Head of the Regional Activities Department - RAD - WOAH HQ Paris, France

Head of the Regional Activities Department - RAD - WOAH HQ Paris, France

Paris

Positioning and reporting

Under the authority of the Director General and the direct supervision of the Deputy Director General (Institutional Affairs and Governance); in close coordination with the Heads of other Departments and Units and the Regional and Sub-regional Representatives (RR/SRR). Supervising a team of up to 4 to 6 staff members. The title and responsibilities of this position may be adjusted in line with the ongoing organisational restructuring and the adoption of the WOAH 8th Strategic Plan.

Job purpose

The Head of the Regional Activities Department contributes to the institutional coordination and effective delivery of WOAH activities at regional level. Working closely with the RR/SRR, he/she participates in building strong relationships with Members, especially through the Regional Commissions and Council (Regional Core Groups) and fostering their engagement in the work of the Organisation. He/she provides support to the RR/SRR in the coordination of regional activities, programmes and projects in alignment with organisational strategic priorities, and actively contributes to strengthening the regional operating model.

Missions and activities

• Provide strategic guidance regarding the WOAH activities related to the work of the Department
• Provide leadership and manage the Departmental transformation aligned to the Organisation's goals;
• Provide support to the design and implementation of strategic initiatives and define the Department's roadmap in alignment with organisational goals;
• Participate in WOAH management meetings and report to the General Directorate on the implementation of activities at regional level;
• Promote the WOAH mandate and represent the Organisation at relevant international conferences, missions, meetings, workshops; and
• Contribute to the relationships with WOAH Members and regional governance bodies (Regional Commissions and Regional Core Group). He/she also coordinate and interact with a range of stakeholders, resources partners, other organisations and external parties, in close collaboration with other relevant Headquarters Departments/Units and RR/SRRs.

Provide leadership and management of the Regional Activities Department team

• Translate strategic goals into team objectives and monitor collective performance;
• Foster a positive and productive work environment through the provision of constructive feedback;
• Motivate and communicate for the team to convey information continually up, down, and around the Organisation;
• Organise and oversee tasks to ensure delivery of the team's missions;
• Participate in the recruitment process of staff members as well as staff competency development and annual performance appraisal; and
• Manage, improve and, where necessary, identify and formalise the different procedures of the Department.

Participate in and ensure the management and delivery of the team's missions

• Coordinate the relationship with Members
• Facilitate and strengthen the relationship with the members of the Bureaus of the Regional Commissions and the Council through the Regional Core Groups;
• Ensure the smooth coordination of the meetings and conferences of the Regional Commissions;
• Support the development and update of trainings as need be and participate as required in the facilitation of training sessions;
• Provide overarching planning and coordination of the activities of the RR/SRR
• Coordinate and provide guidance on the implementation of the WOAH's regional operating model and framework for the management of the RR/SRR;
• Lead the annual planning and follow up of regional activities;
• Coordinate and provide leadership on the implementation of WOAH's Strategic Plans, in collaboration with Regional Representations, and other Departments/Units as necessary;
• Liaise with relevant Departments/Units in charge of Administration, Resource Mobilisation and Events Coordination and the General Directorate for the validation, coordination, reporting and follow up of the proposed activities;
• Ensure smooth communication and harmonisation of institutional and strategic activities at regional level (Regional Roadmaps), supporting WOAH Representatives in providing regular follow-up and reporting with key performance indicators;
• Support the organise and manage the face-to-face management committee meetings at Headquarters;
• Support onboarding of new WOAH Representatives and regional staff to take office;
• Liaise with Human Resources and General Services on RR/SRR capacity and competency development, and security needs;
• Coordinate other regional programmes and initiatives;
• Provide overarching support to the coordination of specific regional networks, projects and programmes;
• Carry out other coordination activities as requested by the Director General.

Qualifications and Experience

• A post-graduate qualification in veterinary sciences, veterinary public health, public administration or equivalent;
• At least 15 years of professional experience, including 8 years working with Veterinary Services or in veterinary public health;
• At least 5 years of experience in management;
• At least 5 years of experience in an international environment.

Requirements

• Technical skills
• Familiarity with project management methodologies (Agile, hybrid, PMBOK, PRINCE2, etc.);
• Project certification like PRINCE 2 or other;
• Good understanding of the impacts of the information system architecture on projects, good knowledge of application architectures;
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office 365 suite tools;
• Understanding of IT systems and technical requirements;
• Excellent knowledge of English and French.

Additional qualification and experience

• Prior exposure to the WOAH's work.

Technical skills

• Strong skills in organisational planning and development, and capacity to reframe operational structures;
• Ability to work in English at a high level including excellent oral and written communication skills;
• Proficiency in a second WOAH official language (Spanish or French);
• Excellent writing skills and ability to summarise complex technical and institutional discussions into clear and concise reports;
• Good computer skills in a Microsoft environment.

Additional skills

• Good knowledge of the functions of the WOAH Regional and Sub-regional Representations.

Interpersonal skills

• Excellent leadership skills and the capacity to motivate and develop team members;
• Excellent communication skills (verbal, written, interpersonal, presentations);
• Demonstrated initiative, including ability to think strategically and achieve results;
• Organisational awareness: strong ability to establish priorities and work within tight timelines;
• Attention to detail and capacity for global overview;
• Courtesy, tact and ability to establish and maintain good working relations in a multinational and multicultural environment;
• Strong confidentiality awareness.

Working conditions

• Salary: commensurate with qualifications and experience.
• Type of contract: WOAH Staff - Fixed-term contract.
• Duration: Two (2) years renewable.
• Location: WOAH Headquarters 12 rue de Prony 75017 Paris, France
• The post is a full-time position based at the WOAH Headquarters in Paris and requires long hours in a seated position at a computer. It can entail missions abroad.

General Information

WOAH places high value on a multicultural and positive work environment. WOAH is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all qualified candidates, irrespective of their origin, gender, opinions or beliefs. If you are interested in the position, please complete your application online at the latest by 21 October 2025.

APPLY HERE