Chief Librarian

**Grade**: P3

**Contractual Arrangement**: Fixed-term appointment

**Contract Duration (Years, Months, Days)**: 2 years (Subject to availability of funds, satisfactory performance and continuing need for the position.)

**Job Posting**: Mar 31, 2024, 12:37:46 AM

**Closing Date**: Apr 20, 2024, 4:59:00 PM

**Primary Location**: Egypt-Cairo

**Organization**: EM/SID Science, Information and Dissemination

**Schedule**: Full-time

**Position number: 405045**

**OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME**

The programme envisions a region where all health related policies, decisions on healthcare development and implementation, and innovations are informed by best available evidence from verifiable knowledge, research and reliable information. The programme's mission is to strengthen the capacity of Member States to improve availability, quality and use of evidence from reliable information, research and other sources of knowledge, and to enhance effective innovations toward Universal Health Coverage and health related Sustainable Development Goals.
Within the Department of Science, Information and Dissemination (SID), the Library and Knowledge Sharing (LKS) teams contribute to implementation of knowledge management, dissemination, sharing and translation in support of health systems development regionally andwithin WHO. The Library and Knowledge Sharing (LKS) is a key part of this work through improving the access to and availability of health information resources and dissemination of WHO information products.

**DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES**
- Coordinate and implement the work of Library, Knowledge and Sharing (LKS) and its acquisitions, financial and human resources, with appropriate work plans.
- Ensure timely production, marketing, distribution, sales and electronic publishing of WHO/EMRO information products. This covers identification, selection and management of vendors' relations, quality control of productions, monitoring and evaluation of impact of products and overall management of databases of address and publications.
- Supervise the archiving and digitization projects to monitor, share and disseminate WHO information products and recommending or taking actions as appropriate to preserve institutional memory.
- Build a dynamic e-library and knowledge management and sharing activities, including EMR Virtual Health Sciences Library (VHSL), Index Medicus of the Eastern Mediterranean Region (IMEMR), Institutional Digital Repository (IDR), and Resrach4Life programmes to foster universal access to the world's health related publications and information in the Regional Office, Country Offices, and the Member States.
- Collaborate with public and private partners to set agendas in access to health knowledge and contribute to the development of appropriate policy frameworks, local capacities and systems, and innovative mechanisms for technical assistance to EMR countries in need.
- Provide technical advice to the planning and implementation of EMR countries' libraries and health knowledge sharing activities, and conduct needs assessment.
- Work with other UN agencies and collaborating centers on development and implementation of joint activities.
- Participate in relevant meetings and forums representing the organization at interagency, international and national meetings as assigned by Director/SID.
- Perform any other related incident-specific duties as required, including supporting the advocacy and fund-raising activities

**REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS**

**Education**

**Essential**: University degree from a recognized university in library and information sciences or knowledge management.
Training in emerging technologies for Library and Knowledge Management and publication processes.

**Experience**

**Essential**: Five years of experience with international exposure working in library and health information services.
**Desirable**: Experience within UN or other international organizations.
Working experience with databases and/or repositories.
Experience in managing digital multilingual information products.
Experience of managing publication processes and print-houses.

**Skills**
- Excellent knowledge of modern health information product and library sciences, documentation services, information production and dissemination and information sciences and technology.
- Knowledge of proprietary and opensource library databases and repository systems.
- Familiarity with international information preservation and interoperability standards - such as Dublin Core, MARC21, AACR2, MeSH, NLM Classification, OAI-PMH, OAI-ORE, Open URL, etc.
- Strong ICT background, including web-based systems and portals.
- Sound judgement, tact and ability to communicate with staff at different levels and in different methods.
- Good knowledge of WHO and/or UN library and information systems an advantage.

**WHO Competencies**
- Teamwork
- Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
- Communication
- Producing results
- Promotin