Roster: Consultant for Emerging Zoonotic Diseases, One Health and Intersectoral Preparedness for Epidemic and Pandemic Threats
OBJECTIVE OF THE OFFICE/DEPARTMENT
This is a requisition for employment at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO)
Contractual Agreement
Non-Staff - International PAHO Consultant
Job Posting
September 18, 2026
Closing Date
September 30, 2026, 11:59 PM Eastern Time
Primary Location
Off Site
Organization
IHM Infectious Hazard Management
Schedule
Full time
PURPOSE OF CONSULTANCY
Objectives of the Department
The objective of the Health Emergencies Department (PHE) of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) is to increase health sector resilience to emergencies and disasters. PHE assists Member States to strengthen the health sector’s capacities in prevention, risk reduction, preparedness, surveillance, response, and early recovery for emergencies and disasters related to any hazards (natural, man-made, biological, chemical, radiological and others) and, when national capacities are overwhelmed, to lead and coordinate the international health response to contain disasters, including outbreaks, and to provide effective relief and recovery to affected populations. PHE is responsible for ensuring the implementation and updating of the PAHO/WHO Institutional Emergency and Disaster Response Policy.
Organizational Context
PHE Department supports Member States in strengthening preparedness, surveillance, prevention, and response capacities for zoonotic threats through evidence-based technical cooperation and intersectoral collaboration.
Zoonotic influenza and other diseases at the human-animal-environment interface require sustained collaboration among public health, animal health, environmental, laboratory, surveillance, and other relevant sectors. In the Americas, PAHO has supported regional efforts to strengthen intersectoral surveillance, emergency preparedness, risk assessment, laboratory collaboration, and response capacities under a One Health approach. The regional consultation on strengthening intersectoral work at the human-animal interface identified the need for stronger coordination, clearer joint roles, operational protocols, preparedness arrangements, and mechanisms to support timely action across sectors. The subsequent establishment of the Commission for the Prevention and Control of Zoonotic Influenza in the Americas (CIPCIZA) further strengthened this regional framework.
CIPCIZA technical work has included intersectoral working groups addressing surveillance, laboratory collaboration, and risk assessment, with emphasis on practical recommendations, clarification of sectoral roles, exchange of experience, and identification of practices that can be adapted across countries. These areas provide an important technical basis for strengthening national and regional preparedness and response to zoonotic influenza and other emerging threats at the human-animal-environment interface.
In this context, PHE is establishing a roster of experts who may be called upon, as required, to provide technical expertise, participate in expert consultations and working groups, support regional meetings and simulation exercises, contribute to technical products, and provide specialized inputs related to zoonotic diseases, One Health, surveillance, laboratory systems, intersectoral risk assessment, preparedness, and response. Inclusion in the roster does not imply that an expert will be required to perform all activities described in these terms of reference; assignments will depend on the technical needs and scope of each request.
Purpose
The purpose of the roster is to establish a pool of qualified national and international experts with demonstrated experience in zoonotic diseases and the human-animal-environment interface who may provide specialized technical support to PHE, as requested, for preparedness, surveillance, risk assessment, prevention, and response to zoonotic and other emerging infectious threats.
Experts selected from the roster may contribute to regional and country-level technical cooperation, including intersectoral coordination, technical consultations, expert working groups, capacity mapping, simulation exercises, development or review of technical guidance and tools, regional meetings, webinars, and analytical or consultation reports. The nature and extent of the assignment will be defined according to the specific technical requirement.
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
Responsibilities
Under the overall supervision of the Chief of the Infectious Hazard Management Unit (IHM), experts selected from the roster may be requested to contribute to the following functions, according to their area of expertise:
- Provide specialized technical input on zoonotic diseases and threats at the human-animal-environment interface, with particular relevance to zoonotic influenza and other emerging or epidemic-prone zoonoses.
- Contribute technical expertise to intersectoral preparedness and response planning under a One Health approach, including the identification of capacities, gaps, priority actions, and opportunities for collaboration among human health, animal health, environmental, laboratory, and other relevant sectors.
- Support or participate in expert working groups and technical consultations on intersectoral surveillance, laboratory collaboration, genomic surveillance, risk assessment, response and other priority technical areas related to zoonotic influenza and emerging infectious threats.
- Contribute to the design, review, adaptation, or technical validation of guidance, frameworks, operational tools, checklists, technical agendas, concept notes, meeting materials, and other products supporting preparedness and response.
- Provide technical inputs for regional or national capacity mapping exercises, including the compilation and analysis of information on surveillance, laboratory, risk assessment, preparedness, response, and intersectoral coordination capacities; identification of operational and technical gaps; and formulation of priority areas for capacity strengthening.
- Contribute to intersectoral risk assessment processes by providing technical expertise relevant to epidemiological, veterinary, environmental, laboratory, ecological, genomic, or other dimensions of zoonotic disease risk, as applicable to the expert profile.
- Support the preparation and implementation of simulation exercises and other preparedness activities, including development or review of scenarios, injects, participant roles, evaluation criteria, monitoring tools, facilitator materials, and after-action or results reports.
- Contribute to regional and country meetings, including expert consultations, working groups, CIPCIZA meetings, technical sessions, webinars, and other events, through agenda development, technical presentations, facilitation, documentation, synthesis of discussions, and follow-up of agreed actions.
- Provide specialized technical inputs to the preparation of analytical reports, consultation reports, meeting reports, technical briefs, presentations, and recommendations, including synthesis of evidence and country experiences into actionable technical considerations.
- Contribute, as appropriate, to technical coordination with ministries of health, veterinary and animal health authorities, environmental authorities, laboratories, academic institutions, international organizations, regional networks, and other technical partners involved in One Health and zoonotic disease preparedness and response.
- Support the identification, documentation, and exchange of good practices, lessons learned, and practical approaches that may strengthen intersectoral collaboration and preparedness across countries in the Americas.
- Provide remote or, when specifically requested and authorized, in-country technical support for preparedness, assessment, consultation, simulation, or response activities, in coordination with relevant PAHO country offices and national authorities.
- Contribute to other technically related activities within the expert's demonstrated area of competence, as agreed with PHE and the designated supervisor.
Education requirements
Education
- Essential: A bachelor's degree in a health-related field from a recognized university, including medicine, veterinary medicine, public health, epidemiology, microbiology, environmental health, or another relevant discipline related to zoonotic diseases and One Health.
- Desirable: A master's degree or PhD in microbiology, public health, epidemiology, veterinary public health, One Health, infectious diseases, environmental health, risk assessment, laboratory sciences, or a related discipline.
Professional Experience
Essential
- At least 7 years of professional experience in One Health, zoonotic diseases, veterinary public health, infectious disease surveillance, outbreak preparedness and response, or another closely related field relevant to the human-animal-environment interface.
- Demonstrated professional experience in one or more technical areas relevant to zoonotic disease preparedness and response, such as intersectoral surveillance, laboratory systems, epidemiological or risk assessment, veterinary epidemiology, public health, environmental health, genomic surveillance, outbreak investigation, or emergency preparedness.
- Demonstrated experience working across sectors or disciplines and translating technical evidence, surveillance information, laboratory findings, or risk assessments into practical recommendations for preparedness, prevention, surveillance, or response.
- Experience participating in or contributing to multidisciplinary or intersectoral technical working groups, expert consultations, regional meetings, or similar collaborative processes would be desirable.
Desirable
- Experience contributing to the development, review, or implementation of technical guidance, operational tools, preparedness plans, simulation exercises, analytical...