The US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) represents the US government response to the global HIV/AIDS epidemic and is the largest commitment by any nation to address a single disease in history. Thanks to American leadership and generosity, alongside the work of many partners, PEPFAR has saved millions of lives, averted millions of infections, and changed the course of the epidemic.

As countries progress towards HIV/AIDS epidemic control, the point at which new HIV infections have decreased and fall below the total number of deaths among HIV-infected individuals, PEPFAR is now undertaking the challenge of controlling the pandemic.

The USAID Project Management Specialist (HIV/AIDS) is a senior professional and expert in strategic planning, program and activity design, budgeting, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the full spectrum of HIV/AIDS prevention, detection, care, and treatment activities. The incumbent serves as the team’s senior advisor on HIV/AIDS issues and provides leadership in identifying opportunities for U.S. Government (USG) engagement in HIV/AIDS programming. This senior position ensures that the Mission has the necessary strategic, technical, and management expertise to handle and successfully implement HIV/AIDS programs and activities in the Health Office portfolio. The incumbent serves as the in-house subject matter expert on HIV/AIDS and the Mission’s senior representative in policy, strategic and technical engagements with the interagency, host country government, international and bilateral organizations, and donor agencies to address technical issues and coordinate efforts in implementation of HIV/AIDS activities.

Serve as the lead technical officer for the USAID HIV/AIDS portfolio and provides expert direction in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of HIV/AIDS programs and interventions.

Provide expert-level guidance to the Mission and the Ministry of Health including senior level officials in HIV/AIDS, serving as key advisor for all strategic and policy issues related to HIV/AIDS programming.

Work closely with other units within the Health Office and across the Mission to optimize opportunities for cross-sectoral integration and leveraging of resources across the different program components.

Through literature review and other technical media research and regular communication with local and international stakeholders, keep abreast of emerging developments in the national and global HIV/AIDS landscape and advise accordingly on how these policies, strategies and technical guidelines can most effectively be incorporated to enable the Mission to maintain the fidelity and relevance of its HIV/AIDS programs.

Identify opportunities for integrated “state of the art” approaches, providing technical assessment and recommended strategies to pilot innovative interventions. Provide expert oversight and guidance to USAID implementing partners on newly emerging and highly efficacious approaches to HIV/AIDS program implementation.

In collaboration with the other members of the Health Office, advise on the development of tools (such as dash boards, league tables) that support continuous learning and adapting to further improve and evolve the USAID knowledge base and data management capability related to HIV/AIDS activities. Advise on targeted analyses of HIV/AIDS data to inform program planning and implementation.

Provide strategic and technical leadership in the preparation of key annual and mid-term planning and reporting documents including the Country Operational Plan, Operational Plan, Congressional Budget Justifications, Technical Notifications, Quarterly, Semi-Annual and Annual Progress Reports.

Support country-level PEPFAR annual budget preparation process, providing technical assistance to USG financial teams and technical working groups in completing the PEPFAR Funding Allocation to Strategy Tool (FAST) and any other new tools that may be provided for use in the planning processes.

Provide oversight to the annual HIV/AIDS budget and ensure costs remain within budget planning levels and that efficiency is maximized.

Analytically assess the HIV/AIDS portfolio, the performance of partners, the available budget, the need for additional activities or ending activities, and facilitate design of new projects or activities necessary to achieve strategic objectives.

Participate or take the lead on each stage of project design for new activities, including drafting and getting approval for concept papers, writing scopes of work, evaluating applications/proposals, and starting up new projects.

Ensure that implementing partners abide by their reporting requirements, including quarterly reports, trip reports, accruals, PMPs, annual reports, and other requirements such as PEPFAR reporting or other requests. This includes supportive guidance to other technical and support staff in the HIV/AIDS office as necessary.

Lead routine meetings with implementing partners to discuss technical and programmatic direction of the HIV/AIDS program. Conduct field visits to USAID-supported HIV/AIDS activities to meet with implementing partners and government health officials as appropriate to provide technical, programmatic, and administrative guidance as necessary.

Education
A Master’s degree in Public Health, International Development, Health, Social or Behavioral Sciences, Organizational Development, Epidemiology, Biology, Infectious Disease, Political Science, or Business Administration.

Evaluations
Applications that do not meet the required minimum qualifications will not be scored. Candidates meeting the required qualifications for the position will be evaluated based on information presented in the application. USAID reserves the right to conduct interviews with the top ranked short-listed candidates. If the interview is conducted, the interview will be one of the determining factors in the final selection.

Experience
A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in public health programming in developing or middle-income countries, with experience spent on HIV/AIDS-related work in Africa are required.

Experience working with or for bilateral or multilateral donors/stakeholders such as USAID, the World Bank, the Global Fund, the UN agencies, or national-level public sector projects.


Job Knowledge
Extensive knowledge of multi-sectoral HIV/AIDS approaches and interventions, as well as the host country context including priorities and challenges, funding of the epidemic and the key stakeholders engaged in the response is required. Thorough knowledge of the host-country’s economic, political, social and cultural characteristics and the history of development assistance, in particular the response to HIV/AIDS, including current trends and directions. The incumbent is expected to have an in-depth understanding of US Government foreign assistance to the host-country government and familiarity with central aspects of U.S. Government policy in the host-country. Working knowledge of USG and USAID’s strategic direction, its chief accomplishments and its challenges


Skills
The incumbent must possess strong skills in communication (oral and written), advocacy, and networking. S/he must have strong conceptual and analytical skills to be able to quickly grasp and translate new concepts into operational plans and results. This position requires an outstanding ability to exercise flexibility and prioritization skills to be able to accept and react to evolving planning and implementation contexts. Ability to exercise sound judgement, take initiative and offer leadership. S/he demonstrates timely decision-making and extensive judgment in planning and carrying out tasks. The incumbent must have the ability to identify significant economic, political and social trends in the host country and assess their importance and impact on USAID development assistance objectives and programs. The incumbent must demonstrate excellent computer skills including skills with Microsoft Office, web-based databases, and electronic filing.

Language
Level 4 (advanced professional proficiency) English and local language proficiency (if appropriate), both oral and written, is required. Language competence may be tested.

Post Entry Training: On-the-job training will be provided relating to USG-specific procedures, regulations, and methods. Formal COR/AOR training is required for successful performance in the position and will be provided. Appropriate training courses will be offered, subject to course offerings and the availability of funds.

Current Resume

Master

Eligible applicants are required to complete this on-line application process and submit any applicable required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET)] on the closing date of this announcement.

If applying on-line poses an extreme hardship, you must contact the human resources office no later than 2-3 business days prior to the closing date of this vacancy announcement. An alternative application method will be provided upon approval of the hardship notification. After this time, requests to apply via alternative methods will not be granted.

Please note that all required documents must be received by the closing date, via online or alternative methods, and that we will determine your eligibility and qualifications based solely on the material received by the closing date.