Africa Regional HIV/AIDS Advisor

Global Health Fellows Program

Technical Advisor I/II: Africa Regional HIV/AIDS Advisor

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

Location: Washington, DC

Assignment: Two year fellowship

GHFP-II-P5-184

The Global Health Fellows Program (GHFP-II) is a five year 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:

In little more than three decades, AIDS has established itself as a global crisis with an estimated 35 million people infected. HIV/AIDS has stimulated an unprecedented global response. Billions of dollars have been spent to provide comprehensive prevention programs, treatment and care for those infected, and families and communities affected by the disease.

The US Government (USG) has been fully engaged, and since establishing the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in 2003, it has been a leader in the global effort to combat HIV/AIDS. PEPFAR is the largest commitment by any nation to address a single disease. Through PEPFAR, the US government has invested $65 billion dollars toward comprehensive prevention, treatment, and care strategy, with an emphasis on transparency and accountability for results.

In 2015, the USG launched ambitious new PEPFAR HIV prevention and treatment targets for 2016 and 2017. By the end of 2017, PEPFAR will support 12.9 million people on life-saving anti-retroviral treatment – nearly doubling the number of people receiving treatment from 2013 to 2017.PEPFAR will also provide 13 million male circumcisions for HIV prevention, and reduce HIV incidence by 40 percent among adolescent girls and young women within the highest burdened areas of 10 sub-Saharan African countries.

In addition to providing an unprecedented commitment of resources, PEPFAR has demanded a results-oriented way of doing business, with high levels of accountability, establishment of measureable goals against which progress has been tracked and evaluated, and funding decisions made based on performance towards these goals. PEPFAR is expected to play a pivotal role in the whole of Government Global Health Initiative that is being rolled out across the region.

The Africa Bureau’s Office of Sustainable Development (AFR/SD) provides strategic guidance and intellectual leadership to AFR; conducts economic, social and political analyses critical to the development of AFR policies, strategies, budgets and activities; manages 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, 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, including HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB), Malaria, Maternal and Child Health (MCH), Reproductive Health and Family Planning, Emerging Pandemic Threats and Health Systems Strengthening. 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 Global Health, and other pillar and Regional Bureaus to integrate programs and coordinate strategic and technical support to USAID missions, program reviews and assessments, and staff development. It works closely with African and donor partners such as the African Union, the World Health Organization, the World Bank and others.

Under PEPFAR, USAID's AFR has played a strong role in helping to implement HIV/AIDS services and activities in the region. AFR staff have participated on PEPFAR Technical Working Groups, providing technical assistance to countries and providing leadership in areas such as orphans and vulnerable children, pediatric and adolescent HIV/AIDS, gender-based violence, integration of prevention of maternal to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT), MCH, pediatric AIDS, and family planning, among others. Meeting the challenges of the next decade will require continued leadership and sustained efforts – and will require improved and new approaches and skills to support activities that can define and meet complex challenges of promoting sustainable national commitments and a harmonization of HIV/AIDS activities with national and global public health priorities.

INTRODUCTION:

The Africa Regional HIV/AIDS Advisor (Advisor) will work as a member of AFR/SD’s Health Team. The Advisor, in collaboration with the Health Team Leader and the Senior Program Advisor, will liaise with the Office of HIV/AIDS (OHA) within USAID’s Bureau for Global Health (GH)as well as with the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) within the US Department of State. The Advisor will support efforts to ensure that within USAID’s broader health and development efforts on the African continent, PEPFAR policy and programs are well understood, articulated, and advocated for. The Advisor will serve as a liaison between the deep technical expertise within GH and OGAC and those focusing on a broader development view of African countries where the US is making large investments in HIV/AIDS.

