Health Program Advisor with Office of Sustainable Development, Bureau for Africa, United States Agency for International Development in DC. Apply by July 31st!

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July 17th, 2012

Global Health Fellows Program II

Technical Advisor II: Health Program Advisor

Health Team, Office of Sustainable Development, Bureau for Africa, United States Agency for International Development

Assignment: Two Year Fellowship

Location: Washington, DC

GHFP II-P1-051

 The Global Health Fellows Program (GHFP-II) is a five year cooperative agreement implemented and managed by the Public Health Institute in partnership with CDC Development Solutions and Management Systems International. 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 developing and increasing the capacity of health professionals with tailored development opportunities. This is accomplished through the recruitment, placement and support of diverse health professionals at the junior, mid and senior levels, and performance management and professional development activities aimed to enhance the technical and leadership skills of fellows.

 BACKGROUND:

The Africa Bureau’s Office of Sustainable Development (AFR/SD) provides: strategic guidance and intellectual leadership to the Africa Bureau; conducts economic, social and political analyses critical to the development of AFR policies, strategies, budgets and activities; manages and/or coordinates three Presidential and two 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 has an annual budget of approximately $20 million, which includes the management of activities that support African capacity development and improving the quality, availability and access to health services for Africa’s most vulnerable populations. The Team works across all health sectors, including maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH), reproductive health, infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, nutrition and health systems strengthening. The Health Team works in close collaboration with other USAID Bureaus, including the Bureau for Global Health (GH) and the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA), to 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 World Health Organization’s Africa Regional Office, the World Bank and UNICEF.

 INTRODUCTION:

Employing public health programming experience in the African context, the Health Program Advisor will gain an understanding and appreciation for the central functions of a decentralized donor agency in program planning, implementation and evaluation. In collaboration with other Team members, the Advisor will provide technical support and oversight on strategies, activities, and other areas related to USAID’s MNCH programs in Africa. S/he will serve in a liaison capacity with counterparts in GH and other USG agencies to ensure coordinated support for countries and sub-regions within Africa. S/he will also serve as a member of the GH-AFR country team support system, identifying and/or providing direct support to certain African countries in the region.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The primary responsibilities of the Health Program Advisor include:  

 A. Provide support to USAID’s Missions in Africa and strengthen and maintain the country support system:

  • Serve as Africa Bureau team lead on GH Country Teams for a sub-set of African countries
  • Along with the Africa Bureau’s regional offices, serve as a resource person for the health programs of assigned countries within the Africa Bureau
  • Assist USAID Missions through the provision of technical and policy guidance, consultation on and review of strategies, program designs, operational plans, and reporting documents related to Africa Bureau priorities and MNCH technical issues
  • Identify and/or assist USAID Missions in Africa in establishing or maintaining support from other donor agencies and public and private sector partners

 B. In coordination with the other Africa Bureau Health Team members, serve as an MNCH Health Team liaison with Bureau for Global Health and other USG counterparts:

  • Collaborate closely with colleagues from the GH and other USG agencies on strategic MNCH issues fundamentally important to the African context
  • Participate in consultations and working groups with colleagues in the GH and other Bureaus and agencies on new MNCH activities, requests and initiatives that impact USAID Missions in Africa, and
  • Work closely with GH and other agency and USG partners to ensure that all countries in the region and the sub-region receive the necessary technical and logical support

 C. Serve as a technical point of contact for maternal, newborn and child health in the Africa Bureau:

  • In conjunction with other AFR health team members, including the Child Health Advisor, provide technical oversight and strategic guidance to the maternal, newborn and child health portfolio in the Africa Bureau, including managing relevant activities within larger programs
  • Maintain current knowledge of and contribute to the state-of-the-art in issues related to the prevention of maternal, newborn and child morbidity and mortality, cultural and behavioral aspects of MNCH, best approaches to systems strengthening, and lessons learned from on-going programs
  • Seek opportunities to strategically integrate MNCH into cross-cutting activities such as health systems strengthening, female empowerment, youth, and disabilities inclusion
  • Maintain current knowledge of policy, frameworks, research and news on MNCH in Africa
  • Serve as AFR’s liaison to African institutions, international organizations, donor organizations, NGOs and USG agencies (e.g., Departments of State, and Health and Human Services) on MNCH as it relates to Africa regional issues
  • Participate in relevant international meetings and conferences, and
  • Serve as AFR/SD’s Health Team gender point of contact

 D. Assist in strategic planning, communication and reporting within AFR/SD:

  • Work closely with the Team’s Strategic Information Advisor, Child Health Advisor and Health Team Leader on all MNCH-related planning and reporting requirements
  • Participate and support country and regional project/program assessments and evaluations
  • Assist in the development and presentation of African Mission Portfolio Reviews for senior management
  • Assist in formulating responses to congressional inquiries or requests, and
  • Provide other support to the AFR Health Team as needed

 Other tasks or responsibilities may be assigned based on (a) organizational and programming needs and/or (b) the Advisor’s own interests.

REQUIRED SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

  • Master’s degree in Public Health, Midwifery, Nursing, or related discipline
  • Minimum five years’ experience in design, implementation and evaluation of international health, especially maternal, newborn and child health programs, with at least two years in international, resource-challenged setting
  • Experience in conducting analysis and evaluation of technical and programmatic aspects of proposals and programs
  • Field-based experience, especially in the context of working with communities
  • Understanding of programs and organizational aspects of major international donors, multilateral agencies, and nongovernmental/private voluntary organizations supporting the social sector, with a focus that includes reproductive/maternal and child health
  • Demonstrated maturity, strong interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a team, including cross-cultural teams
  • Demonstrated ability to work independently, exercise sound professional judgment to problem solve, and to make strategic decisions
  • Experience with USAID programming, budgeting, and evaluation functions and procedures, both in USAID/Washington and in USAID Missions, is desirable
  • Excellent analytical, written and oral communication skills
  • Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally
  • Ability to speak French and/or Portuguese is desirable
  • US Citizenship or US Permanent Residency required

 SALARY AND BENEFITS:

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

http://www.ghfp.net/docs/2012_Benefits_Booklet_GHFP.pdf

 TO APPLY:

All applicants are required to apply for this position through GHFP’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 5:00 pm Eastern Time, July 31, 2012.