Occupational Health Case and Data Specialist

Hardship Level

A (least hardship)

Family Type

Family

Family Type

Family

Residential location (if applicable)

Grade

PR3

Staff Member / Affiliate Type

Professional

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

Target Start Date

2025-10-01

Deadline for Applications

August 8, 2025

Standard Job Description

Occupational Health Case and Data Specialist

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

UNHCR has a highly mobile, global workforce comprising personnel serving in various locations around the world. A significant proportion of this workforce is posted in difficult and remote duty stations, where working and living conditions are challenging. Some locations are affected by security risks and ongoing conflicts, making the safety and well-being of staff a top priority.

This position is located in the Occupational Health Unit, within the Health and Wellbeing Section of the Division of People Management (DPM).

The Health and Wellbeing Section is responsible for ensuring that UNHCR’s workforce operates in a safe and healthy work environment—an essential foundation for effective functioning and productivity. The Section covers six regions, with professional and support staff providing occupational medical services and support to personnel. In addition to delivering direct, person-to-person services to individual staff and teams, the Section is responsible for implementing UNHCR’s Duty of Care commitments and developing policy documents that promote staff health and psychosocial well-being.

Occupational health focuses on enhancing and maintaining:

• the health of people at work, ensuring they operate safely; and

• the organizational effectiveness of UNHCR by providing expert advice to management.

The Occupational Health Case and Data Specialist reports to the Head of Occupational Health Unit.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR’s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties

• Provide guidance to the organization and staff globally on occupational health issues, and implement measures to ensure safe and healthy working conditions.

• Develop and manage emergency responses to complex occupational health situations.

• Act as Officer-in-Charge of the unit in the absence of the Head.

• Support emergency medical evacuations for national and international staff and their dependents.

• Manage occupational health support tasks, including sick leave, return-to-work arrangements, workplace accommodations, and work-related illness, injury, or accident processes, using electronic occupational health databases.

• Enforce compliance with Occupational Safety Policies, liaising with inter-agency stakeholders as needed.

• Assist in streamlining collaboration with Occupational Health Officers (OHOs) across regions by developing clear Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) aligned with the organization’s Administrative Instructions and operational context.

• Support teams in developing, implementing, and supervising strategic guidance that integrates service provision, capacity building (e.g., training), and policy development across all regions. This includes updating policies, drafting health promotion strategies, and ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and reportable key strategies.

• Assist in resource management by providing professional consultation on global procurement processes that support regional occupational health units.

• Provide surge capacity to the organization and the broader UN system as needed.

• Represent the UNHCR Occupational Health Unit at inter-agency forums to harmonize practices and identify best approaches, including participation in the UN Compensation Claims Committee (Geneva) and the UN Pension Fund (New York) on matters related to work-related illnesses, accidents, and disability benefits.

• Coordinate the delivery of projects undertaken by the unit and engage with strategic managers (e.g., Enterprise Risk Management, UNMD, senior regional or country-level management).

• Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).

• Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level

For P3 - 6 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education

*Medical Doctor (MD)

Master Of Medicine (MMED)

(Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Certificates and/or Licenses

Information Technology;

NEBOSH IGC for Occupational Health and Safety;

Medicine;

(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience

Essential

Substantial clinical experience as a Medical Doctor or Practitioner, including at least 1–2 years in an international organization or hardship duty station. Minimum of 2 years of experience in Occupational Health and Safety, as well as Health Informatics. Proven supervisory experience of other health personnel.

Desirable

Experience managing employee assistance programs. Demonstrated leadership and management experience. Experience in occupational health data analysis.

Functional Skills

MD-Clinical practice

MD-Tropical and Infectious Diseases

MD-Travel Medicine

MD-Conduct health risk assessments

*MD-UN Medical Service standards and practices

*CO-Drafting and Documentation

MD-UN-wide health care policies and protocols (e.g. medical evacuation procedures, etc.)

MD-Assessment of quality standards of health facilities

*LE-Data protection laws & procedures for sectoral practices (employment, health, security)

OS-Occupational Health and Safety critical risk control methods

*OS-Occupational Health and Safety statistical reporting

MD-Medical Evacuation route planning and operationalization with MOU

(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements

For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.

For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.

For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

Competency Requirements

All jobs at UNHCR require six core competencies and may also require managerial competencies and/or cross-functional competencies. The six core competencies are listed below.

