Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPDs) Surveillance & Response Officer, Addis Ababa (SSA, NOC)

Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPDs) Surveillance & Response Officer, Addis Ababa (SSA, NOC) WHO - World Health Organization Addis Ababa National NO-C, National Professional Officer - Locally recruited position level Speaks Amharic, English Application deadline: April 01, 2026 Closed Apply Summary by Impactpool The Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPDs) Surveillance & Response Officer will provide national-level technical leadership and coordination for VPD surveillance and outbreak response in Ethiopia. This role involves ensuring the implementation of high-quality surveillance systems, rapid response to outbreaks, and effective use of surveillance data to guide public health actions. The officer will collaborate with the Ministry of Health, EPHI, WHO, and other partners to strengthen VPD surveillance and response activities. Key responsibilities include planning, coordination, outbreak preparedness, and capacity building. Candidate Requirements: First-level university degree in a health-related field At least 5 years of experience in VPD surveillance and response Experience in coordination and planning of vaccination campaigns Strong analytical and problem-solving skills Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder engagement skills Proficiency in project planning and data analysis software Fluency in English and knowledge of Amharic Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPDs) Surveillance & Response Officer, Addis Ababa (SSA, NOC) - ( 2600960 ) Grade : No grade Contractual Arrangement : Special Services Agreement (SSA) Contract Duration (Years, Months, Days) : 3 months Job Posting : Mar 19, 2026, 3:37:21 PM Closing Date : Apr 1, 2026, 9:59:00 PM Primary Location : Ethiopia-Addis Ababa Organization : AF_ETH Ethiopia Schedule : Full-time IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that the deadline for receipt of applications indicated above reflects your personal device's system settings. . . Objectives of the Programme and of the immediate unit or field activity (Overview of the programme): Effective surveillance and timely response to vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) are critical to achieving and sustaining national and global immunization goals, including polio eradication, measles and rubella elimination, maintaining maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination, and control of other VPDs. A robust VPD surveillance system enables early detection of outbreaks, rapid response, monitoring of immunization program performance and VPD tends, and evidence-based decision-making for program improvement. At national level, strengthened coordination, technical leadership, data quality assurance, and capacity building are required to ensure sensitive, timely, and integrated VPD surveillance and response across all administrative levels. This Terms of Reference outlines the roles and responsibilities of the National VPD Surveillance and Response Officer to support the Ministry of Health/ Ethiopian Public Health Institute and partners in implementing high-quality VPD surveillance and outbreak response in line with national strategies and WHO guidelines. Purpose of the Post: To provide national-level technical leadership and coordination for VPD surveillance and outbreak response, ensuring the implementation of sensitive, timely, and high-quality surveillance systems, rapid response to VPD outbreaks, and effective use of surveillance data to guide immunization strategies and public health actions. Organizational Context Under the overall supervision of the EPI/VPDs Surveillance and Response team Lead at MOH/ (EPHI) and technical guidance from the WHO country Office, the officer will work as part of the WCO-Ethiopia DPC team. GRADE NO-C DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES 1. Planning and Coordination Provide technical leadership for national VPD surveillance and response activities in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, EPHI, WHO and other partners. Support the coordination of national VPD surveillance technical working groups (TWGs), task forces, and other national level coordination mechanisms. Liaising with various stakeholders working on the Expanded Program on Immunization (MOH, EPHI, EFDA, EPSS, and other governmental and non-governmental organizations. Support alignment and integration of VPD surveillance with Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR). Provide technical support for strategic and annual operational planning on VPD surviellance and response 2. Surveillance System Strengthening Support the design, implementation, and monitoring of sensitive VPD surveillance systems, including Case-based, syndromic and weekly reportable diseases including AFP, measles/rubella, neonatal tetanus and other priority VPDs. Ensure adherence to national and WHO surveillance standards, case definitions, guidelines, and standard operating procedures. Support the introduction and scale-up of innovative surveillance approaches, including community-based surveillance, wastewater surveillance, and event-based surveillance. 3. Outbreak Preparedness and Response Support national and regional preparedness planning for VPD outbreaks, including risk assessment, preparedness plans, and simulation exercises. Provide technical guidance and coordination for rapid investigation and response to suspected and confirmed VPD outbreaks. Coordinate the review and development of macro and micro-plans for outbreak response vaccination activities including mapping of special populations and establish locally functioning strategies to access and vaccinate all target population. Support outbreak evaluations (early, inter and after-action reviews) and documentation of lessons learned to improve future preparedness and response. 4. Laboratory Surveillance and Linkages Strengthen coordination between epidemiological and laboratory surveillance systems. Provide close technical oversight and guidance on specimen collection, transportation, testing, and timely feedback mechanisms, in close collaboration with national and regional laboratories. Monitor lab