Technical Officer, Economics of Tobacco Control

**Grade**: P3

**Contractual Arrangement**: Temporary appointment under Staff Rule 420.4

**Job Posting**: Dec 23, 2024, 3:31:30 PM

**Closing Date**: Jan 6, 2025, 4:59:00 PM

**Primary Location**: Mexico-Mexico City

**Organization**: Non communicable Diseases and Mental Health

**Schedule**: Full-time


OBJECTIVE OF THE OFFICE/DEPARTMENT
This requisition is for employment at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO)
The Department of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health (NMH) is responsible for promoting, coordinating, and implementing technical cooperation activities related to the prevention, control, and surveillance of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental, neurological and substance abuse disorders, including their risk factors, disabilities and rehabilitation, road safety and unintentional injuries, as well as prevention of and response to violence in all its forms. NMH raises political, public, and professional awareness and helps policymakers, health authorities, practitioners, and communities understand the burden of the most common NCDs, their related risk factors, and associated conditions. NMH promotes multi-sector and multi-stakeholder strategies that strengthen the capacity of Member States to promote and protect health through public policies, programs, services and surveillance, that reduce risks, improve NCD prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and self-management support to reduce the disease burden and improve the physical, mental, and social well-being of the population.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
Under the general supervision of the Director, Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health (NMH), and the direct supervision of the Unit Chief, Risk Factors and Nutrition (NMH/RF) and the Regional advisor on tobacco control, the incumbent will be responsible for, but not necessarily limited to, the following assigned duties:
1) Lead and coordinate the technical assistance on tobacco taxes and related economic of tobacco control topics, with the goal of accelerating improvement of tobacco tax policy scores in line with the WHO FCTC, best practices and the WHO MPOWER package, in close coordination with the tobacco control regional advisor, PAHO/WHO relevant country offices staff, and other pertinent PAHO/WHO staff. This includes maintaining effective partnerships with all involved stakeholders to exchange critical and technical information, resolve challenges, and ensure that activities and deliverables are implemented as planned;
2) Provide strategically country-tailored technical assistance for the development of evidence-based resources concerning excise tobacco taxes, in line with the WHO FCTC, best practices and the WHO MPOWER package, to drive progress in utilizing tobacco taxes to achieve health goals. This encompasses leveraging international expertise to enrich national policy dialogues, capitalizing on PAHO’s established partnerships while also cultivating new ones. This involves engaging actively international partners and expertise based on national authorities’ needs;
3) Develop and execute capacity-building activities and technical missions aimed at equipping health and finance officials with the necessary skills to enhance alignment between fiscal and health policies on tobacco taxes. This involves building bridges between national authorities and international organizations such as the World Bank, and OECD as well as international partners in the academia in the regional public policy dialogue on tobacco taxes, as well as facilitating the exchange of international expertise;
4) Guide and conduct research translation and knowledge transfer actions related to the evidence supporting tobacco taxes and fostering their use as an effective way to reduce tobacco use and prevent young people from initiating in their use. This includes development of resources in collaboration with partners as needed to support authorities in advancing tobacco taxes;
5) Coordinate and maintain the periodic monitoring of the implementation of excise taxes on tobacco products in the Region of the Americas in line with international and regional mandates and following established WHO/PAHO data collection processes and instruments;
6) Systematize lessons learned on tobacco taxes monitoring that could be applied to taxes on alcohol, sugar-sweetened beverages, and unhealthy products;
7) Collaborate with RF team members in the operational planning, monitoring and evaluation of the Strategy and Plan of Action to Strengthen Tobacco Control in the Region of the Americas 2025-2030 and the PAHO Strategic Plan 2020-2025 and Biennial Work Plans;
8) Participate as a member of the RF team to contribute to the successful implementation of the Unit’s activities;
9) Participate actively in relevant working groups, meetings and fora; compile reports and present analyses on relevant programmatic issues;
10) Conduct research on technical areas, as directed; obtain an