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SENIOR TECHNICAL ADVISOR |
USAID |
Advert
Posted 2019-03-07 03:00:08
USAID/ZAMBIA JOB ANNOUNCEMENT NO. AID-005-19 – SENIOR TECHNICAL
ADVISOR
OPEN TO: All Interested Candidates
POSITION: Senior
Technical Advisor
OPENING DATE: March
4, 2019
CLOSING DATE:
March 22, 2019
WORK HOURS:
Full-time; 40 hours/week
SALARY RANGE: FSN-11 (ZMK 450,209.84 p.a. — ZMK 704,098.28 p.a.)
BASIC FUNCTION:
This
position is located in the newly formed USAID/Zambia Provincial Health Office.
The Senior Technical Advisor oversees the technical and managerial
functions of the office. The provincial office will comprise a total of
four (4) individuals, including a Technical Advisor, Monitoring and Evaluation
Advisor, and an Administrative Assistant/ Chauffeur.
The
Senior Technical Advisor will serve as the main U.S. Government liaison to the
Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) and other key stakeholders in the
province. The Provincial Medical Officer (PMO) and the District Community
Medical Officers (DCMOs) will be the core GRZ contacts for the Advisor.
The incumbent will also support technical leadership and coordination with the
Clinical Care and the Communicable Diseases sections within the Provincial
Health Office (PHO). In addition, s/he will organize and lead quarterly
coordination meetings with the GRZ and U.S. Government partners to ensure
collaboration of activities to minimize overlap and to convey USAID and PEPFAR
priorities for programming. The Advisor will extend this support to
priority districts within Central and Northern provinces.
Under
the direction of the Decentralized Services Division Chief and the Health
Office Chief, the Senior Health Advisor will communicate key USAID/U.S.
policies and requirements to the districts and province, and will communicate
back to the Health Office the key challenges and successes.
The
incumbent will oversee and coordinate government-to-government (G2G) activities
within the province. S/he will work at a senior level in a high-priority
program, possessing significant technical knowledge, in-depth proven track
record of positively influencing G2G collaboration, and an ability to function
independently in a highly demanding, frequently changing environment.
The
Senior Technical Advisor will report to the Decentralized Services Division
Chief. Because of the close collaboration with the PHO to better
integrate the USAID-supported activities into the other provincial health
activities, the Advisor will also report on the integrated work plan to the
PMO. The position will include extensive travel within the three
provinces (approximately 35% of the time), meeting with the DCMOs and other
leadership on project coordination and other issues.
MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Supervision, Oversight and Technical Leadership (45%)
§
Serve
as the technical lead for the provincial office, functionally overseeing all
health programming under the general direction of the Decentralized Services
Division Chief.
§
Supervise
three FSN hires. Carry out various functions including administrative,
staff development, and coordination responsibilities.
§
Provide
expert technical guidance on HIV and other health issues to implementing
partners and government counterparts within the provinces supported.
§
Work
with other Health technical staff to ensure that strategies, interventions, and
implementation approaches form a coherent and holistic response to the needs of
the health system in Zambia, particularly to support priority health and
HIV/AIDS programs as identified in USAID/Zambia’s Operational Plans and based
on commitments made to the GRZ.
§
Working
with the Decentralized Services Division Chief, identify technical assistance
expertise required for field activities, assist in preparing scopes of work,
identifying appropriate consultants, and reviewing findings to target follow up
interventions.
§
Contribute
to the health and HIV/AIDS components of the Mission’s annual reports.
Coordinate periodic updates on the health needs at the regional level, and
prepare briefing documents as required.
§
Provide
technical and programmatic guidance to implementing partners on linking
HIV/AIDS activities with maternal and child health, family planning and
reproductive health, and other Mission activities.
Activity Management (15%)
§
Serve
as technical representative for the Agreement Officer/Contracting Officer or an
activity manager for specific G2G activities, providing day-to-day oversight,
as well as strategic and technical input and direction on annual work plans and
performance monitoring plans. Verify the completion of milestones.
§
Review
financial and performance reports to ensure that partner(s) are in compliance
with bilateral government agreements and with the performance expectations
outlined in their work plan and contract/agreement(s) with USAID.
§
Ensure
compliance with PEPFAR, Global Health Initiative (GHI), USAID regulations and
host government agreements as they relate to the specific mechanisms
managed. Maintain specific and in-depth knowledge of applicable USG laws
and legislative directives, as well as regulations regarding allowable use of
funds (e.g., family planning, HIV/AIDS).
Developing Linkages and Coordination (25%)
§
Work
with the Clinical Care, Communicable Diseases, and other Specialists within the
PHO to ensure USAID-supported activities are implemented in line with national
strategies for the delivery of quality healthcare within the province.
§
In
collaboration with the Decentralized Services Division Chief and Health Office
Director, organize and lead quarterly meetings with GRZ and USG partners to
track activity implementation and ensure collaboration of activities and
minimize overlap.
§
Actively
participate in PHO technical and planning meetings to ensure alignment and
harmonization of USAID-supported activities with the GRZ mandate.
§
Serve
as the main link between the Lusaka office and the PHO, District Health Office
and other health institutions in the province,
§
Catalyze
linkages with other development partners implementing HIV/AIDS and health
activities (reproductive health, maternal health and child survival, malaria,
and tuberculosis) in the province. Recommend potential streamlining when
appropriate.
Monitoring and Evaluation (15%)
§
In
collaboration with the Health M&E Team and AOR/CORs, conduct field visits
to monitor the activities of implementing partners within the province; track
progress against program descriptions, implementation plans and annual work
plans.
