PATH is a global nonprofit dedicated to achieving health equity. With more than 40 years of experience forging multisector partnerships, and with expertise in science, economics, technology, advocacy, and dozens of other specialties, PATH develops and scales up innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing health challenges.
PATH’s Global Health Security (GHS) Initiative leads several projects that serve the Global Health Security Agenda and aim to strengthen global capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats. These include the five-year, Centers for Disease Control (CDC)-funded Global Health Security Partnership (GHSP) project, the USAID Infectious Disease Detection and Surveillance (IDDS) project, and the Fleming Fund-funded project on antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
The GHS team is currently recruiting a SURVEILLANCE LEAD to support the surveillance systems capacity building work for the USAID Infectious Disease Detection and Surveillance (IDDS) project that serves the Global Health Security Agenda, TB programs and other related initiatives. IDDS, a global project implemented by ICF as the prime and seven other partners, including PATH, supports select governments and their relevant ministries in the strengthening of their human and animal disease detection networks and surveillance systems for infectious diseases including TB and AMR. The work focuses primarily on strengthening public health systems but may also include private health and other non-governmental institutions on a country-by-country basis.
Working closely with the GHSI Deputy Director, GHSI Director, and other technical experts in diagnostics, surveillance, and health systems from across the partnership, the position provides technical support to the design, implementation, and monitoring of technical strategies to integrate and strengthen country disease surveillance systems (both human and animal) in project countries. This will include real-time surveillance systems for pathogens of greatest public health concern, including AMR and zoonotic diseases, capacity building initiatives for human and animal health (One Health) networks, and implementation of strategies, programs, or tools to support surveillance system capacity building.
NOTE: This position will be seconded to ICF’s offices in Rockville, MD.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Serve as surveillance thought leader to IDDS project director and project team, participating on the project’s Senior Leadership Team.
- Provide technical support to the development of country-specific workplans and budgets for surveillance activities aligned with JEE and local stakeholder improvement goals.
- Identify gaps in core functions of human and animal disease surveillance systems, support technical implementation of surveillance activities for strengthening Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response, connectivity solutions for tracking cases of tuberculosis, global health security, and other technical areas as needed.
- Build capacity in country-level, regional, or global disease surveillance staff by sharing new knowledge/evidence and best practices with the project team and partners.
- Conduct technical visits to target countries and provide feedback to project management, and, if requested, to counterparts at all levels.
- Provide support to the development and monitoring of work plans, budgets, and finances in accordance with USAID rules and regulations and PATH policies and procedures.
- Support the development and implementation of technical assistance, surveillance systems in line with joint external evaluation (JEE) reports, Performance Veterinary Services (PVS), country national action plans and other assessment reports.
- In close collaboration with IDDS laboratory and diagnostic staff, provide technical assistance to strengthen the accuracy, completeness and timeliness of reporting into national reporting databases such as DHIS2.
- Support and/or lead work to improve interoperability and interconnectedness across national disease reporting systems.
- Support the development and implementation of strategies, workplans and quality improvement programs for surveillance activities supported by IDDS with reference to accepted standards and requirements.
- Provide high-quality technical support based upon expertise with surveillance systems strengthening, methods and strategies, current practice, and established reporting and operational standards while also being locally relevant and sustainable.
- Coordinate and work with a diverse group of organizations, such as the Ministry of Health and Agriculture, surveillance, diagnostic, and facility staff, several international and national development partner organizations, and the donor.
- Serve as the main PATH point of contact for the project within the consortium, responsible for ensuring project deliverables are of high quality and completed on time.
- Provide supervisory support to project staff members both in US and field-based teams.
- Represent PATH at technical meetings, conferences and workshops and provide surveillance expertise to partners and stakeholders as needed.
Required Skills
Required Experience
The successful candidate is someone with a graduate (or higher) degree in Public health with substantive field experience as expressed in the requirements below combined with knowledge and skills in:
- Good and proactive organizational, prioritization and workload management skills.
- Excellent understanding and experience of Microsoft Office Products (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook).
- Ability to work without direct supervision and on own initiative.
- Team-focused and collegial with the ability to interact with diverse colleagues and facilitate strong working relationships; adept at working closely with others over geographical distance
- Able to form strong relationships with external partners and work well with cross-organizational teams.
- Strong organizational skills, high level of attention to detail, and effectiveness under deadlines.
REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
- A minimum of a graduate degree in Public Health or related field, doctoral degree preferred
- Minimum of 8 years’ experience in disease surveillance in developing countries with at least five years in a quality oversight role
- Experience designing, implementing, and managing large, complex projects in developing countries
- Broad understanding of Infectious disease epidemiology, antimicrobial resistance, and zoonotic diseases.
- Preference for experience working on laboratory-based surveillance systems, experience integrating laboratory and surveillance data.
- Proven professional experience working with host country governments and counterparts, international donor organizations, civil society, and private sector on infectious disease programming.
- Ability to represent project and present project learnings in professional settings to key stakeholders and USAID
- Substantial experience working on USAID and US government funded projects.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English; French language skills desirable; diplomacy in communicating with a broad and diverse audience.
- Willingness and ability to travel globally up to 30% of the time.
Must have legal authorization to work in the United States.
_PATH is dedicated to diversity and is an equal opportunity employer. _
PATH is an equal opportunity employer. Every qualified applicant will be considered for employment. PATH does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or orientation, genetic information, age, national origin, marital status, disability status, political ideology, military or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.