WHO Career Requirements

Who are WHO's staff

WHO comprises a diverse workforce of some 9,000 people of more than 150 nationalities working in 147 countries. It has 6 regional offices as well as headquarters located in Geneva, Switzerland.

In line with the organizations mission to provide global leadership in public health, WHO employs health specialists, medical doctors, scientists, epidemiologists and also people with expertise in administration and finance, information systems, economics, health statistics as well as emergency preparedness and response.

Who is WHO looking for?

The people WHO is looking for should:

Demonstrate a high level of technical knowledge;
Applicants are normally required to have a university degree as well as a relevant postgraduate specialization
Be motivated and have a strong commitment to the policies and programmes of WHO;
Possess good analytical skills and a keen interest in and an understanding of policy issues especially in the area of public health;
Be able to work well in a multicultural team;
Have working experience at national and/or international level, in a field relevant to public health and development issues.
Be proficient in at least one of the official languages of the Organization (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish) and have a working knowledge of a second. Additional languages are an asset.

Background

For Management support positions:

Management (Human Resources, Finance, Planning)
Journalism
Public Administration
International Law
Psychology
Information Technology

For Technical positions:

Health Science, including Medical Science
Public Health
Nursing
Pharmacology
Sociology
Economics
Biology
Chemistry
Environmental Sciences
Statistics
Geography
Development Studies
International Law
Political Science
Anthropology

Competencies

Core Competencies

Communicating in a credible and effective way
Knowing and managing yourself
Producing results
Moving forward in a changing environment
Fostering integration and teamwork
Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
Setting an example

Management Competencies

Creating an empowering and motivating environment
Ensuring the effective use of resources
Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond

Leadership Competencies

Driving WHO to a successful future
Promoting innovation and organizational learning
Promoting WHO’s position in health leadership

Click here for further information on WHO employment opportunities.