ATTENTION!!!

AU Values

• Respect for Diversity and Team Work   • Think Africa Above all                     

• Transparency and Accountability           • Integrity and Impartiality                       

• Efficiency and Professionalism              • Information and Knowledge Sharing

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Organization Information

Reports to: Head of Division Emergency Preparedness and Response
Directorate/Department: Center for Public Health Emergency Management
Division: Emergency Preparedness and Response
Number of Direct Reports:0 
Number of Indirect Reports:0 
Number of Positions: 1
Job Grade: P3
Contract Type: Appointment for Limited duration (ALD)
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Purpose of Job

The African Union, established as a unique Pan African continental body, is charged with spearheading Africa’s rapid integration and sustainable development by promoting unity, solidarity, cohesion and cooperation among the peoples of Africa and African States as well as developing a new partnership worldwide. Its Headquarters is located in Addis Ababa, the Capital City of Ethiopia. 
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) was officially launched in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on January 31, 2017. The Africa CDC is Africa’s first continent-wide public health agency and envisions a safer, healthier, integrated and stronger Africa, where Member States are capable of effectively responding to outbreaks of infectious diseases and other public health threats. The agency’s mission is to strengthen Africa’s public health institutions’ capabilities to prepare for, detect and respond quickly and effectively to disease outbreaks and other health burdens through an integrated network of continent-wide preparedness and response, surveillance, laboratory, and research programmes.
In seeking to achieve this objective and deliver on the mandate of the Africa CDC, the African Union intends to strengthen its capacity by the reinforcement of its organizational structure and expertise. The Africa CDC therefore seeks to recruit a national and citizen of any Member State of the African Union to the position of Senior Technical Officer (Emergency Preparedness) within the Emergency Preparedness and Response Division.
The Senior Technical Officer (Emergency Preparedness) is responsible for support to the programmatic implementation of initiatives that enhance public health emergency preparedness and the development preparedness and response core capacities across Africa. The role involves providing technical guidance and support to AU Member States to strengthen their ability to prevent, detect, and respond to health emergencies.

Main Functions

Under the Supervision of the Head of Emergency Preparedness and Response Division, the Senior Technical Officer for Emergency Preparedness shall support the Principal Program Officer for Preparedness & Response to ensure the planning and implementation of Africa CDC’s emergency preparedness health security related activities across the continent in collaboration with Regional Coordinating Centers (RCCs) and Member State’s National Public Health Institutes (NPHIs).

Specific Responsibilities

•Assist in planning and organizing, the development of emergency preparedness capacities across member states in collaboration with different departments within Africa CDC.
•Support the development and implementation of Africa CDC’s emergency response framework (ERF) in collaboration with the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other international organizations.
•Contribute to the maintenance and regular updating of a user-friendly knowledge hub for continental public health events by gathering, validating, and organizing resources in collaboration with the Knowledge Management Division and relevant departments
•Support the coordination of harmonization of preparedness and response activities in the Member States conducted by Africa CDC in collaboration with US CDC.
•Support the monitoring, evaluation, and documentation of health security activities in prioritized Member States, including risk ranking, event monitoring, risk assessment, and grading, and provide technical input to guide preparedness and response actions. Support the capacity building emergency staff both at regional and sub-regional levels with focus on preparedness and response to priority diseases as per continental and regional risk-raking reports.
•Contribute to the development of annual work plan for the emergency preparedness and response unit and monitor its implementation.
•Support Member States in conducting operational studies during disease outbreak and other public health emergencies in collaboration with science department of Africa CDC.
•Represent the Africa CDC at regional and international meetings and events related to public health emergency preparedness.
•Develop quarterly and annual reports and publish articles on the emergency preparedness work in consultation with the head of division and team members.
•Perform any other related duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Academic Requirements and Relevant Experience

Master’s degree in public health (MPH), Epidemiology, Disaster Management, or a related field, with at least seven (7) years of relevant work experience, out of which at least three (3) years should be at the expert level in public health, with a focus on public health emergency management.
Or
Bachelor’s degree in medicine, public health, Epidemiology, Disaster Management, or a related field, with at least ten (10) years of relevant work experience, out of which at least three (3) years should be at expert level in public health, with a focus on public health emergency management.
•PhD in Public Health or a related field is an added advantage.
•Demonstrated experience in providing technical support in public health emergency preparedness and response, including operational support during complex emergencies.
•Experience coordinating and collaborating with multiple stakeholders, including governments, donors, UN agencies, NGOs, and civil society organizations, in public health preparedness and response activities.
•Technical expertise in evaluating preparedness programs, risk monitoring, and implementing corrective actions.
•Experience working in Africa, with knowledge of the International Health Regulations (2005), continental health systems, and the operations of Ministries of Health in Member States.
•Proven ability to contribute to strategic planning, program development, project coordination, and resource mobilization for public health emergency preparedness and response.
•Experience in capacity-building initiatives, training, and knowledge sharing in public health emergency preparedness contexts.
•Experience in networking, building partnerships, and representing organizations in regional or international forums.
•Experience in writing, reporting, and publishing scientific or technical articles.
•Strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team.
•Integrity, credibility, and professionalism, with excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Required Skills

•Excellent leadership skills.
•Communication, advocacy, and representation skills for public health emergency issues at regional and global levels.
•Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
•Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
•Ability to work independently and as part of a team
•Proficiency in one of the AU working languages (Arabic, English, French, Kiswahili, Portuguese, and Spanish) is mandatory, and fluency in another AU language is an added advantage

Leadership Competencies

Core Competencies

Functional Competencies

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TENURE OF APPOINTMENT:

The Appointment will be for a period of Eleven (11) Months, of which the first three (3) months will be considered as a probationary period. Thereafter, the contract may be renewed subject to funding availability, satisfactory performance and agreed deliverables. 

GENDER MAINSTREAMING:

Africa CDC is an equal opportunity employer and qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.

LANGUAGES:
Proficiency in one of the AU working languages (Arabic, English, French, Kiswahili, Portuguese, and Spanish) is mandatory and fluency in another AU language is an added advantage

REMUNERATION:

The salary attached to the position for the eleven month period is US$  88,844.56  (P3 Step 5) inclusive of all allowances for internationally recruited staff, and US$ 68,255.99 inclusive of all allowances for locally recruited staff of the African Union.

Applications must be submitted no later than February 26, 2026 11h59 p.m. EAT.
-Only candidates who meet all job requirements and are selected for interviews will be contacted. -Consideration will be given only to those candidates who have submitted a fully completed online application with a curriculum vitae (CV), an African passport, and the required academic qualifications, such as Diplomas, Bachelor's degrees, Master's degrees and any relevant certificate in line with the area of expertise. -The African Union is an equal opportunity employer, and female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. -Candidates from less represented countries within the African Union are strongly encouraged to apply for positions that fit their profiles. These countries include Algeria, Angola, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Comoros, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Namibia, Niger, Sahrawi D.R., Sao Tome and Principe., Seychelles, Somalia and Tunisia.