View Vacancy - First Secretary, Antimicrobial Resistance and Health, UKMis New York

Main purpose of job

An exciting and challenging opportunity to work at the UK Mission to the United Nations to deliver UK policy to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR) within the wider Health portfolio.

2019 is an important year for Health at the UN. The UN Secretary General will host a high-level meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in September. He will also issue a report on ‘global next steps’ on AMR by then. Both offer a crucial international opportunity for member states to renew political commitment to UHC and to AMR and to make tangible progress in the global response. AMR poses a serious threat to global health and modern medicine and the delivery of a number of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) if not tackled urgently - global AMR-related deaths are predicted to rise to 10 million by 2050, with 89% of all AMR deaths occurring in Africa and Asia.

The holder of this temporary post will join a busy wider team that leads on international development, health and climate change at the UN, and operate in close liaison with the UK’s Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for International Development. The post-holder will provide essential leadership in the run up to and following UNGA 2019, working alongside other First Secretaries in the UK Mission whilst specifically leading on engagement and negotiation with other UN Member States through the UN Secretary General’s report process and the preparation for the high-level meeting on UHC. This will include building support for sustained focus on AMR at the UN, and helping to ensure that all relevant UN agencies are working efficiently and effectively across organisational boundaries and the international community is effectively monitoring progress and developments.

This role will work with senior officials and ministers to deliver ambitious UK outcomes, and will speak on behalf of the UK at the UN, which means the individual will need confidence and diplomatic skill to represent the UK, often at senior levels.

 Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Build and maintain up-to-date understanding of UK priorities and member states positions on international health work, including AMR, across all aspects of the UN, influencing a network of key contacts on these issues amongst member states, the UN system and NGOs, often at senior levels.
• Identify opportunities and develop relationships across the UN and other member states to ensure progress on key outcomes of the Secretary General’s AMR recommendations and High Level meeting on UHC, and that outcomes support the needs of those countries where the burden of drug-resistant infectious disease is the greatest.
• Represent the UK and negotiate on its behalf at relevant health negotiations across different UN processes and fora, including GA, ECOSOC and Executive Boards.
• Seek to mainstream AMR and health across relevant UN agencies and their agendas, particularly focussing on embedding AMR into the UHC 2030 Agenda, the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, and UN activity in the field.
• Act as the focal point for the UK on Health and AMR at the UK Mission to develop policy positions and overarching strategy in relation to these issues, raise awareness of UK government investments to support action (including the £265m Fleming Fund), and mobilise the broader UK network including Science and Innovation Officers based at UK Embassies.

• Provide strategic support and secretariat to the Group of Friends on action on AMR and ensure their alignment with other groups in London and Geneva.

• Prepare statements, briefs and reporting on health and AMR policy across the “One Health” spectrum (human, animal and environmental) at the UN, and assist and advise government Ministers, the Chief Medical Officer, and senior officials visiting New York, including support to the UK Mission’s activities and planning for High-Level Week at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in September each year.

• Perform other duties as required and work flexibly, adjusting to changing priorities as needed

• Working knowledge of the UN, especially international health and or development policy
• Solid understanding of UK priorities on international health and development
• Excellent negotiation, influencing and communication skills, including written communications, in English
• Ability to deliver high quality results on multiple areas of work to tight deadlines

Under US State Department requirements, the UK Government in the US may only employ, as non-diplomatic staff, persons who are US citizens, US Permanent Residents or A visa holders with EAD cards*. If you hold a visa other than an A visa you are not currently eligible to work at our office.  Please refer to our website for information on exceptions to this policy at www.gov.uk/government/world/usa. All selected candidates are subject to background checks and will require a security clearance prior to starting work. 

*A visas are acceptable at the Embassy and Consulates. The UK Mission to the UN (UKMIS) accepts G visas, and British Defense Staff (BDS) outposts accept A or NATO visas.