Grade:
P-5Salary - Annually:
Post Adjustment - Annually:
Contractual Agreement:
Staff - Professional PostJob Posting:
March 11, 2026Closing Date:
April 1, 2026, 11:59 PM Eastern TimePrimary Location:
Washington, D.C.Organization:
DEP Office of the Deputy DirectorSchedule:
Full timeDESCRIPTION OF DUTIES:
Chief Ethics Officer
• Join us and be the driving force behind ethical leadership and organizational integrity at PAHO
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (WHO), is seeking a highly accomplished, independent, and principled professional to serve as Chief Ethics Officer and lead the Organization’s ethics framework, promoting the highest standards of integrity, accountability, and professional conduct across all levels of the Organization.
The Ethics Office promotes a culture of ethics, integrity, responsibility, and accountability, strengthens ethical leadership, supports ethical decision‑making, prevents and mitigates conflicts of interest, and ensures coherence in ethics‑related policies—thereby enhancing the Organization’s trust and credibility.
Under the general supervision of the Director and the direct supervision of the Deputy Director, the selected candidate will:
• Provide independent, confidential, and impartial ethics advice and guidance to personnel at all levels on standards of conduct, conflicts of interest, and ethical dilemmas.
• Lead ethics risk assessments, identifying systemic and emerging ethical risks and proposing mitigation and prevention strategies.
• Promote ethical decision‑making and values‑based leadership through policy guidance, advisory services, training, outreach, and communication initiatives.
• Oversee the implementation of ethics‑related policies, including conflict of interest disclosure programs and integrity screening mechanisms.
• Collaborate across integrity and conflict‑management systems to strengthen organizational governance, trust, and accountability.
• Represent the Organization in ethics‑related peer networks and inter‑organizational forums.
• Lead and manage the Ethics Office, including staff supervision, budget oversight, and strategic planning.
For a complete list of functions, please refer to the post description.
What is required for this position?
Education
A bachelor’s degree in law, psychology, human resources, public administration, ethics, social sciences, or a related field and a master’s degree in law, social sciences, ethics, governance, organizational psychology, public administration, or other discipline related to the functions of the post from a recognized university.
Experience
At least thirteen (13) years of combined national and international progressively responsible professional experience in the field of corporate or business ethics, including a minimum of ten (10) years in ethics, compliance, governance, organizational integrity, or related fields, preferably within international or multinational organizations. Demonstrated experience advising senior management on ethics, governance, and organizational integrity matters. Proven experience in policy development, training, and implementation of ethics or compliance programs. Proven experience in managing professional staff and operational budgets.
Languages
Fluency in English or Spanish, with a working knowledge of the other language.
Competencies and Skills
For a complete list of competencies and skills, please refer to the post description.
The skills required are:
• Ability to provide independent, confidential, and impartial ethics advice in complex and sensitive situations.
• Strong analytical capacity in ethics risk assessment, conflicts of interest, and misconduct prevention.
• Proven ability to design, implement, and evaluate ethics programs and integrity frameworks.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills for senior‑level advisory and reporting.
• Ability to build trust, credibility, and collaborative relationships across the Organization.
• Strong leadership and people‑management skills in a multicultural environment.
Duration of Contract
Post of limited duration up to a maximum of seven years.
DISCLAIMER
This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade and level.
All applicants are required to complete an on-line profile to be considered for this post.
Candidates will be contacted only if they are under serious consideration.
In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the official degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. PAHO, considers official higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in one of the following databases:
- World Higher Education Database (WHED), list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The list can be assessed through the link: http://whed.net/
- Council for Higher Education Accreditation chea.org
- College Navigator, found on the website of the National Centre for Educational Statistics, nces.gov to support the validation process.
Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to PAHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and e-Manual.
PAHO/WHO is committed to:
PAHO supports an environment of mutual respect and dignity for all applicants. All interested individuals who meet the requirements of this position are encouraged to apply.
Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. To do so, email us at: pahorecruitment@paho.org
Maintaining high standards of integrity and accountability. People joining PAHO are required to maintain these standards both in their professional work and personal activities.
Promoting a work environment that is free from harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and other types of abusive behavior. PAHO conducts background checks and will not hire anyone who has a substantiated history of misconduct.
Providing a smoke-free environment.
Protecting the people in the communities we serve. Therefore, we have zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse. People who commit serious wrongdoing will be terminated and may also face criminal prosecution.