Country: United States of America
Closing date: 20 Feb 2015
Global Health Fellows Program
Technical Advisor III:Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) Regional**HIVAIDS Senior Technical Advisor**
Population, Health and Nutrition Team, Office of Regional Sustainable Development, Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, United States Agency for International Development
Location: Washington, DC
Assignment: Two year fellowship
GHFP II-P4-143
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:
USAID was one of the first international development agencies to provide HIV/AIDS related technical assistance for prevention, treatment, and care programs, starting in the mid-1990s. Since that time, USAID’s HIV and AIDS programs, operating under the US Government’s (USG) President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program, has become one of the Agency’s greatest contributions to global health by slowing the spread of HIV and extending the reach of lifesaving programs for those who have contracted AIDS.
People infected with HIV live in every country in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region, and the combination of weak health systems with widespread stigma and discrimination forces the epidemic underground, which undermines the goal of ending HIV transmission. In its 2012 report, the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimated that in the LAC sub-region there were 230,000 people living with HIV, out of the region’s 1.4 million. Throughout the region HIV disproportionately affects those who engage in known high-risk behaviors. The epidemic is mainly concentrated in the populations of men who have sex with men, commercial sex workers, and transgender groups. Only a few countries in the region are classified as having a “generalized epidemic” with prevalence rates above 1% in the general population. Within the LAC region overall, the Caribbean sub-region has the highest HIV prevalence rate, which is the second highest in the world after sub-Saharan Africa. However, the total number of people affected or at elevated risk for HIV infection in the sub-region is relatively small compared to the most-affected African countries, which have much larger populations.
USAID’s HIV/AIDS Programs in the LAC region are implemented by these field missions:
· Sub-regional HIV Program for the Caribbean, based in USAID/Barbados (including Jamaica);
· Sub-regional HIV Program for Central America, based in USAID/Guatemala;
· Bilateral HIV Program in Guyana (located at the U.S. Embassy);
· Bilateral HIV Program in USAID/Haiti; and
· Bilateral HIV Program in USAID/Dominican Republic.
INTRODUCTION:
The LAC Regional HIV/AIDS Senior Technical Advisor (Senior Advisor) will provide technical and programmatic backstopping and assistance to bilateral and sub-regional missions in the LAC region pertaining to their HIV and AIDS programs. The Senior Advisor will function as a member of the Health, Population, and Nutrition Team within the LAC Bureau’s Regional Sustainable Development (RSD) Office. The Senior Advisor will coordinate closely with USAID’s Office of HIV and AIDS (OHA) within the Bureau for Global Health (GH) in planning and carrying out his/her work.
S/he will also communicate and coordinate regularly with other USG agencies, including the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) which directs and oversees implementation of PEPFAR programs globally and the Centers for Disease Control, as well as external agencies such as UNAIDS and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). S/he will act as a conduit for communication and coordination among the many players involved in HIV programming within the LAC region. The Senior Advisor will have a broad understanding of USAID’s HIV programs and the settings within which they are implemented in the LAC region, and how they relate to other health and development programs. S/he will have in-depth knowledge of PEPFAR policies, objectives, and operational guidelines.
USAID’s HIV work aims to improve accessibility, quality, effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability of host countries’ HIV programs. This work is done in adherence with extensive USG planning, oversight, and reporting requirements. The Senior Advisor will work within these parameters to provide expert technical and program support to field-based HIV programs and to foster effective interagency collaboration. The Senior Advisor will receive day-to-day guidance from the RSD Health Team Leader as his/her onsite manager.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Senior Advisor will provide technical direction and oversight to the LAC sub-regional and country HIV strategies. This will include helping develop, monitor and report on evidence-based program activities to achieve results. The Senior Advisor will share state-of-the-art strategic information to USAID Mission staff, supporting Mission and regional HIV/AIDS program design. The Senior Advisor will serve as the HIV/AIDS subject matter expert for improving access, quality, efficiency and sustainability of host countries’ HIV/AIDS programs, and will have in-depth expertise regarding programs for key populations (KPs) most at risk for HIV infection in LAC contexts. The Senior Advisor will be primarily responsible for:
A. Providing expert programmatic and technical leadership, policy advice, guidance and support to the USAID/LAC HIV/AIDS programs, at the sub-regional and country-specific levels, including:
· Serving as a technical resource for USAID/LAC HIV/AIDS programs, specifically related to KPs, including supporting the implementation of evidence-based programs to facilitate KP access to the clinical cascade.
· Keeping abreast of current major technical and program guidance issued by OGAC and PEPFAR.
- Staying current on HIV work underway in LAC though national efforts, other development partners, and global funding mechanisms related to HIV/AIDS, including the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (GFATM).
· Directly providing or facilitating assistance to field missions on PEPFAR and USAID policies, country operational plans preparation, program design, M&E plan development, including site implementation monitoring systems (SIMS) reporting and expenditure tracking, and management.
