Chief of Medical Unit

Org. Setting and Reporting This position is located in the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Kabul. The Chief of Unit, Medical reports to the Chief Medical Officer, Clinical Governance Section, Division of Healthcare Management And Occupational Safety and Health, Office of Support Operations, for Clinical and medico-administrative matters and to the Chief of Service Delivery (CSD), for administrative matters. Responsibilities Within delegated authority, the Chief of Unit, Medical will be responsible for the following duties: Managerial: •Supervises and coordinates the Joint Medical Services (JMS), Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT), and the Staff Counselling and Welfare Unit in the mission. This includes management of medical support activities in the mission, as outlined in the Medical Support Manual, for example, preparation and implementation of mass casualty plans, medical evacuation plans and procedures, and relationship with any external healthcare providers. Supervises all of the activities, as well as relevant budgets, undertaken by the Staff Counselling and Welfare Unit. •Provides day-to-day supervision of all JMS and MERT medical staff. Evaluates staff performance, interviews/evaluates candidates for job openings. •Prepares JMS and MERT budgets and controls finances, ensuring optimum and rational use of resources. •Procures pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, consumables and medical supplies as required by the JMS and the MERT. •Ensures availability of all JMS and MERT supplies and proper functioning of medical equipment. •Acts as a liaison point with UNHQ, providing advice on local conditions relevant to the health of staff in the mission. •Ensures the implementation of policies and directives from the Medical Director, including incident reporting and performance reporting on the activities of the health service. •Manages the interface between the JMS, MERT, Welfare and staff counsellors, senior management of the mission, all specialized agencies, military physicians, physicians and representatives of laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, medical associations and societies. •Ensures a safe and secure working environment for JMS and MERT medical staff. •Acts as Advisor for the mission on medical matters. •Establishes and implements appropriate training programs in order to maintain and develop the medical capabilities (e.g. health education, HIV/AIDS prevention, first aid and CPR). Clinical Duties: •Undertakes day-today clinical duties, e.g. clinic appointments, responses to emergencies, medical examinations, immunizations, women's health, etc. •Refers staff to outside specialists as necessary. •Follows-up with outside specialists. •Oversees and provides health education and health promotion programs. •Liaises with MERT in the mission and host-nation facilities. •Ensures the provision of health education. •Ensures the implementation of adequate Infection Control measures in the JMS and MERT clinics. •Follows the UN established policies and procedures regarding medical clearances, sick leave and medical evacuations. •Organizes/Participates in addressing work environment and occupational health issues. •Collects and analyzes data to identify trends or patterns and provides insights through graphs, charts, tables and reports using data visualization methods to enable data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting. •Performs other related duties as required. Medico-Administrative Duties: •Medical Clearances •Medical evacuation recommendations •Manages/Supports day to day operations Competencies Professionalism: Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. Previous experience in managing a JMS and MERT is highly desirable, and experience in implementing and managing MOUs between UN entities particularly for implementation of the JMS and MERT is required. An understanding of the rules and regulations of UN Agencies Funds and Programs and UN Secretariat is required. Planning & Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently. Managing Performance: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority; Makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; Accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills; Monitors progress against milestones and deadlines; Regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; Encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative; Actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; Appraises performance fairly. Judgement/Decision-making : Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; Gathers relevant information before making a decision; Considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; Takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; Proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; Checks assumptions against facts; Determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; Makes tough decisions when necessary. Education Doctorate in Medicine (MD), MBBS, or equivalent qualification. Current registration without restrictions to practice medicine in own country or another UN member state is required. Post graduate training in one of the clinical medical specialties (Note – formal post-graduate training in Occupational Health, Tropical Medicine, General Practice or Primary Care would be regarded as a medical specialty). MD (or equivalent) degree along with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of post graduate training. Additional Post graduate qualifications in Public Health or Management is an advantage. Formal training in ACLS and ATLS is required. Job - Specific Qualification Not available. Work Experience A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible clinical experience including five (5) years of combined clinical and management experience is required. Knowledge of occupational and tropical/travel medicine is desirable. Experience in the UN medical system or international medical experience is required. Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details). .headtable { font-family: arial, sans-serif; border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; border: 1px solid gray; border-radius: 10px; overflow: hidden; } .headTitle { font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; /*color: rgb(65, 98, 145);*/ color:black; } .headtable tr td, .headtable tr th { text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; padding: 6px; } .headtable th{ background-color: #F4F4F4; color: #002d62; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; padding: 12px; border-right: 1px solid #ccc; } .headtable td { text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; background-color: white; border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-right: 1px solid #ccc; } .headtable th:last-child, .headtable td:last-child { border-right: none; } .headtable tr:last-child td { border-bottom: none; } .rounded-table-wrapper { border-radius: 12px; border: 1px solid #ccc; overflow: hidden; } Required LanguagesLanguageReadingWritingListeningSpeakingEnglishUN Level IIUN Level IIUN Level IIUN Level II Assessment Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview. Special Notice This "Recruit from Roster" job opening is only open to roster applicants who are already placed on pre-approved rosters, following a review by a United Nations Central Review Body. Only roster applicants who were placed on rosters with similar functions at the same level are considered to be eligible candidates. Eligible applicants receive an email inviting them to apply. Rostered applicants are encouraged to apply only if they are interested and available to take up the position at the duty station/s specified in the Job Opening. Applying to this job opening carries an expectation to accept the offer, if selected. Please note that pursuant to the Staff selection system policy (ST/AI/2025/2): (1) Applicants for positions in the Field Service category cannot be of the nationality of the country where the position is located, and (2) Applicants for positions in the Professional and higher categories in a mission, field operation, or resident coordinator’s office cannot be of the nationality of the country where the position is located. For currently serving staff of a United Nations Common System organization, only the UN-recognized nationality will be considered for the purposes of these restrictions. United Nations Considerations According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. All external candidates recruited in accordance with section ‎2.2 (a) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2. (c) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date. No Fee