Job Summary
Act to End Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) | East is a five-year project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) that helps national NTD control programs for the control and elimination of five targeted NTDs: lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminths, and trachoma. The health systems strengthening (HSS) Advisor will support the Act | East program in its efforts to strengthen health systems that respond to the NTD needs of the Tanzania program. They will take lead in analyzing available data to determine HSS activities that will be relevant to the Tanzania NTD control program. They will report to the Chief of Party (COP) and liaise with the HSS team at the head office for technical guidance. The position requires in-country and international travel.
Essential Duties
- Lead in-country efforts to mainstream NTD activities into national and district-level health systems.
- Leverage professional understanding, experience, and relationships to partner with national and district-level MOH stakeholders and other public and private sector stakeholders.
- In collaboration with the Act | East HQ team and in-country technical, HSS, and Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, Learning and Adaptation (MERLA) teams, work with ministries to: (1) include NTD activities in country annual budgets with adequate funding; (2) clearly designate responsibilities for NTD control within the existing workforce and job descriptions; (3) include and monitor indicators among national health indicators; (4) support national policies to fulfill essential NTD activities; and (5) coordinate NTD interventions across sectors.
- Work with host-country counterparts to identify needs for short-term technical assistance (STTA) to support analysis, planning, advocacy, etc.
- Support implementation of mainstreaming activities, including participatory planning activities, fiscal gap and space analysis, accountability and stakeholder mapping, advocacy and policy development, and relevant activities under fixed amount awards (FAAs).
- In close collaboration with Act | East headquarters and the NTD control program, use sustainability plans to develop activities that support NTD control program ambitions for sustainability.
- In collaboration with headquarters, leverage non-NTD sectoral platforms to support sustained MDA coverage and disease surveillance and coordinate support for advocacy activities with civil society and the NTD control program.
Education & Experience
- A Master's degree in public health, international development, public policy, or related field. Master’s degree and 6 years of experience or bachelor’s degree and 10 years of experience.
- Minimum of 6 years global and/or in‐country experience in implementation of health systems strengthening programs and/or policy reform preferably addressing cross-sector issues.
- Demonstrated experience in implementing robust HSS programs in a developing country context, with technical expertise in one or more of the following areas: policy reform, service coverage, supply chain management, information systems, workforce alignment, or related areas of HSS.
- Demonstrated experience implementing health systems programs that incorporate non‐health sector and/or multi‐health sector programs.
- Neglected Tropical Disease experience desired, but not required.
- Demonstrated capacity to operate within the HSS community and function as a technical advisor on diverse matters related to HSS in developing countries.
- Demonstrated management, leadership, decision making, and interpersonal skills.
- Full professional proficiency in Swahili and English with excellent oral and written communications skills.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
- Demonstrated ability to create and maintain effective working relations with senior Government personnel, international organizations, NGO partners, host country governments, and U.S. Government Agencies.
Willingness and ability to travel internationally and domestically, as required, up to 30% of time