Occupational Health & Safety Officer job at UNDP

Position Purpose
The position is envisioned to fill the gap as recommended in the UN Medical Directors’ Health Risk Management Recommendations following the UNMD Assessment of Mandatory Health Support Elements in 2025.

Under the overall supervision of the UN Resident Coordinator, the UNDP Representative and technical guidance of the Medical Director – acting on behalf of the UN Medical Directors (UNMD), the OHS Coordinator is responsible for the implementation and monitoring of compliance to preventive medical actions and responses based on recommended mitigation measures for mandatory health support elements, as well as disease outbreak/crisis.

The incumbent will improve access to health care providers implementing medical evidence-based interventions, training, and prevention measures to ensure the physical and mental health of UN personnel.

The expected results include the implementation and monitoring of compliance to preventive medical actions and responses based on recommended mitigation measures for mandatory health support elements, as well as disease outbreak/crisis.

S/he will develop and maintain health support coordination mechanisms between UN Medical Directors, through Medical Service and the country operation, other stakeholders such as UNDSS and the Occupational Health and Safety Committee for prevention of health hazards and health promotion; as well as verify that medical facilities recommended for use by UN personnel comply with UN Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety (HQPS) standards.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.
Duties and Responsibilities

Medical Case Coordination and Oversight

• Act as in-country focal point for all medical emergency or MEDEVAC questions and requests;
• Provide ongoing in-country operational, logistics and administrative support for the MEDEVAC operations from field locations to advanced care centers. This will include facilitation and coordination of the Medical Evacuation process for all UN agencies, liaison with the national medical entities / doctors and submission of the documentation to the respective UN MEDEVAC Regional Medical Officers / focal points;
• Be available 24/7 to facilitate communication between the requestor, local authorities, Medical Services of various agencies, staff counsellors, security (if event happens in high-risk area) and eventually international stakeholders;
• Facilitate in-country medical referrals and coordination of medical care for personnel and dependents requiring acute, life-threatening, or specialized care;
• Closely collaborate with UN Senior/Regional Medical Officers or Medical Advisers of UN entities with corporate OHS/Medical Services, on the clinical management and MEDEVAC and follow-up care of personnel and eligible dependents within the country;
• Manage communication with health care providers/specialists on the ground to ensure clinical management of cases among UN personnel and contact tracing of workplace exposures, based on protocols agreed with UNMD/UN Medical Services;
• Monitor number of personnel seeking occupational health services in the UNMD recommended health facilities such as entry medical, periodic medical examinations, travel-related medical procedures, and immunization;
• Organize health education and health promotion activities, as per UNMD strategic priorities;
• Organize/participate in addressing work environment and occupational health issues.

Provide Health Support to UN Operations

• Perform Duty Station Health Risk Assessments (DS-HRA) and Mandatory Health Support Elements (MHSE) assessment in new duty stations, assessment of quality standard of health facilities, monitor the risk level of existing duty stations. Document assessment findings in reports are to be shared with UNMD and UN stakeholders in the country;
• Coordinate, facilitate and monitor implementation of the Health Support Plan (HSP) for the duty station(s) based on UNMD Mandatory Health Support Elements (MHSE) and Health Risk Assessment (DS-HRA);
• Update the MHSE Status and the Health Support Plan for duty stations in Uganda;
• Conduct assessment of local health care facilities, medical services and ambulance providers then develop or update medical referral pathways for the duty stations;
• Develop and update standard operating procedures (SOPs) and related guidance materials for medical evacuation plans in all duty stations;
• Collaborate with UNDSS and the UN Security Cell by participating in drills, review and providing context-specific medical referral pathways into CASEVAC, MEDEVAC and Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) plans;
• Ensure coordination of medical support for emergency medical response, including Mass Casualty Incidents (MCI). In liaison with UNDSS, develop the medical aspect of duty station specific Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) plan and support in implementation, if needed;
• Assist Administration in drafting and implementation of business continuity and crises preparedness plans for the duty station;
• Establish and maintain medical referral pathways. This involves periodic assessments of health and medical facilities available at duty station(s) to update medical referral pathways and identify referral centers for secondary or tertiary medical/trauma care;
• In liaison with UNDSS / Security Cell, support the development and implementation of the in-country training materials and training required as per the Security Risk Management (SRM) Plan;
• In liaison with FSS and UNRC administration in Uganda, support the implementation of health aspect of road safety elements;
• Provide advice on medical coordination matters to the Operations Management Team (OMT), UN Country Team (UNCT) and the UN Resident Coordinator (UNRC);
• Prepare situational updates and monthly reports to the OMT, UNMD and relevant stakeholders;
• Collaborate with Procurement/Supply Unit on drafting terms of reference (TORs) and technical assessment, monitor delivery timelines as required for contracts related to health services or equipment. Closely work with UN functional units, particularly Administration, Human Resources, and Supply/Logistics team, in handling all matters related to the contracts, MOUs or agreements with health care providers in case of MHSE requirements;
• Monitor compliance of vendors (medical/health providers) to patient safety and quality standards for commodities and services;
• Where applicable, and if in line with UN Medical Directors’ priorities, coordinate health promotion, including vaccination campaigns with health care providers;
• Attend Medical Service, DHMOSH, UNMD and relevant meetings or briefing sessions provided by UN agencies’ Medical Services;
• Participate in Health Sector Coordination meetings;
• Provide advice on health and medical services and developments in Uganda and neighboring counties/ provinces to beneficiaries and the participating organizations;
• In liaison with Staff Counsellors support the implementation of context specific mental health plan for the operations in Uganda.

Information management and reporting: Ensure effective occupational health, health promotion, and prevention programmes

• Ensures medical confidentiality and release of medical records/information is in accordance with UN Medical Directors’ Guideline on Medical Confidentiality in the Workplace, as well as relevant UN policies and requirements;
•  Keeping the medical records in EarthMEd;
• Record and maintain medical case records in the medical database;
• Undertakes the planning based on Health Support Coordination Unit objectives, agreed with the technical and administrative supervisors; preparation of budgets and prepares reports on budget performance and results;
• Ensures the development, generation and reporting of relevant key performance indicators documenting health support performance including responses to audit requests on health performance.

Advisory and liaison

• Undertakes regular coordination with the UN Medical Directors through Medical Service;
• Oversees workplace health and medical service communication products, and liaison/outreach with external actors;
• Briefs and advice UNRC, OMT and UN senior management on all healthcare matters relevant to the workplace, including health policies, business continuity, enterprise risk management, and representation at crisis response and related bodies;
• Ensures effective occupational health representation at the local Occupational Health and Safety Committee (OSH);
• Organizes health education and health promotion activities for UN personnel.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary, agreed between the technical and administrative supervisors, for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities:  Supervise and manage Occupational Health & Safety Associate

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree) in Medicine from an accredited institution and currently licensed to practice in Uganda., or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum 2 years (with master’s degree) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience at the national or international level.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Minimum 4 years of work experience in the humanitarian sector either in Occupational Health and Public Health with both Clinical and Project Management experience;
• Experience in health care management, supervision and coordination of medical teams is essential;
• Experience seeing projects through the full life cycle is an asset;
• Experience in Trauma and Emergency care and/or in Internal Medicine is desirable;
• UN field experience in the occupational health care sector is desirable;
• Previous experience in humanitarian crisis and infectious diseases is highly desirable;
• Previous international medical experience is desirable;
• Coordination/managerial experience in the medical field including budgeting, supervisory responsibilities and resource management is desirable;
• Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.), and advanced knowledge of web-based management systems such as ERP financials and database packages.