Veterinary Epidemiologist – One Health Pandemic Prevention

About the role

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is seeking a Veterinary Epidemiologist to support Zimbabwe’s One Health Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response project. This position will strengthen national animal health systems, improve disease surveillance, and enhance coordination across animal, human and environmental health sectors.

Key responsibilities

• Support and improve national animal disease surveillance, reporting and early‑warning mechanisms.
• Conduct epidemiological investigations, trend analyses and risk assessments for zoonotic and transboundary animal diseases.
• Produce intelligence briefs, situation reports and technical guidance for decision‑makers.
• Assist in preparedness planning, outbreak investigations, simulation exercises and after‑action reviews.
• Facilitate training programmes on epidemiology, surveillance and One Health approaches, including implementation of ISAVET.
• Collaborate with ministries, veterinary laboratories, wildlife authorities, universities and international partners.

Required profile

• Advanced degree in veterinary medicine, epidemiology, public health or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience in animal disease surveillance, outbreak investigation and risk assessment.
• Strong understanding of One Health principles and zoonotic disease dynamics.
• Excellent analytical, report‑writing and communication skills.
• Ability to work in multidisciplinary teams and engage with national and international stakeholders.

Required skills

• Veterinary epidemiology and disease intelligence.
• Design and implementation of surveillance protocols and SOPs.
• Risk assessment and epidemiological analysis.
• Capacity building and training delivery.
• One Health coordination and stakeholder engagement.