· Assisting Missions to understand PEPFAR guidelines, and Agency and Bureau processes and requirements, and providing the team with up-to-date with changes in policies, priorities and administrative or operational processes.
- Sharing relevant field experience and information with OHA staff; serving as a key resource for OHA on HIV programs in the LAC region.
- Serving as a resource for the LAC Bureau (including the Program office and Desks) on developments regarding PEPFAR funding and programming.
- Serving as a resource for new information, guidance, and technical updates for Missions (e.g., from USAID/Washington, PEPFAR, and, USAID’s implementing partners, NGOs, or other donor/technical resources).
- Assisting Missions in planning for and preparing the annual country/regional operational plans, including engaging in interagency meetings, as necessary.
B. Advocating for recognition and support for LAC HIV programs, including:
· Serving as the technical expert on HIV programming within the LAC Bureau.
· Ensuring that LAC Bureau leadership is aware of the region’s status and USAID achievements related to HIV, the value of the programs, and their linkages to other development goals.
· Articulating and explaining to LAC, OHA, and OGAC the staffing, resource, and Mission leadership support needed to execute USAID’s HIV programs.
· Providing well-informed input to OHA on LAC budget processes through meetings with the OHA Front Office.
· Assisting missions, the LAC Bureau, and OHA in ensuring that HIV is included in the missions’ development strategies where appropriate.
· Serving as a resource for the LAC Bureau and OHA on developments in the region regarding USAID’s, and other donors’ HIV programs.
· Helping field staff understand the larger political context or priorities that inform congressional, OGAC, OHA, and LAC Bureau decision-making.
· Clearly articulating how HIV/AIDS activities contribute to higher-level USG strategic priorities in the region.
· Collaborating with communications staff in USAID/Washington (AID/W) and missions to bring greater visibility to successful programs.
C. Providing technical assistance with analysis, reporting, and monitoring & evaluationto help inform USAID program direction, including:
- Assisting mission staff in collecting and analyzing data from HIV programs, the host government, and other sources, on epidemiological and behavioral characteristics of countries’ epidemics to show impact of USAID’s PEPFAR programs.
- Assisting mission staff in SIMS implementation, as necessary, including analyzing SIMS data and supporting resulting program changes.
- Staying up-to-date on LAC HIV/AIDS and TB-HIV co-infection epidemiology.
- Generating analyses and responses to ad hoc information requests from USAID, State Department, OGAC, and other parties.
D. Enhancing program coordination and networking, including:
- Coordinating with other regional actors at the HQ level (UNAIDS, PAHO, GFATM, WB, NGOs) to: stay current with their plans, priorities and activities in the region; ensure they are informed about USAID HIV programming in the region; and foster harmonized approaches on key issues, and reduce duplicative efforts.
- Liaising with OHA project management teams to explore opportunities for supporting core-funded activities that would be of high value for LAC countries.
- Regularly updating the USAID/OHA HIV/AIDS Regional Advisor and GH country teams on PEPFAR activities in the region.
- Preparing and presenting technical presentations at international technical conferences and workshops, as appropriate.
International and domestic travel approximately 25% (up to 3 weeks per trip for a total of 12-15 weeks per year).
Training and professional development
· Keeping abreast of literature and latest developments in the fields of LAC HIV/AIDS programs.
· Deepening knowledge of HIV programming.
· Participating in interagency and intra-agency working groups as appropriate to SOW.
· 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, international development, or related field.
- Minimum ten (10) years’ experience working on in global health/development programs with at least 3-5 years’ experience in an international or resource challenged setting, preferably with an emphasis on HIV. In-depth technical expertise related to KPs is desirable.
- Demonstrated broad technical knowledge and experience in program analysis and planning.
- Minimum five (5) years’ progressively responsible experience that includes project management.
- Demonstrated leadership and problem-solving skills working on complex projects in a highly-sensitive, fast-paced environment.
- Superior technical skills and experience, knowledge and understanding of USAID business practices, PEPFAR guidance and directives, development principles and approaches, as well as situational assessment and interpretation skills.
- Demonstrated flexibility in responding to changing work priorities and environment. Proven decision-making skills.
- Ability to work within tight time constraints to produce high quality work products.
- High degrees of judgment, ingenuity, and originality to analyze, develop and present work, and to monitor and evaluate implementation of programs.
- Ability to work effectively both independently and in diverse team environments.
- Ability to manage and work successfully with diverse teams.
- Ability to interact productively with subject matter experts.
- Excellent interpersonal communication, oral communication and writing skills. Ability to clearly and convincingly articulate an evidence-based vision, as well as USAID and USG policies regarding HIV and related topics to a variety of audiences, including host country experts, ministry staff, and other donors, and AID/W colleagues.
- Ability to speak and write and make presentations in both Spanish and English.
- Ability to travel internationally to LAC countries.
- US citizenship required.
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:
All applicants are required to apply for this position through GHFP-II’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 February 20, 2015 by 5:00 pm Eastern time.
We are proud to be an EEO/AA Employer.
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