GVA: Health Officer (Community based Surveillance), NO-2, Multiple location, Democratic Republic of Congo - WCAR

This Generic Vacancy Announcement (GVA) is issued to identify and assess qualified professionals for potential inclusion in UNICEF's Talent Group for Health. The purpose of this GVA is to build a pool of pre-assessed, high-caliber candidates who can be considered for future positions aligned with UNICEF's strategic priorities and operational needs. While placement in the Talent Group does not guarantee selection for a specific post, it serves as a highly valuable and primary resource for swiftly filling future vacancies. UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children's lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence. At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling. UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package. Visitour websiteto learn more about what we do at UNICEF. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is responding to its 17th Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak, confirmed in May 2026 and affecting Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu provinces. The situation remains complex and evolving, with transmission occurring in both community and health-care settings. Response efforts are led by national authorities in a context shaped by health system limitations, logistical constraints, insecurity, displacement, and diverse community perceptions influencing health-seeking behaviors.UNICEF supports the Government through a multi-sectoral approach, focusing on community engagement, surveillance, infection prevention, and the continuity of essential services for vulnerable populations.This context requires strong coordination, adaptability, and cultural sensitivity to support effective and equitable response efforts, particularly for children and at-risk communities. How can you make a difference? The health system is under considerable strain, with capacities for isolation, rapid diagnosis, and case management sometimes being limited. Challenges related to specimen collection, transportation, and analysis, as well as delays in reporting and validating data, can hinder the timely confirmation of cases and the rapid implementation of control measures. The operational context remains particularly complex, marked by persistent insecurity, population displacement, inter-provincial mobility, and limited humanitarian access in certain areas. These constraints are further compounded by mistrust among some communities toward the health system, the spread of rumors, and delayed recourse to healthcare facilities or reliance on traditional practices. These factors can delay the reporting of alerts, the isolation of suspected cases, and the effective monitoring of contacts. MAJOR DUTIES AND KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: - Implementation of Community-Based Surveillance - Detection and Reporting of Alerts - Case and Contact Follow-up - Supervision and Support of Community-Based Personnel - Coordination with Health Facilities - Collaboration with SBC/RCCE (Social and Behaviour Change / Risk Communication and Community Engagement) - Data Management and Monitoring - Reporting - Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) Vaccination If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:GVA - ToR Healh (CSB) Officer - NOB - Mutliple DS.docx To qualify as a champion for every child you will have… Minimum requirements: - Education:Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Medicine, or a related field. - Work Experience:At least two (2) years of relevant professional experience in community-based surveillance or public health programs. - Skills:Good knowledge of epidemiological surveillanceProficiency in Community-Based Surveillance (CBS) approachesKnowledge of the community context and local dynamicsAbility to work effectively with community stakeholdersStrong supervision and training skillsCompetencies in routine and mass vaccination activities - Language Requirements:Proficiency in French is required. Desirables: 1. Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish). Intermediate knowledge of English and national languages, particularly Swahili, is considered an asset.Experience in outbreak response (such as Ebola, cholera, or other infectious disease outbreaks) is considered an asset.Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts. For every Child, you demonstrate... UNICEF's Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter:UNICEF Values UNICEF competencies required for this post are… (1) Builds and maintains partnerships(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness(3) Drive to achieve results for impact(4) Innovates and embraces change(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity(6) Thinks and acts strategically(7) Works collaboratively with others Familiarize yourself withour competency frameworkand its different levels. WHY JOIN UNICEF UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status. UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpageAccessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance. UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, fraud, corruption and other forms of serious misconduct. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference, safeguarding and background verification checks. These checks may include verification of academic credentials and employment history, screening against relevant United Nations misconduct databases, and requests for misconduct disclosures from current and former employers, professional associations, other relevant organizations and participating organizations under inter-agency safeguarding initiatives, including the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (MDS), where applicable. Appointment, selection and continued engagement are subject to the satisfactory completion of all required checks. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information and consent to enable UNICEF to undertake these checks. Background checks will