Public Health Specialist, Surveillance at the U.S. Embassy

The U.S. Mission to Nigeria comprises of the Embassy in Abuja, FCT, and the Consulate General in Lagos. U.S. Consulate General Lagos is the Mission’s representative to the Nigerian people in the southern region.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Public Health Specialist, Surveillance - All Interested Candidates (Branch Chief, Epid. Surv. and Health Informatics)

Announcement Number: Abuja-2021-119
Location: Abuja
Series/Grade: LE - 0550 12
Promotion Potential: LE-12
Hiring Agency: Embassy Abuja
Work Schedule: Full-time - 40 hours per week

Overview

• Hiring Path: Open to the public
• Who May Apply/Clarification From the Agency:
  • For USEFM - FP is FP-3.  Actual FP salary determined by Washington D.C.
  • All Interested Applicants / All Sources
• Security Clearance Required: Public Trust - Background Investigation
• Appointment Type: Permanent
• Appointment Type Details: Indefinite subject to successful completion of probationary period.

Summary

• The work schedule for this position is: Full Time (40 hours per week)
• Start date: Candidate must be able to begin working within a reasonable period of time (6 weeks) of receipt of agency authorization and/or clearances / certifications or their candidacy may end.
• Supervisory Position: Yes
• Relocation Expenses Reimbursed: No
• Travel Required:
  • 50% or less
  • Job holder routinely travels to CDC project sites and facilities to monitor prevention activities.30-35% of all time will be spent on local and international travel for site visits, workshops, trainings, conferences etc.

Duties
Basic Function:

• The incumbent, under the supervision and guidance of the Medical Epidemiologist / Deputy Director for Epidemiology, Strategic Information and Science will be responsible for oversight and direction of the CDC epidemiology, surveillance and health informatics within CDC Nigeria’s Global AIDS Program.
• The incumbent will be responsible for providing support and supervision to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) surveillance and epidemiology and health informatic activities, including strategic planning and budgeting in the areas of program reporting, HIV epidemic and behavioral surveillance and other community-based surveys, special studies and program evaluations with attention to harmonized routine reporting with the National M&E system.
• The incumbent will also serve as the lead person for evaluating progress in program planning and implantation of PEPFAR prevention, care and treatment program presented in the Country Operational Plans, Annual and Semi-Annual Reports.
• The incumbent will manage and support CDC implementing partners.  Position is an LE Direct Hire appointed position, will serve as Project Officer and will have signatory authority for CDC awards and Cooperative Agreements.

Qualifications and Evaluations
Experience:

• Minimum of five (5) years’ work experience in of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Care, and/or Treatment at the local, state Federal or international levels with responsibility for the evaluation of program activities through effective routine reporting or special surveys, the incumbent should also have experience in use of measurement methods required for Monitoring and Evaluation of target populations and health programs including quantitative and qualitative operations research.
• S/he should also have filed experience in conducting community-based surveys and/or HIV/AIDS prevalence /incidence surveys.
• Incumbent should have additional one year of supervisory experience of highly trained professional such as physicians, evaluation experts and HMIS specialists, and one year of managerial experience is required.

Job Knowledge:

• Knowledge and understanding of the principles of organizational management and working effectively with task teams or technical working groups is required.
• Advanced knowledge of program evaluation strategies and techniques as well as public health intervention such as HIV/AIDs, TB STI prevention, care and treatment program is required.
• Expert knowledge and use of program management principles as well as expert knowledge in the translation of evaluation of data as it pertains to the improvement of program operations, guidelines and policies are required.
• Detailed knowledge of the Nigeria government health care system and structures including familiarity with Ministry of Health policies, program priorities and regulations, and its building blocks as defined by WHO: human resources, financial, strategic information, commodities/logistic, services delivery and leadership/governance is required.
• Good working knowledge of HIV/AIDS public health programs, strategies, methods, processes and techniques used to plan, develop, implement and evaluate results of prevention programs is required.
• Technical understanding of laboratory techniques for testing HIV/AIDS including diagnostic (including rapid test kits, ELISA etc.) monitoring and incidence testing is required.

Education Requirements:

• Terminal Degree in one of the following disciplines: Medicine, Public Health, Epidemiology or Behavioral Sciences is required.
• Note: NYSC Certificate or Exemption document is required

Evaluations:

• This may be tested. Please specify your level of proficiency in the language listed.

Language:  

• Fluency in speaking / Writing / Reading English is required.

Skills and Abilities:

• Skill in providing leadership, direction and technical expertise in the management and evaluation of public health programs, as they relate to strategic information is required. This includes the development of evaluation designs use of reliable and valid instruments, and methods for data collection, analysis and reports.
• Ability to lead project team and workgroups and to develop effective working relationships with national and international working partners. This includes the ability to resolve independently problems related to supervision of personnel, program policy and program operations are required.
• Ability to exercise considerable ingenuity in applying guidelines to unique and different setting, as the work is highly complex and can be threatening to stakeholders, as the Epi and Surveillance team lead, as well as ability too exercise considerable innovation during his/her attempts to influence other collaborative organizations engaged in SI activities related to HIV/AIDS is required.
• Excellent overall computer skills (keyboarding with both speed and accuracy) and advanced skill levels in use of at least one of the more common epidemiologic data analysis software (EPINFO, STATA, SAS, or SPSS) is required.
• Incumbent must possess extensive skills in communication and presentation of complex ideas, proposals. Study results to divergent audiences.
• Incumbent must have skills to negotiated win-win situation when faced with difficult problems or conflicting position. Excellent numerical skills for manipulating and reporting statistical data is required.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO):  

• The U.S. Mission provides equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation.

Qualifications:

• All applicants under consideration will be required to pass medical and security certifications.

Benefits and Other Info
Benefits:

Agency Benefits:

• Locally Employed Staff, including Members of Household (MOHs), and Third-Country Nationals (TCNs), working at the U.S. Mission in Lagos, Nigeria may receive a compensation package that may include health, separation, and other benefits.
• For EFMs, benefits should be discussed with the Human Resources Office.
• The pay plan is assigned at the time of the conditional offer letter by the HR Office.

Other Information:

• Hiring Preference Selection Process:  Applicants in the following hiring preference categories are extended a hiring preference in the order listed below. 
• Therefore, it is essential that these applicants accurately describe their status on the application. Failure to do so may result in a determination that the applicant is not eligible for a hiring preference.

Hiring Preference Order:

• AEFM / USEFM who is a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran*
• AEFM / USEFM
• FS on LWOP and CS with reemployment rights **

* Important

• Applicants who claim status as a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran must submit a copy of their most recent DD-214 (“Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty”), equivalent documentation, or certification.  A “certification” is any written document from the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions within 120 days after the certification is submitted by the applicant. The certification letter should be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and contain (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and (2) the character of service.  Acceptable documentation must be submitted in order for the preference to be given.
• ** This level of preference applies to all Foreign Service employees on LWOP and CS with re-employment rights back to their agency or bureau.
• For more information (i.e., what is an EFM, USEFM, AEFM, MOH, etc.?) and for additional employment considerations, please visit the following link.

Marketing Statement:

• We encourage you to read and understand the Eight (8) Qualities of Overseas Employees before you apply.

Salary
 NGN17,733,456 (USD72,526) Annually.

Application Closing Date
13th December, 2021.