Application Guide

How to Apply for Senior Technical Officer - Emergency Preparedness and Response (AfCDC)

at African Union

🏢 About African Union

The Africa CDC is Africa's first continent-wide public health agency, representing a groundbreaking initiative to strengthen health security across 55 member states. Working here offers the unique opportunity to directly shape continental emergency preparedness systems and collaborate with diverse international partners to build a safer, healthier Africa from the ground up.

About This Role

This Senior Technical Officer role focuses on building emergency preparedness capacities across African member states and implementing Africa CDC's emergency response framework. You'll have direct impact by strengthening health security systems, monitoring risks, and ensuring coordinated responses to outbreaks across the continent.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day involves virtual meetings with member state representatives to assess preparedness needs, collaborating with international partners on framework implementation, analyzing risk assessment data from across the continent, and developing documentation to track progress toward Africa CDC's health security goals. You'll balance strategic planning with hands-on technical support to strengthen emergency response systems remotely.

🚀 Application Tools

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who African Union Is Looking For

  • Has 5+ years experience in public health emergency preparedness/response, ideally within African contexts or with multilateral organizations
  • Demonstrates expertise in developing and implementing emergency response frameworks in collaboration with international partners like WHO or regional health bodies
  • Possesses strong monitoring and evaluation skills for health security activities, including risk assessment methodologies
  • Has experience coordinating across multiple stakeholders and departments to develop annual work plans and capacity-building initiatives

📝 Tips for Applying to African Union

1

Highlight specific experience with African public health systems or working across multiple African countries

2

Quantify your impact in previous emergency preparedness roles (e.g., 'developed framework adopted by X countries' or 'reduced response time by Y%')

3

Demonstrate knowledge of Africa CDC's existing initiatives like the Emergency Operations Center or Africa Health Security Initiative

4

Show how you've collaborated with international organizations in previous roles

5

Emphasize remote coordination experience since this is a remote position serving multiple countries

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your direct experience with emergency response frameworks in African or similar contexts', 'Specific examples of cross-departmental collaboration in public health organizations', "How you've contributed to capacity building in member states or similar decentralized systems", 'Your approach to monitoring and evaluating health security activities with measurable outcomes']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Africa CDC's Strategic Plan 2023-2027 and its emergency preparedness priorities
  • → The Africa Health Security Initiative and existing emergency response frameworks
  • → Recent Africa CDC responses to outbreaks (like COVID-19 or Ebola) and lessons learned
  • → The organization's structure and how the emergency preparedness unit interacts with other departments

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Describe your experience developing emergency preparedness capacities across multiple countries or regions
2 How would you approach implementing Africa CDC's emergency response framework in collaboration with organizations like WHO?
3 What methodologies have you used for risk ranking and event monitoring in public health contexts?
4 How do you ensure effective coordination between different departments in a large public health agency?
5 Can you share an example of developing and monitoring an annual work plan for a public health unit?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Applying with generic public health experience without specific emergency preparedness/response examples
  • Failing to demonstrate understanding of Africa CDC's continental mandate versus national health agencies
  • Not showing awareness of the challenges in coordinating across 55 diverse member states

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to African Union!

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