Core Competencies

Accountability

Communication

Organizational Awareness

Teamwork & Collaboration

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Client & Result Orientation

Managerial Competencies

Judgement and Decision Making

Empowering and Building Trust

Managing Resources

Managing Performance

Cross-Functional Competencies

Analytical Thinking

Innovation and Creativity

Planning and Organizing

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination, and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

Desired Candidate Profile

The candidate has to review complex and challenging medical cases and determine best course of action for clinical management within the entitlements and policy framework of the organization. The candidate therefore must be a Medical Doctor (MD), with a Master Of Medicine (MMED) and preferably a Masters in Clinical and Health Informatics, with at least six years of relevant progressive experience. In addition, the candidate must be a good communicator as they are expected to write comprehensive case reports and be able to communicate ideas, decisions and arguments with clarity to senior management and a wide group of stakeholders.

The candidate has to demonstrate a high level of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity. Capacity to work well with shifting priorities as well as to adapt the plans as needed by the operational imperatives, is critical. Equally, maintaining respectful communication with others within and outside UNHCR is a must. Given that the incumbent will have to work in a multidisciplinary team, the candidate is expected to demonstrate a a solid capacity to collaborate and create and nurture partnerships with different stakeholders. Demonstrated managerial capacity to guide, coach, and support their team members as well as monitor their work progress very important.
Commitment to on-going professional development, self-growth as well as commitment to continuous organizational learning and development is critical.

Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):

,

,

Desired languages

,

,

Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel.

Nature of Position:

The Division of People Management aims to put people at the heart of everything we do, from talent management, HR policy and strategy to occupational health, workforce planning and safeguards against abuse and harassment. We partner with colleagues across the organization to build a skilled, diverse, and compassionate workforce that can rise to today’s challenges and prepare for the future. We harness technology and foster strong partnerships to shape a more responsive, strategic and sustainable people function. Our goal is to support every UNHCR colleague, wherever they are, with the tools, trust, and care they need to thrive, lead, and serve with purpose.

The Health and Wellbeing Section is responsible for ensuring that UNHCR’s workforce has a safe and healthy work environment, which is essential for effective functioning and productivity.

UNHCR has a highly mobile, global workforce comprising personnel serving in various locations around the world. A significant proportion of this workforce is posted in difficult and remote duty stations, where working and living conditions are challenging. Some locations are affected by security risks and ongoing conflicts, making the health and well-being of staff a top priority.

Occupational health focuses on enhancing and maintaining:

• the health of people at work, ensuring they operate safely; and

• the organizational effectiveness of UNHCR by providing expert advice to management.

The OH Case and Data Specialist supports the establishment of HR strategic priorities and the transformation of the Division into a strategic business partner for field operations and senior management through the realization of the unit’s delivery on the occupational health mandate, case review management, care intervention and running the Appendix D and disability dockets. He/she is responsible for implementing UNHCR’s Duty of Care commitments and developing relevant policy, processes, and innovation documents that promote staff health and well-being.

The role is based in Panama and reports directly to the Head of Unit and it is non-rotational in character. Standard assignment length is 4 years following which the position has to be readvertised. The role acts as the officer in charge during the absence of the Head of Unit and the management experience is important.

Living and Working Conditions:

Additional Qualifications

Skills

CO-Drafting and Documentation, LE-Data protection laws & procedures for sectoral practices (employment, health, security), MD-Assessment of quality standards of health facilities, MD-Clinical practice, MD - Conduct health risk assessments, MD-Medical Evacuation route planning and operationalization with MOU, MD-Travel Medicine, MD-Tropical and Infectious Diseases, MD-UN Medical Service standards and practices, MD-UN-wide health care policies and protocols (e.g. medical evacuation procedures, etc.), OS-Occupational Health and Safety critical risk control methods, OS - Occupational Health and Safety statistical reporting

Education

Bachelor of Medical Science: Medical Doctor (Required), Master of Medical Science: Medicine

Certifications

Information Technology - Other, Medicine - Other, NEBOSH IGC for Occupational Health and Safety - Other

Work Experience

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Innovation & creativity, Judgement & decision making, Managing performance, Managing resource, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Teamwork & collaboration

UNHCR Salary Calculator

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

Compendium

Add. 2 to the Bi-Annual 2025 Compendium - Part B

Additional Information

Functional clearance

This position requires Functional Clearance