diseases and immunisation at national level.
• Experience providing technical services to Member States or partners in resource‑limited settings, preferably with WHO or UN agencies.

Required skills

• Program management and monitoring‑evaluation of public‑health interventions.
• Coordination of integrated, multi‑sectoral programmes and stakeholder engagement.
• Planning, training, monitoring and evaluation of immunisation and surveillance activities.
• Excellent oral and written communication in English, including report writing and presentations.

What we offer

• Annual base salary starting at WST 77,024 (subject to statutory deductions).
• 30 days of annual leave.