United States of America: Malaria Technical Advisor

Global Health Fellows Program
Technical Advisor II/III: Malaria Technical Advisor
President’s Malaria Initiative Team, Division of Health, Office of Sustainable Development, Bureau for Africa, United States Agency for International Development
Location: Washington, DC
Assignment: Two year fellowship
GHFP-II-P6-243

The Global Health Fellows Program (GHFP-II) is a cooperative agreement implemented and managed by the Public Health Institute in partnership with Global Health Corps, GlobeMed, Management Systems International and PYXERA Global. GHFP-II is supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

GHFP-II’s goal is to improve the effectiveness of USAID health programs by addressing the Agency’s immediate and emerging human capacity needs. The program seeks to accomplish this goal first through the recruitment, placement and support of diverse health professionals at the junior, mid and senior levels. These program participants include fellows, interns, corporate volunteers and Foreign Service National professionals. The program then provides substantial performance management and career development support to participants, including annual work planning assistance, and ensures that professional development opportunities are available.

Looking to the future, GHFP-II also seeks to establish a pool of highly-qualified global health professionals that will ensure the Agency’s ongoing technical leadership and effectiveness. This objective is supported by an extensive outreach program that brings global health opportunities and specialized career advice to a diverse range of interested individuals, with a particular focus on those underrepresented in the field of global health.

BACKGROUND:

The Africa Bureau’s Office of Sustainable Development (AFR/SD) provides strategic guidance and intellectual leadership to the Bureau; conducts economic, social and political analyses critical to the development of AFR policies, strategies, budgets and activities; manages or coordinates key Presidential and Agency Initiatives; and provides technical services to AFR's field missions. In carrying out these functions, AFR/SD serves as the Bureau's principal liaison with African and international partners, United States Government (USG) sister agencies, the private sector, universities and the Private Voluntary Organization (PVO)/Non-governmental Organization (NGO) community.

AFR/SD's Health Team works across all sectors related to health. The team directly manages activities that support African capacity development and improving the lives of Africa's most vulnerable populations. The Health Team works in close collaboration with other USAID Bureaus, including the Bureau for Food Security, the Bureau for Global Health and the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance, to integrate programs and coordinate strategic and technical support to USAID missions, program reviews and assessments, staff development, etc. It works closely with African and donor partners such as the African Union, the World Bank and others.

Within the Africa Region, the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) is the USG’s flagship global malaria initiative led by USAID and implemented together with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The aim of PMI is to reduce the intolerable burden of malaria and help relieve poverty on the African continent. When PMI was launched in 2005, the goal was to reduce malaria-related mortality by 50% by a rapid scale-up of a package of proven malaria prevention and treatment measures: artemisinin-based combination therapy; insecticide-treated mosquito nets, intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy, and indoor residual spraying. USAID is the lead agency for implementation of the PMI. The contributions of PMI, together with those of other partners, have led to dramatic improvements in the coverage of malaria control interventions in PMI-supported countries, and all 15 original countries have documented substantial declines in all-cause mortality rates among children less than five years of age.

In 2015, PMI launched the next six-year strategy, setting forth a bold and ambitious goal with specific objectives. This PMI Strategy for 2015-2020 takes into account the progress over the past decade and the new challenges that have arisen. Malaria prevention and control remains a major US foreign assistance objective and PMI’s Strategy fully aligns with the US Government’s (USG) vision of ending preventable child and maternal deaths and ending extreme poverty. Under the PMI Strategy for 2015-2020, the USG’s goal is to work with PMI-supported countries and partners to further reduce malaria deaths and substantially decrease malaria morbidity, towards the long-term goal of elimination.

INTRODUCTION:

The Malaria Technical Advisor (Advisor), based in Washington, DC, is an integral member of USAID’s PMI team, assigned to the Bureau for Africa, Office of Sustainable Development (AFR/SD), Health Division team. Key responsibilities include: providing guidance, monitoring, and technical support to USAID at headquarters, and in the field with USAID Missions, PMI country teams, technical counterparts, implementing partners, Ministries of Health, and USAID cooperating agencies. The Advisor will focus in particular on francophone countries implementing PMI in Africa. S/he will relay USG priorities at critical technical and policy forums, resolving problems and conflicts, and taking steps necessary to meet deadlines.

S/he will work closely with and receive technical guidance from the Africa Health Team’s Deputy Chief as his/her onsite manager.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Malaria Technical Advisor will be responsible for:

Country support of PMI priority countries in Africa

· Contributing to the development of PMI programs in Africa, providing technical advice and programmatic support to a subset of primarily francophone African countries, and participating as an integral member of the PMI interagency country support teams.

