Senior Program Officer, Global Health Security Project - Tanzania

Organization: Program for Appropriate Technology in Health
Country: United Republic of Tanzania
Closing date: 02 Nov 2015

Job Description PATH is an international organization that drives transformative innovation to save lives and improve health, especially among women and children. We accelerate innovation across five platforms—vaccines, drugs, diagnostics, devices, and system and service innovations—that harness our entrepreneurial insight, scientific and public health expertise, and passion for health equity. By mobilizing partners around the world, we take innovation to scale, working alongside countries primarily in Africa and Asia to tackle their greatest health needs. Together, we deliver measurable results that disrupt the cycle of poor health. PATH has worked in Tanzania for more than 10 years.

We seek to recruit a Senior Program Officer, Global Health Security Project (GHSP) in Tanzania to manage and monitor Surveillance Systems Component of a new, 5-year aimed at building strong capacity in immunization programs, and surveillance systems in order to achieve specific goals in three focus areas of Global Health Security Agenda including i) preventing avoidable epidemics; ii) detecting threat early; and iii) responding rapidly and effectively. The Senior Program Officer will work closely with national, regional counterparts to coordinate, facilitate and implement the day-to-day activities of the project.

This position will be based in Dar es Salaam under supervision and direction of the Project Director and technical guidance and support from technical experts from PATH Headquarters.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

Support Project Director in collaborating with health officials of related departments of MOH, national and regional institutions for project design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation.
Serve as focal point person for Surveillance Systems Strengthening Component of the Project, including leading planning, development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of surveillance related project activities.
Provide technical assistance to project partners in Tanzania in implementation of surveillance related activities.
Identify issues/challenges and develop strategies for effective implementation of related work plan activities.
In coordination with other related Program Officers within GHSP, provide support for preparation and implementation of the National Steering Committee and Technical Working Group activities related to surveillance systems.
Support Project Director in representing PATH on national technical working groups, as appropriate, and maintain contacts with other organizations engaged in GHSP activities.
Close coordination with PATH’s Global team working on GHSP and other countries participated in this GHSP to ensure synergies and experience sharing within PATH and across Project’s countries.
Taking lead in the monitoring and evaluation of the Surveillance Systems Strengthening Component to ensure that evidence is gathered and milestones are met.
Contribute to preparation of related parts of required reports to PATH Headquarters and donor. Required Skills
Advanced degree in medicine or public health or related field.
Excellent written and spoken English.
Demonstrated report writing and presentation skills.
Experience working effectively with government counterparts particularly at national and regional levels.
Proven interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively in a team.
Willingness and ability to travel within Tanzania up to 30 percent per year.
Training in surveillance and field epidemiology
Experience collaborating on projects/studies and coordinating efforts, as appropriate, with other program staff, other international health agencies, and private and non-private organizations.
3-5 years’ experience with measurement and evaluation of projects preferred. Required Experience Experience working effectively with government counterparts at both national and regional level. At least 5-10 years of experience working in national/regional vaccine preventable or infectious disease surveillance. Demonstrated experience in implementation of field-based surveillance methodology including analysis of epidemiologic investigation data utilizing new methodologies or existing techniques. Work experience in communicable diseases, particularly vaccine preventable diseases would be an asset.