§
Conduct
site improvement through monitoring systems (SIMS) visits to monitor capacity
at facility, community and above-site levels to provide high-quality HIV/AIDS
services in all program areas.
§
Perform
other duties as assigned by the Health Office Chief or Decentralized Services
Division Chief.
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:
A. Education: A Master’s degree in a relevant discipline such as international
development, public health, health care management or other field related.
B. Prior Work Experience: At least seven years of progressively responsible
experience managing and implementing public health programs in developing
countries, with an emphasis on health systems strengthening is required.
At least three years of supervisory experience. Demonstrated experience working
with developing country program managers, policy-makers and a broad array of
health service providers and community leaders. Demonstrated experience working
in programs that support HIV/AIDS, maternal child health, and related programs.
C. Post Entry Training: The Job holder will need COR/AOR training. Through
on-the-job training (formal, informal and self-taught), the Senior Technical Advisor
will become familiar with USAID systems and requirements of the overall Health
portfolio. S/he will obtain a clear understanding of USAID, PEPFAR, PMI,
Saving Mothers, Giving Life, GHI, Feed the Future and other health initiative
policies, procedures and regulations, including the Automated Directives
System, Mission Orders, and the annual planning and reporting databases.
Training in USAID implementation, auditing and financial management will be
provided as needed.
D. Language Proficiency (level and specialization): Level IV (fluent) written and
oral English proficiency is required. Candidate must have the ability to
present information, analysis, and recommendations in clear written and oral
formats.
E. Job Knowledge: Strong technical knowledge of HIV/AIDS, maternal/child
health and public health service delivery programs and systems in Zambia is
required. Knowledge of reproductive health/family planning, malaria,
tuberculosis, is also required.
F. Skills and Abilities: 1) Excellent interpersonal skills, required to establish
and maintain a wide range of working-level contacts with Health programs in
government, non-governmental, and private-sector circles. 2) Demonstrated
positive and productive teaming abilities are absolutely critical; must be able
to get along with others and help elevate and empower those around. 3)
Experience supervising or leading teams of professionals is required. 4)
Strong management and analytical skills are required to strategize, develop and
implement effective USAID-supported Health programs; and strong financial
management and administrative skills used to track the performance of
implementing partners. 5) Demonstrated ability to interpret, apply, and
explain program policy, guidelines, regulatory directives and related
guidance. 6) Demonstrated ability to organize and present information and
to draft clear, concise documents. 7) Excellent computer skills,
including ease in using database, word processing, spreadsheet and presentation
software applications, and e-mail.
POSITION ELEMENTS:
1.
A. Supervision Received: Work will be performed under the
general supervision of the Decentralized Services Division Chief of the Health
Office USAID/Zambia. Performance is evaluated annually with regard to
progress toward objectives.
1.
B. Supervision Exercised: Will exercise direct supervision
over three professional staff to achieve the goals of the provincial health
programs.
1.
C. Available Guidelines: Available administrative
guidelines establish a broad pattern of operation that requires frequent need
to exercise judgment and interpretation, and provides an opportunity for
initiative and innovation. Relevant guidelines include the USAID
Automated Directives System (ADS), PEPFAR and PMI guidelines, Country
Operational Plans, Malaria Operational Plans, Health Investment Plan, Country
Development Cooperation Strategy, National Health Strategic Plan, Mission
Orders and other directives.
1.
D. Exercise of Judgment: An exceedingly high degree of
judgment based on technical expertise will be required to provide guidance and
assistance to a wide variety of high-level professionals at the provincial
level. As a recognized expert and highly qualified professional,
substantial reliance will be placed on the incumbent to independently plan,
prioritize, and carry out the specific activities entailed in fulfilling major
duties and responsibilities to achieve sustainable programming. The
incumbent will be expected to resolve problems that arise by determining the
approaches to be taken and methodologies to be used; making independent
judgments that can be defended as necessary. The political environment
requires a high degree of sensitivity and diplomacy in establishing dialogue
and developing interventions to encourage improved Health programs in a
sustainable manner. The position requires managing for results in
collaboration with a wide range of Zambian government officials and
departments, training institutions, NGOs, international PVOs, and other
international organizations.
1.
E. Authority to make commitments: The incumbent will have no
independent authority to commit USG funds on behalf of the U.S. Government or
USAID/Zambia.
6. Nature, level and purpose of
Contacts: The
position requires considerable influencing skills to negotiate and persuade,
but also justify, defend, negotiate, and settle matters among decision makers
at the provincial level. The incumbent will maintain contacts and work
with USAID staff in USAID/Zambia, with considerable interaction with
PEPFAR/Zambia staff at the State Department, CDC, DOD, Peace Corps to provide
policy and procedural guidance and to obtain information relative to programs
and activities.
The
incumbent will be involved in establishing a common understanding among high
level decision makers in the related GRZ ministries to find satisfactory
solutions that address their various objectives and concerns. In addition, s/he
will work closely with senior technical officers from other donors working in
related areas within.
G. Time Required to Perform Full Range of Duties
after Entry into the Position: One Year.
TERMS OF APPOINTMENT:
Subject
to availability of funds, this will be a five-year contract, with an option to
extend, depending upon continuing need of the services.
BENEFITS:
The
position has been classified at a FSN – 11 levels. The actual salary of
the successful candidate will be negotiated within that range depending on
qualifications and previous earnings history.
APPLYING:
Qualified
candidates should send:
1.
A. A formal application letter or
cover letter;
B. A current CV;