Job Opportunity – Recency Technical Lead

Location : Dar es Salaam

Application deadline : July 11, 2022 Start date : August 1, 2022

Background:

The University of California San Francisco (UCSF) is engaged in a five-year Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention- Tanzania (CDC-Tanzania) to provide strategic information and health information systems (HIS) technical assistance to the Ministry of Health (MOH) as well as the United States’ President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and their implementing partners (IPs). As part of our strategic information portfolio, UCSF will be responsible for providing technical assistance (TA) and guidance for the training and roll-out of recent HIV infection testing and surveillance.

To oversee this activity, UCSF is recruiting an individual through our affiliated international NGO ‘Global Programs’ to serve as Recency Technical Lead. This is a full- time 12-month position with the possibility of extension subject to continued funding. The position is expected to start on August 1, 2022 and will be based in Dar es Salaam.

Main duties and responsibilities:

The Recency Technical Lead will be responsible for coordinating all UCSF-Global Programs’ recency-related TA and support. This will include coordinating recency training and providing ongoing technical assistance and support to PEPFAR implementing partners (IPs) and facilities that are implementing recency testing.

Specific responsibilities include:

• Manage all UCSF-Global Programs recency activities and ensure deliverables and timelines are clearly delineated and met.
• Manage a team of approximately five lead trainers and coordinate training of trainer (TOT) sessions with PEPFAR clinical IPs to train on all aspects of the recency testing protocol.
• Provide ongoing TA and technical guidance to support IP-led step-down trainings for clinical sites and activation of new recency sites.
• Provide ongoing QA/QC support and monitoring for clinical IPs who have been trained and are implementing recency testing.
• Support protocol amendments and modifications as needed.
• Continuously document implementation progress and lessons learned and make recommendations for continuous quality improvement for recency testing.
• Support analysis and visualization of recency data.
• Collaborate with and provide guidance for MOH and stakeholders in relation to HIV recent infection surveillance.
• Collaborate with members of the UCSF-Global Programs team throughout Africa who are engaged in recent infection surveillance, including through regular zoom calls, to exchange best practices and lessons learned.
• Liaise with technical advisors at UCSF HQ to ensure delivery of outputs.
• Communicate regularly with the UCSF
• Program Manager about key deliverables in the scope of work and any challenges.

• Periodic travel (15% or less) within Tanzania may be required.

Experience, skills, and minimum required qualifications:

• Undergraduate degree in public health, Laboratory Science, Bio-Statistics, epidemiology or related fields is required. A Master’s degree in a relevant field is an advantage.
• Minimum of five years of progressive professional experience in public health surveillance. Previous experience managing HIV and AIDS projects in the PEPFAR setting is strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of concepts of public health, epidemiology, and surveillance.
• Knowledge of HIV recent infection surveillance and laboratory testing and methods is strongly preferred.

• Demonstrable experience with analysis, interpretation, and reporting of surveillance data.
• Experience writing and updating protocols and procedures relating to surveillance data collection, storage, reporting, sharing, and dissemination.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.
• Demonstrable experience working with a variety of organizations and stakeholders, including experience collaborating with MOHCDGEC.
• Ability to work professionally and collaboratively in a multi-cultural, internationally based team setting.
• Fluency in oral and written English and Kiswahili are required.

Other desired skills/qualities:

• Ability to prioritize, work under deadlines, work with minimal supervision, and multi-task.
• Ability to work flexible hours, including some evenings as required (in order to liaise with colleagues abroad).
• Ability to travel in-country to support project activities
• Strong interpersonal skills.

To Apply:

All applicants must address each selection criterion detailed in the minimum requirements above with specific and comprehensive information supporting each item.

All applications must include the following:

• A current CV with names and telephone numbers for at least 2 referees of whom one must be from the current employer.
• Copies of academic and professional certificates