Bangladesh: Senior Tuberculosis/Infectious Disease Advisor

Opportunity inDhaka, Bangladesh

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)has contracted through CAMRIS International partnered withIAP World Services Inc, (IAPWS), to recruit and hire qualified individuals for the following position:

Senior Tuberculosis/Infectious Disease Advisor

United States Agency for International Development

BangladeshOffice of Population, Health, Nutrition and Education

Application Deadline: Open until filled.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Senior Tuberculosis /Infectious Disease (TB/ID)Advisor provides technical, programmatic and results-oriented leadership to strengthen the quality and effectiveness of USAID/Bangladesh programming in support of the Government of Bangladesh’s national TB policy and strategy and infectious disease response. S/he establishes and maintains strong and effective working relations and coordination with senior-level officials within the national and local government, multi-lateral and bilateral donor community, international and local organizations and members of the academic and scientific community. In consultation with the Health Office Director, s/he advises USAID/Bangladesh, Embassy staff, senior USAID/Washington personnel and technical offices and the GoB regarding key infectious disease and other health-related issues including policy, strategic planning, technical direction, programming, activity design, budgeting, implementation, monitoring, managing for results and other USAID program management issues. S/he represents USAID/Bangladesh in meetings, seminars and conferences on TB and other infectious disease health issues, - locally, regionally and internationally.

The Senior TB/ID adviser reports directly to the Health System Strengthening Division (Pillar) Leader. S/he helps the GoB adopt, implement and scale-up innovative approaches to TB and other infectious disease testing, care and treatment; strengthen the capacity of individuals, communities, organizations and systems to lead effective local and regional TB/ID responses; increase the coverage and quality of TB diagnostic and treatment services in the public, private and NGO sector; improve the diagnostic capacity and programming management of MDR-TB; reach marginalized populations and increase private sector engagement in TB/ID control. S/he provides strategic advice for the preparation of key Foreign Assistance planning, budget and reporting documents. S/he provides technical inputs on budgetary needs and other support during portfolio and other reviews and on monitoring and evaluation. S/he helps ensure that gender consideration is taken into account in TB and related health programming, including tracking and monitoring this?

S/he will provide technical and programmatic support to USAID and its implementing partners to design, manage and monitor activities, integrating those related to the control of TB and other ID into the larger GHI portfolio. S/he will provide policy, strategic, technical, programming and budgetary guidance to USAID/Bangladesh, other USG agencies, GOB counterparts, and implementing partners and other stakeholders (e.g., civil society, private sector) to strengthen programming related to TB and other ID. S/he will work within the Office of Population, Health, Nutrition, and Education (OPHNE) team and will collaborate with implementing and donor partners to ensure that maximum program synergies and targeted results are achieved. S/he will collaborate with the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM), as well as the World Health Organization (WHO), to ensure quality programming with maximum impact.

The Advisor will be based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. S/he will receive programmatic direction for Bangladesh-specific activities by the Director of the Population, Health, and Nutrition Office in USAID/Bangladesh and will liaise with the technical experts within USAID/Washington’s Health, Infectious Disease & Nutrition (HIDN) Division in the Bureau for Global Health. S/he will ensure that the Mission’s planning and response to ID is carried out in accordance with Agency directives.

A. Technical Leadership: S/he will:

• Provide technical and administrative oversight of the Mission’s interventions related to TB particularly in the following areas:

  • Increasing the coverage and quality of TB diagnosis and treatment services in the public, private and NGO sector by strengthening health systems and increasing case detection rates.
  • Improving diagnostic capacity and programmatic management of MDR-TB, including introduction of new and better treatment regimens for MDR-TB
  • Preventing the further development of MDR-TB
  • Strengthening the integration of TB-HIV co-management
  • Increasing public and private sector collaboration on TB control

• Provide technical support to the GOB’s National TB Control Program and represent USAID at national forums and policy dialogues related to TB. S/he will provide advice on mission's annual $13.5 million TB budget including the important, comprehensive TB project, Challenge TB, and serve as the USAID TB technical adviser on the World Bank Single Donor Trust Fund to which USAID contributes $40 million.

• Provide technical and programmatic support to the Government of Bangladesh’s infectious disease response. The latter includes tracking, monitoring, reporting and working with Government and international organizations such as WHO to strengthen surveillance and the national response to infectious diseases such as avian flu, cholera, dengue, HIV/AIDS, Nipah and polio, as well as neglected tropical diseases.

• Provide strategic direction to develop pandemic preparedness plans and to expand disease surveillance programs in cooperation with other USG agencies, GOB, other donors and UN agencies (e.g., World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization)

• S/he stays abreast of current best practice, reviews literature and ongoing research activities related to TB/ID epidemiology, trends and needs and serves as a thought leader advising on the national response to infectious disease threats and the high rates of TB infection in Bangladesh, especially MDR/ TB . This includes ways to improve the health systems and services that identify and treat those with TB.

