WHO Opens Talent Pipeline for Senior Country Representative Roles Worldwide | P5/D1/D2
The World Health Organization (WHO) is recruiting candidates for its WHO Representative Talent Pipeline (P5/D1/D2), creating opportunities for senior health professionals who can lead WHO country offices and represent the organization at national level. The positions are offered on fixed-term appointments of two years, with potential assignments across multiple locations worldwide.
This is a highly senior international opportunity aimed at experienced public health and health systems leaders with extensive experience working with governments, international organizations, development partners, and other stakeholders.
About the Role
A WHO Representative serves as the organization’s senior representative at country level, acting on behalf of the Director-General and Regional Director. The role combines strategic health leadership, diplomacy, policy advocacy, technical cooperation, partnership development, and operational management.
The successful candidate will help position WHO as a trusted health authority while supporting governments in addressing national health priorities. They will provide evidence-based advice, facilitate policy dialogue, mobilize WHO technical expertise, and coordinate partnerships to achieve sustainable health outcomes.
WHO Representatives also play an important diplomatic role. They are expected to build trust among governments, UN agencies, civil society organizations, development partners, communities, and other stakeholders. The role requires the ability to navigate politically complex environments while maintaining WHO’s neutrality, credibility, scientific integrity, and technical mandate.
Key Responsibilities
One of the main responsibilities is to provide strategic health leadership, diplomacy, and advocacy. The WHO Representative will advise and negotiate with governments and partners on health policies and national priorities.
They will also support the development and implementation of national health strategies, including emergency preparedness and response. The role involves promoting Health in All Policies and whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches.
The successful candidate will lead the development, implementation, and review of the Country Cooperation Strategy and ensure that health priorities are appropriately integrated into UN country planning and coordination.
Another major responsibility is coordinating technical cooperation. The WHO Representative will connect governments with WHO experts, UN agencies, development partners, academic institutions, civil society organizations, and communities to provide country-specific technical support.
The position also involves strengthening health data, evidence generation, monitoring, reporting, national capacity development, and sustainable health financing.
Leadership and Management
The WHO Representative will lead the WHO Country Office and oversee its human, financial, technical, operational, and logistical resources.
Responsibilities include strategic planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, reporting, risk management, compliance, and resource stewardship.
The position requires strong people-management abilities. The successful candidate will build and maintain a high-performing, diverse, and inclusive workforce through effective leadership, performance management, succession planning, and staff development.
WHO also expects its senior leaders to maintain an ethical and respectful workplace with zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment, discrimination, fraud, retaliation, and other misconduct.
Required Qualifications
This is a very senior professional opportunity.
Applicants must have an advanced university degree in public health, health sciences, health systems, medicine, or a related health field.
A first university degree in health sciences, a medical degree, or a doctorate in a relevant public health or health-related discipline is desirable.
Candidates must have at least 10 years of progressive relevant international experience in health-related fields.
In addition, applicants need at least two years of relevant country-level experience, including direct engagement with governments and external partners.
Experience working across multiple countries or regions, leading programmes in field locations, managing budgets, mobilizing resources, and working with UN Country Teams would be advantageous.
Experience in humanitarian health responses and emergency settings is also desirable.
Skills and Competencies
The successful candidate should have broad knowledge of public health, health systems, and global health priorities.
Strong understanding of WHO and UN strategies, policies, programmes, and operational frameworks is important.
The role requires exceptional diplomacy, negotiation, communication, leadership, and stakeholder engagement skills. Candidates must be comfortable working with senior government officials and partners in multicultural and politically complex environments.
Strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, human-resource management, financial management, and resource mobilization skills are also important.
Language Requirements
Expert knowledge of English is essential.
Working knowledge of another official WHO language is desirable, depending on the duty station and region.
Because WHO Representatives may work in different countries and regions, multilingual ability can provide an additional advantage.
Salary and Benefits
WHO lists annual base salaries starting at:
- P5: USD 103,165
- D1: USD 117,953
- D2: USD 130,477
These amounts are subject to applicable mandatory deductions, including pension and health insurance contributions. A variable post adjustment may also apply depending on the duty station.
Other benefits can include 30 days of annual leave, dependent family allowances, home leave, and an education grant for eligible dependent children.
WHO also provides additional benefits and flexible working arrangements intended to support employee wellbeing and work-life balance.
International Mobility
Successful candidates appointed to international professional positions may be subject to geographical mobility. This means they may be assigned to different WHO activities or duty stations around the world.
The talent pipeline is designed to support the filling of future WHO Representative vacancies at the P5, D1, and D2 levels. Candidates who successfully enter the roster may subsequently be considered for individual WHO Representative positions.
Candidates for internationally recruited WHO Representative positions will need to successfully complete the required formal assessment.
Application Deadline
The vacancy was posted on 19 August 2026, and applications are due by 31 August 2026 at 11:59 PM.
A covering letter is mandatory. WHO may also use a written test and/or asynchronous video assessment during the recruitment process.
Candidates under serious consideration will be required to provide verified copies of relevant educational qualifications. WHO notes that higher education credentials must come from recognized institutions listed in the World Higher Education Database or otherwise be subject to individual review.
Who Should Apply?
This opportunity is best suited to senior public health professionals, medical and health systems leaders, international development specialists, and experienced health programme managers with substantial international and country-level experience.
It is not an entry-level or mid-career position. The combination of an advanced health-related degree, at least 10 years of progressive international experience, senior government engagement, and leadership responsibilities makes this a highly competitive WHO opportunity.
For qualified professionals, however, the talent pipeline provides a significant opportunity to be considered for senior WHO country leadership assignments around the world, with competitive international professional compensation and benefits.
Position: WHO Representative Talent Pipeline
Grades: P5 / D1 / D2
Contract: Fixed-term appointment
Duration: 2 years
Location: Multiple locations worldwide
Schedule: Full-time
Minimum experience: 10 years of progressive relevant international health experience
Country-level experience: At least 2 years
Minimum education: Advanced university degree in a relevant health field
Starting salary: USD $103,165–$130,477 depending on grade, plus applicable post adjustment
Deadline: 31 August 2026 at 11:59 PM
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