Santé publique France is France’s national public health agency. A public institution under the authority of the Minister of Health, established by Order No. 2016-246 of April 15, 2016, it works to promote public health. As a scientific and expert agency in the health sector, its missions include:

1. Epidemiological observation and surveillance of the population’s health status;

2. Monitoring health risks threatening the population;

3. Promoting health and reducing health risks;

4. Developing prevention and health education;

5. Preparation for and response to health threats, alerts, and crises;

6. Issuing health alerts.

The agency is organized around scientific and cross-functional departments, as well as departments providing operational support.
Its work program, approved by its Board of Directors, is structured around five priority areas: health determinants, populations, diseases, interventions and regions, and infrastructure.

Division of Infectious Diseases

Responsibilities

Reporting to the Director of the DMI, the Unit Manager defines the EAZ Unit’s short- and medium-term work program and strategic priorities, manages the team, and coordinates and supervises its activities (monitoring, investigations, studies, and preparation of expert reports).

More specifically, the Unit Manager:

• Develops, plans, implements, and monitors the unit’s annual work program;

• Ensures that the unit’s projects and programs meet their deadlines;

• Leads and ensures the scientific and administrative coordination of the unit;

• Manages the unit;

• Ensures the quality of the unit’s scientific work and publications;

• Serves as the liaison with other DMI units, other agency departments, and external partners within the unit’s scope;

• Participates in defining and planning the department’s activities;

• Represents their unit, the DMI, and the agency before authorities, expert groups, partners, or the press within their unit’s field, at the national and international levels (notably the ECDC).

Activities

Technical

• Supervise the execution of work carried out within the unit or delegated to partners;

• Provide scientific support in the development, conduct, and dissemination of the unit’s work (drafting reports and articles, scientific monitoring, tracking and validating scientific publications, supervising active participation in scientific conferences, etc.);

• Supervise or ensure the supervision of interns in the unit: public health residents, master’s students, international interns from the European Program for Training in Field Epidemiology (EPIET), and doctoral students;

• Respond to requests from the supervising authority within the specified deadlines;

• Ensure round-the-clock response to alerts within the unit’s scope;

• Develop and maintain collaborations with regulatory authorities, other agencies, and partners, notably the DGS, ANSES, DGAL, HAS (CTV), CNRs and LNRs, HCSP, OFB, veterinary schools, MSA, ANSM, EFS, ABM, and research teams (e.g., ArboFrance, Concerted Action on Vector-Borne Disease Modeling);

• Participate in expert committees (national: HCSP, HAS/CTV, ANSES; European: particularly within the ECDC as the National Focal Point; international);

• Participate in the general missions of SpFrance, the DMI, and the unit;

• Participate in SpFrance on-call duties and contribute to any action falling within the agency’s missions if necessary during a crisis, within the limits of one’s expertise.

• Respond to media inquiries, in coordination with the Communications Department.

Management

• Help define the strategy for management and the agency;

• Develop and implement the unit’s annual work plan in coordination with management;

• Develop and implement programs for foodborne diseases, zoonoses, and vector-borne diseases, and contribute to the development and implementation of programs for the DMI and the agency;

• Delegate projects to unit staff, develop their skills, and empower them;

• Rely on project managers and program coordinators to ensure the proper scientific execution of the work;

• Monitor the annual program;

• Evaluate the professional performance of unit members, particularly through annual reviews, and develop their training programs.

Organization

• Participate in defining and planning the department’s activities;

• Organize work within the unit, including ensuring round-the-clock responsiveness;

• Ensure that deadlines are met;

• Participate in the recruitment process for unit or department staff;

• Regularly organize unit meetings.

Coordination/facilitation/support

• Supervise the unit’s output, monitor the progress of its work, and validate its deliverables;

• Report to the DMI Director during regular meetings and alert them in case of difficulties.

Liaison/Interface

• Serve as the interface between the unit’s various divisions, with other DMI units, and other agency departments, particularly DiRe, DAC, DPPS, and DIRCOM;

• Ensure effective coordination between the work carried out within the unit and that carried out within the regional SpF units;

• Develop and maintain relationships with the national partners mentioned above, as well as European (ECDC) and international partners;

• Identify and disseminate relevant information within the unit and the directorate;

• Represent the DMI Directorate at external meetings within its area of expertise.

These activities may involve travel within France and abroad.