The Advisor will work closely with the Health Team Leader, who serves as a PEPFAR deputy principal, with other Health Team members such as the TB/HIV Advisor and the MCH Advisors to capitalize on opportunities for integration. The HIV/AIDS Advisor will receive day-to-day guidance from the Senior Program Advisor for HIV/AIDS as his/her onsite manager.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Africa Regional HIV/AIDS Advisor will be responsible for:

• Providing technical advice on HIV/AIDS to various offices in AFR. Inputs will be based on the monitoring of epidemic trends at the global, regional and country levels; documenting the epidemic’s impact on the health, social and other development sectors in Africa; and documenting program performance across HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment efforts. This includes establishing and maintaining effective, strong and productive working relationships with Africa Bureau staff (and staff in other USG offices) working in areas of relevance to HIV/AIDS programs such as TB, malaria, child health, nutrition, and economic empowerment. This also includes facilitating dialogue and multisectoral strategies to complement and enhance HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment and mitigation programs.
• Supporting the Africa Bureau Health Team to liaise on HIV/AIDS from Africa Bureau with other USG stakeholders. Establishing and maintaining regular contact with technical counterparts engaged in HIV/AIDS work in OHA, other USAID pillar bureaus, regional bureaus, technical working groups and OGAC. Supporting communication efforts to ensure that these counterparts are well informed and supportive of AFR/SD plans, strategies, activities and progress. Giving priority support to Mission requests for assistance, their plans and strategies with the aim of creating a harmonized and country-based cohesive approach to USG programs.
• Providing technical support to PEPFAR. Liaising with or participating in selected PEPFAR technical working groups (TWG), other interagency and USAID committees which may include but not be limited to orphans and vulnerable children, gender, PMTCT and pediatric HIV/AIDS, TB, among others.
• Providing program and country support to PEPFAR. Assisting with drafting interagency guidelines, concept papers, country-level strategies, program reviews, and other related USAID/OGAC financing and implementation documents with a view to assessing and advising on the adequacy and appropriateness of USG investments.
• Supporting the AFR/Health team to engage with external stakeholders on HIV/AIDS. Supporting information exchange with partners, interagency task forces, international partners, regional institutions, and networks about effective program implementation practices on HIV/AIDS care and treatment.
• Communication. Participating in the development of presentations, reference materials, speeches, briefing materials and preparing reports and other documents as required, particularly in support of AFR’s Deputy Principal to OGAC as well as AFR’s Senior Program Advisor for HIV/AIDS. Coordinating the timely sharing of information relevant to policy and program decisions with leadership.

Technical Advisor II

An Advisor at the Level II will be further responsible for:

• Providing technical inputs and updates to AFR’s Front Office, as well as leadership of geographic and other offices in AFR in the area of HIV/AIDS.
• Collaborating with OHA and OGAC to contribute to PEPFAR strategic guidance for USG missions, including training and ongoing technical assistance on the development, implementation and monitoring of HIV/AIDS national and local guidelines, policy and programs.
• Assisting in identifying analysis and studies that should be carried out to provide a comprehensive understanding of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa. This will include tracking the progress of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, examining relevant trends and impacts on other sectors and various population groups. The Advisor will collaborate with OHA and OGAC to make contributions to the analyses and studies that will influence country programming.
• Contributing to report production and informative analytic discussions for use by decision makers in USAID and OGAC and inclusion in policy and program guidance documentation.

International and domestic travel approximately 20%.

Training and professional development (7%)

• Keeping abreast of literature and latest developments in the fields of HIV/AIDS programming.
• Deepening knowledge of HIV/AIDS 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 public policy, epidemiology, economics or related field required.
• Ability to understand a full range of issues around integrated HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment programming and develop projects with appropriate linkages and evaluation strategies.
• Ability to analyze and monitor complex health situations.
• Demonstrated ability in strategic planning, program management and implementation, especially within a developing country context.
• Strong interpersonal communication and excellent oral communication and English writing skills.
• Demonstrated flexibility and openness in responding to changing work priorities and environment.
• Highly developed computer skills with documented work using Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. Capabilities with Statistical (SAS, SPSS) and meta-analysis software or GIS systems preferred.
• Ability to travel internationally.
• US citizenship required.

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

Technical Advisor I

• 0-7 years’ recent experience working in a technical capacity for an international nongovernmental organization, public international organization, or USG agency working in international development, health or HIV/AIDS with or without experience working in an international or resource challenged setting.

Technical Advisor II

• Minimum five (5) years’ experience in HIV/AIDS or other health programming, including at least two (2) years’ experience focused on international public health programming and/or implementation in a developing country 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.

HOW TO APPLY:

TO APPLY:

All applicants are required to apply for this position through GHFP-II’s online recruitment system athttps://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 December 16, 2015 by 5:00 pm Eastern time.

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