Senior Technical Advisor, Malaria Program/Global Fund Liaison

Grade: J

Job ID: 13-7078

Location : BI-Bujumbura

# of Positions : 1

Center/Office: CLM - General

Posted Date: 2013-11-18

Project/Program: LMG

Application Due Date: None

Overall Responsibilities

The Senior Technical Advisor, Malaria Program/Global Fund Liaison position is designed to provide technical assistance to the country, specifically to the PNILP, to improve the management, implementation and coordination of malaria activities. The incumbent will be placed at the PNILP and will provide leadership and management support to the PNILP Program Coordinator. S/he will assist the Malaria Coordinator in planning, monitoring and coordinating activities, policies, and improving the programmatic and financial management capacity of the PNILP.

The incumbent will work in collaboration with the USAID/Burundi Mission Team to ensure that up-to-date and strategic information on malaria activities are shared and disseminated among donors for prompt and appropriate decision making.

The work involves complex and interrelated processes. The political environment requires a high degree of sensitivity and diplomacy in supporting the PNILP, establishing dialogue with stakeholders, and developing activities to prevent and treat malaria. The incumbent will require a depth of expertise that will allow her/him to provide leadership and management in malaria-related issues and programs, including the capability to identify and systematize otherwise diffuse issues.

Specific Responsibilities

1. The Senior Technical Advisor, Malaria Program/Global Fund Liaison, provides professional leadership support to the PNILP for the achievement of objectives set forth in its strategic plan. The principal task of the incumbent is to provide overall management, technical guidance and leadership to the PNILP team around national policies and strategies and support to the Global Fund supported grants.
2. Assist the PNILP and the Ministry of Health with initiating and conducting policy dialogue between the Global Fund Portfolio Manager and country team to troubleshoot as necessary to facilitate implementation of existing grants and development of Concept Note for new grants under the Global Fund New Funding Model.
3. Be a full member of the RBM in country partnership and participate in all quarterly coordination meetings.
4. Collaborate with senior staff of the PNILP, implementing partners, and other partners, such as WHO, UNICEF, World Bank, and NGOs to identify malaria control intervention gaps in Burundi, consistent with the malaria control coverage needs identified by the Burundi malaria strategic plan 2013-17 PNILP.
5. Assist the PNILP with advocacy for resource mobilization for malaria control from new potential partners including the private sector, international NGOs.
6. Provide targeted technical assistance to the PNILP to enhance financial management systems and processes for managing funds accountably and effectively.
7. Work with the PNILP and other appropriate partners to ensure full accountability and value for the resources provided for PNILP functioning.
8. Communicate on a regular basis and work jointly with other malaria stakeholders including the private sector and ensure that malaria activities are being implemented in coordination with and complementary to other USG health support, close coordination with USAID/ Burundi malaria technical advisor, other malaria donors (UNICEF, WHO and the Global Fund, Department of Defense) as required.
9. Assist the PNILP in developing plans to for future Global Fund concept notes. This includes providing managerial support to the PNILP leadership to brainstorm and identify technical interventions to be covered by future funding from the Global Fund.

This incumbent is not expected to play any supervisory role at the PNILP. S/He will receive administrative supervision from the LMG/Burundi support team with technical supervision from the USAID/ Burundi Malaria Technical Advisor and the PNILP Director, who will contribute to her/his evaluation. 

Qualifications

1. Advanced degree (Masters, PhD, or MD) in a health-related field or management field required. Specialized experience in malaria is not required, but preferred.
2. At least ten years of experience in progressively responsible experience in designing, implementing and managing malaria and other health programs in developing countries, with a preference given to candidates with African experience.
3. Demonstrated experience managing successful teams comprised of experienced professionals.
4. Demonstrated technical leadership, program management, strategic planning, policy experience and problem solving skills working on complex projects in a highly sensitive environment are required.
5. Experience with USAID-funded public health programs preferred; demonstrated technical capacity in financial management required.
6. At least five years of experience with or good knowledge of Global Fund operating procedures and financial management processes (proposal development and submission, monitoring and evaluation, PSM plan and reporting).
7. Ability to work effectively in a team environment and communicate information to both health and non-health audiences, and achieve consensus on policy, project, research, and administrative matters.
8. Proven ability to communicate quickly, clearly and concisely – both orally and in writing -- in English and French is essential.
9. Ability to work effectively with a broad range of Burundian and USG personnel and partners, and have demonstrated skills in donor coordination and collaboration. Ability to work both independently and in a team environment to achieve consensus on policy, program and administrative matters is a must.
10. Excellent verbal communication skills, tact and diplomacy are required to establish and develop sustainable working relationships at the highest level and a high level of trust with public/private organizations. Verbal communication skills are also used to negotiate activity plans and resolve activity implementation issues with counterparts, partners and team members. Excellent written communication skills are required to prepare regular and ad hoc reports, activity documentation and briefing papers.
11. Excellent computer skills (MS Word, Excel, Power Point, and Outlook, Access, SPSS and other statistical and other relevant software) are required for effectively operating in this position. Good computer skills are required to implement, analyze, and monitor, and manage activity goals, inputs, outcomes, and achievements.

Background Information

The Leadership, Management and Governance Project (LMG) is a global five-year Cooperative Agreement awarded by USAID/Washington, designed to strengthen and expand the people-centered capacity building strategy pioneered under the previous Leadership, Management, and Sustainability Program. The LMG Project’s objective is to support health systems strengthening by addressing the gap in leadership, management and governance capacity of policy makers, health care providers and program managers to implement quality health services at all levels of the health system.

The President’s Malaria Initiative will provide direct technical assistance to the Programme National Intégré de Lutte contre le Paludisme (PNILP) through LMG/Burundi to reinforce leadership, management and governance capacities to improve the coordinated national efforts in the fight against malaria. The PNILP works with national partners in Burundi to support malaria interventions and develop national policies and norms for the fight against malaria. While the PNILP is not a Principal Recipient of the Global Fund malaria grant in Burundi, the program’s role in coordination with Global Fund recipients and local stakeholders and partners necessitates a clear understanding of Global Fund directives so that the PNILP can successfully support implementing partners. Under the Global Fund New Funding Model, it is expected that PNILP will receive some minimal amounts of funding that will require high-level financial management to ensure the efficient and effective use of funds.

Click here to apply