· Contributing to the formulation and review of country specific Malaria Operational Plans in francophone Africa.

· Monitoring and tracking overall progress of PMI plans and activities in PMI countries in Africa.

· Serve as a member of Regional Bureau country backstopping teams for the health portfolio overall for countries implementing PMI programming.

· Liaising with Regional Bureau colleagues and the Bureau for Global Health to enhance linkages between malaria and other development-related activities in Africa.

Technical and Project Coordination Support

· Contributing to the development of new technical and programmatic guidance on malaria for implementation by PMI programs in Africa.

· Contributing to the development of program design and awards for PMI-related activities.

· Serving as a technical advisor to awards within AFR/SD that contain malaria-specific activities, including AFR/SD’s work to strengthen regional institutions such as the World Health Organization (WHO) Afro and other regional entities.

· Traveling to monitor the field activities of centrally-managed projects, as needed.

· Advising Africa Bureau and other stakeholders about malaria development and USAID’s role by preparing and conducting presentations and other materials for colleagues, USG and global partners, and other donors and contractors.

· Contributing to PMI interagency technical working groups to review latest evidence and develop new guidelines.

· Attending technical meetings and workshops, and participating in relevant training events.

Documentation and Reporting

· Contributing to writing AFR health team and PMI operational plans, progress reports, PMI annual report, and other malaria and planning and reporting documents.

LEVEL III

A Senior Advisor at the level III will be further responsible for:

· Developing new technical and programmatic guidance on malaria for implementation by PMI programs in Africa.

· Providing direct technical assistance to Missions to develop scopes of work and design programs for activities contained in Malaria Operational Plans.

· Advising Regional Bureau and Agency senior management and the US Global Malaria Coordinator on technical and programmatic issues particularly related to PMI programs and challenges in Africa.

· Playing a key leadership role in PMI’s interagency technical working groups to review latest evidence and develop new guidelines.

· Participating in report and manuscript writing related to PMI activities, including the review of francophone materials.

· Keeping abreast of new developments and emerging issues in malaria which affect USAID’s technical priorities via literature reviews, attending technical meetings and workshops, and participating in relevant training events.

International and domestic travel approximately 20%.

TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (7%)

· Keeping abreast of literature and latest developments in the fields of malaria and infectious diseases, particularly as it pertains to advancing PMI’s goal and objectives in Africa.

· Deepening knowledge of PMI interventions, policies and programming.

· Participating in interagency and intra-agency working groups as appropriate to the scope of work.

· Participating in professional continuing education and skills training within the purview of GHFP-II.

REQUIRED SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE:

• Master’s degree or higher in public health or a related social science field.
• Demonstrated experience working in the African context, and experience working in field programs desirable.
• Knowledge and specialized experience in infectious disease control programs including malaria.
• Knowledge of development assistance programs, procedures, and systems for program design, procurement, logistics, management and monitoring desirable.
• Ability to work effectively with a broad range of USG personnel and partners, and in a team environment.
• Ability to communicate technical health information to both health and non-health audiences.
• Demonstrated project management, technical leadership, policy experience, and problem solving orientation working on complex projects in a highly sensitive environment.
• Knowledge of USAID programs.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment in planning and carrying out tasks.
• Flexibility and openness in responding to changing work priorities and environments.
• Computer skills in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Strong oral and written communications skills, and ability to communicate effectively and concisely. Excellent writing skills in English required.
• French language proficiency required.
• Ability to travel internationally.
• US citizenship required.

In addition to the above, the position requires the following at each level:

TECHNICAL ADVISOR II

• Minimum five (5) years’ experience in designing, implementing, and managing malaria and/or other public health programs, with at least two (2) years’ experience in an international or resource challenged setting.

TECHNICAL ADVISOR III

• Minimum ten (10) years’ experience designing, implementing, and managing malaria and/or other public health programs, with at least three-five (3-5) years’ experience in an international or resource challenged setting.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

Salary based on commensurate experience and earnings history. The Public Health Institute offers a comprehensive benefits package including professional development programs.

TO APPLY:

All applicants are required to apply for this position through GHFP-II’s online recruitment system at https://www.ghfp.net/recruitment/, which allows you to store your CV, profile and bio data form in our database. A separate cover letter describing your qualifications and experience, interest and familiarity with issues relating to this position, and how this position relates to your career goals is required for each application. All online applications must be submitted by April 12, 2017 by 5:00 pm Eastern time.

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