• S/he identifies and promotes innovative, high impact, surveillance, testing and service delivery strategies. Liaise regularly with USAID/Washington, Bureau for Global Health colleagues to share lessons and technical information and to apply lessons learned from research and evidence-based best practices in USAID/Bangladesh programs

• S/he provides technical assistance and oversight of GFATM TB programming along with collaboration with the GFATM Bangladesh team based in Geneva.

• S/he provides oversight of the USAID supported TA MDR-TB Advisor embedded in the National TB Program (NTP)

B. Programming: S/he will:

• Liaise and coordinate with GOB, donors, USG agencies and international and local partners on issues related to TB and other ID

• Develop strategies and detailed implementation plans for improving TB and other ID services and systems to improve health outcomes under USAID/Bangladesh’s Operational Plan

• Undertake technical reviews of implementing partners’ annual work plans to identify opportunities for application of evidence-based best practices and partner synergies and to avoid duplication of efforts and missed opportunities to integrate TB and other ID into their activities

• Make recommendations on how TB and other ID control and prevention will link with and complement ongoing USAID activities related to family planning; maternal, neonatal and child health (MNCH); nutrition and health system strengthening

• Provide leadership in overall ID performance monitoring, including the development of performance monitoring plans, the review of implementing partner technical reports, and the preparation of relevant Mission’s reports (e.g., Program Performance Reports, portfolio reviews)

• Participate in the design of performance and impact evaluations related to USAID’s OPHNE program, and ensure that findings are used in decisions related to ongoing programming

• Work with USAID staff to monitor USAID-funded and non USAID- funded Bangladesh research related to TB and other IDs

• Perform other duties as required that support the overall goal of the health office

CERTIFICATIONS, LICENSE, PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS OR OTHER

EXPERTISE REQUIRED. The contractor must have:

Education:

• Medical Doctor preferred, with a Master’s in Public Health (MPH), or graduate degree in a closely related health field, required

Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in designing and implementing ID programs is required, of which at least 3 years, particularly in South Asia/South-East Asia is, preferred. Extensive experience working on TB control programs is strongly preferred. Demonstrated broad technical knowledge and experience in results-oriented TB and other ID program planning and implementation required. Demonstrated broad technical knowledge and experience in planning, designing, implementing and evaluating public health programs required

• Experience working on TB and other ID issues with international and national working groups with a variety of stakeholders including, host country government, program managers, policy makers and donors

• Experience in analyzing/synthesizing/using reporting and surveillance data and effectively communicate results and policy implications through oral and written presentations to various types of stakeholders

• Experience working with personnel from different USG agencies, host country governments, donors as well as USG contractors and/or grantees in a cross-cultural environment

• Experience with USAID programs, procedures and systems for program design, procurement, logistics, management and monitoring is strongly preferred.

Language Proficiency and Communication Skills

• Excellent verbal and written communication skill in English is required. Proven ability to communicate complex and technical issues, orally and in writing in a clear and organized manner is also required. Ability to communicate technical health information to both health and non-health audiences is essential

• Demonstrated ability to make verbal and written presentations logically and persuasively to a wide variety of stakeholders, for example to senior USG officials, host country government policy makers, public and non-public health program professionals, donors, researchers, civil society members and the media

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Comprehensive knowledge of Bangladesh’s health, cultural, social, economic and political setting desired

• Thorough knowledge of issues and current evidence related to TB and other ID and links with family planning, MNCH, nutrition and health system strengthening in order to advise the host country government and USAID Mission on effective programming

• Excellent analytical skills and understanding of the current ID concepts, priorities and state of the art ID programming to shape the USAID new learning agenda. Ability to monitor USAID ID program performance and provide evidence based policy and program guidance to implementing partners to achieve desired results

• Excellent leadership, communications and interpersonal skills to work effectively with a broad range of USG personnel, host-country high level policy makers, health program managers, international and national partners and donors

• Demonstrated flexibility and openness in responding to changing work priorities and environment

• High degree of judgment, maturity, ingenuity and originality to interpret strategies, and to analyze, develop and present work results

• Ability to use various computer packages (MS Word, Excel spreadsheet, PowerPoint, other data analysis statistical package)

• Excellent interpersonal, facilitation and teambuilding skills

• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision

• Applicants required to obtain employment authorization.

This is an opportunity for employment or a contract, but we reserve the right to make no selection or award.

CAMRIS International and IAP World Services Inc. offer competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits. Please submit your resume online at www.iapws.com. Candidates meeting the requirements for the position will be required to provide a USAID 1420-17 Contractor Employee Biographical Data Sheet to document employment and salary history.

CAMRIS and IAP are Equal Opportunity Employers EOE M/F/D/V