Summary Statement

GH serves as the Agency’s primary source of technical expertise, leadership, and donor coordination for the health sector, and provides critical support to USAID missions and field programs in more than 80 countries. The GH Bureau comprises seven technical and support offices, one of which is the Office of Infectious Disease (ID). The Tuberculosis (TB) Division provides technical leadership, project management, country support, and supports Agency requirements to lead the US Government’s (USG) international TB program. The TB Division strategically directs the financial and human resources to achieve USAID’s Global Accelerator to End TB. The TB Division provides support through prevention and care programs in countries implementing USAID supported TB activities, focusing on accelerating detection and treatment of TB, expanding prevention and treatment of multi-drug resistant TB programs, scaling-up of TB-HIV integration, and developing TB service delivery platforms. The Division manages USAID’s TB research programs to identify new and improved diagnostic technologies and drug regimens, other technologies to prevent and treat TB, and improved approaches to implementing TB programs. The TB Division represents USAID and the USG in international fora as well as leads international TB activities for the USG.

The Tuberculosis Diagnostics Technical Advisor (Advisor) will serve in the Bureau for Global Health, in the TB Division, within the Office of Infectious Disease (GH/ID/TB), and will support the Tuberculosis (TB) Team. The Advisor will aim to strengthen TB diagnosis across the health system and diagnostic network in USAID’s priority countries and other countries where USAID contributes to and provides technical assistance in line with USAID’s Global Accelerator to End TB. S/he will also contribute to strategic country-level TB planning and implementation to support diagnosis and assist in developing and strengthening linkages between TB diagnostic tools and TB case finding strategies. S/he will receive technical guidance from the USAID Senior Tuberculosis Advisor and serve as a member of the TB Team, working closely with technical advisors and health staff in the ID Division, the regional bureaus and other regional and USAID Mission staff as appropriate. The Advisor will also work closely with the other USG agencies and USAID TB project partners.

Job Requirements

The Tuberculosis Diagnostics Technical Advisor (Advisor) will identify gaps in TB diagnosis within health systems and diagnostic networks in USAID priority countries and provide systematic technical assistance and expertise to support countries and USAID Missions. The Advisor will help to inform new and revised strategies for TB diagnosis and better implementation of diagnostic network and health system components across USAID- and Global Fund-supported priority countries. The Advisor will focus on the various key health systems components associated with strong diagnostic networks and will support USAID projects and partnerships that emphasize TB diagnostic network strengthening. The Advisor will help to build capacity of USAID TB Team, Missions and partners on TB diagnosis, and represent USAID in key global consensus and expert meetings. The Advisor will closely work with Team members to link TB diagnosis with innovative TB case finding strategies and identify and evaluate promising new diagnostic tools to advance TB case finding in resource-constrained settings.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The Advisor will support the TB Division’s efforts to ensure functional TB diagnostic networks through technically sound approaches. The primary responsibilities of the Advisor include:

Strategic country-level TB planning and implementation to support diagnosis in USAID’s priority TB countries

• Provide technical assistance and in-country support to USAID Missions and technical partners on strengthening of TB diagnosis, including support to advance USAID’s Global Accelerator to End TB.
• Provide support to inform new and revised strategies for TB diagnosis in USAID priority TB countries based on successful models, international best practice and guidance, and the Global Accelerator to End TB.
• Support provision of external technical expertise to USAID Missions and projects focused on strengthening of country TB diagnostic networks and related health systems.
• Develop or strengthen monitoring and evaluation indicators for TB diagnosis across the health system, and work with the TB team to track the indicators for each country and/or project.

Technical leadership for TB diagnosis challenges

• Build capacity of USAID TB Team, Missions and partners on TB diagnosis through technical documents, webinars, and other routine communication.
• Provide examples and evidence of best practices to global discussions.
• Participate in global technical leadership activities including consensus meetings, guideline development, etc. to improve policy and guidance around TB diagnosis.

Strategic linkages between TB diagnostic testing tools and case finding strategies

• Work with team members to identify and evaluate promising new diagnostic tools to advance TB case finding in resource-constrained settings.

• Support the implementation of new diagnostic tools to strengthen TB diagnosis in countries and monitor results for global uptake.

• Participate in professional continuing education, skills training and professional meetings to enhance relevant technical skills and career development.

• Complete and execute an Individual Learning and Training Plan and Annual Work Plan.

Other tasks or responsibilities may be assigned based on (a) organizational programming need and/or (b) the Advisor’s own interests.

Minimum Qualification Requirements

• Master’s degree with 7 years’ experience or Bachelor’s degree and 9 years’ experience or higher in public health, life sciences, international development or related field.
• Minimum seven (7) years of relevant professional experience in public health disease programs, with at least four (4) years of that experience in an international or resource-challenged setting.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience with two or more public health technical disciplines (such as, TB, HIV/AIDS, malaria, etc.)
• Working experience or expertise with TB epidemiology, diagnostic assays or national programs.
• Experience introducing or implementing new diagnostic tools in resource-challenged settings, preferably TB.
• Demonstrated experience with health system strengthening interventions in resource-challenged settings.
• Knowledge of and/or experience working with global health community stakeholders including multilateral organizations, technical agencies and other key partners, and the ability to establish effective relationships among a wide range of partners.
• Proven ability to work in resource-challenged settings with governments, local partners, and communities
• Excellent interpersonal, oral and written skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment under tight deadlines while producing quality content.
• Ability to travel internationally (20-30%).
• US Citizenship or US Legal Permanent Residency with the ability to obtain and maintain facility access clearance required.
  Please apply through https://credence.mua.hrdepartment.com/hr/ats/Posting/view/2766