Public Health Specialist (Quality Improvement) at U.S. EMBASSY IN ZIMBABWE

Duties and Responsibilities

The job holder serves as a Public Health Specialist supporting Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis (DHGT)/President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), activities for the implementation, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of assigned public health program activities and studies.

This position is for Public Health Specialist for the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) clinical portfolio in Lilongwe, Malawi. The incumbent will provide expert technical and program management leadership in support of the portfolio to ensure quality implementation of MNCH programs and services. The job holder serves as the subject matter expert for Health Services Branch for maternal Neonatal Child Health (MNCH) services with a focus on quality assurance (QA) and/or quality improvement (QI) interventions. The jobholder provides technical assistance to Ministry of Health (MOH) Quality Management Directorate (QMD), in line with the PEPFAR strategic direction and sustainability goals, the Malawi Government’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Health Sector Strategic Plan III (HSSPIII), the priority areas within the National Quality Management Policy, to support the implementation of integrated models of client centered care and the development of quality standards for the HIV program, including for infection prevention and control. Works closely with other CDC subject matter experts in other branches to advance QI projects that are crosscutting. Interacts with interagency counterparts, including the USAID Senior Treatment QA/QI Specialist.

Job holder plays an essential role in developing annual program strategies, budgets, and drafts regular progress reports related to program activities. Job holder’s duties include technical support, advice and guidance, day-to-day program and administrative management and coordination and collaboration with colleagues of other agencies and public health entities that administer similar public health programs in Malawi. Job holder coordinates funding, report compliance and administrative recordkeeping with the implementing partners to assure projects are conducted in accordance with the implementing agreement and that USG funds are appropriately utilized. The position requires public health technical knowledge, results-oriented analytical skills, advocacy, and constant and clear communication with implementing partners, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and host country ministries responsible for public health National response to HIV and AIDS and Quality Management programs.

Qualifications and Experience

-Three years of mid-to-senior level public health experience in developing, implementing, and evaluating public health programs or other relevant public health programs that involve coordination with an international agency or implementing partner is required.

Education Requirements:
-Master’s degree, or host country equivalent in Public Health, Clinical Health Sciences, HIV Management, Epidemiology, Science in Child Health Nursing is required.

LANGUAGE:
Level 4 - Fluent; written/spoken, including the ability to translate

SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
Strong oral and written communication skills are required to develop and maintain effective, sustainable working relationships with national and international partners. Ability to analyze, understand and discuss new program design, management and implementation approaches is required. Intermediate user level of word processing, advanced spreadsheets features is required. Numerical skills for data analysis are required.

JOB KNOWLEDGE:
Detailed knowledge of current host country public health issues. Knowledge of general program design, implementation, and evaluation is also required. In-depth knowledge of various public health services including prevention, emergency response, care and treatment services, counseling and testing, interventions, behavior change, and treatment is required. Detailed knowledge of the host government health care system and structures, including familiarity with MOH policies, program priorities, and regulations is required. Good working knowledge of team management techniques to plan, organize and direct multi-disciplinary activities is required. Good working knowledge of overall administrative requirements, such as timelines and utilizing systems and databases, and processing requirements; budgeting and fiscal management in support of implementing grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts is required.