WHO is Hiring a Research Officer: Paid P2 Opportunity for Recent Graduates and Early-Career Professionals
Overview
The World Health Organization is recruiting a Research Officer, Vacancy No. 2603502, at P2 level in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The post is a full-time temporary appointment of 12 months within WHO Burkina Faso and supports the Expanded Special Project for Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (ESPEN), which assists countries in the WHO African Region and some in the Eastern Mediterranean region. The officer works under the ESPEN Team Leader and is directly supervised by the ESPEN Laboratory Head.
What the role involves
Duties include contributing to laboratory protocols, standard operating procedures and diagnostic tools for neglected tropical diseases, and supporting operational research on preventive chemotherapy diseases. A major part is laboratory and molecular biology work, including O-150 PCR entomological testing of S. damnosum s.l. adults. The officer also carries out entomological analyses, maintains laboratory databases, maps surveillance data, works with the ESPEN data team in Brazzaville, supports national laboratory networks and training, and contributes to scientific reports.
Requirements
Applicants need a first university degree in computer sciences, information system engineering, GIS, public health, parasitology or medical entomology. Training in molecular biology, parasitology, entomology or laboratory sciences is desirable. At least two years of national and international experience in applied molecular biology and surveillance tool development for onchocerciasis or other priority diseases in Africa is required, plus experience with GIS data transformation for mapping onchocerciasis foci. Expert French is essential and intermediate English is desirable.
What you get
The advertised annual base salary starts at USD 56,046, subject to mandatory deductions, with a variable post adjustment currently shown as USD 1,789 per month for Ouagadougou. Benefits may include 30 days of annual leave, dependent allowances, home leave, education grants and flexible working arrangements.
How to apply
Applications go through the WHO careers platform, quoting Vacancy No. 2603502.
Key dates
The vacancy was posted on August 21, 2026 and closes on September 11, 2026.