Public Health Specialist Job at US Embassy in Uganda

 
Job Title: Public Health Specialist-Maternal Child Health/PMTCT Team Lead

Number: 036/2013   

OPEN TO:    All Qualified Candidates
POSITION:    Public Health Specialist-Maternal Child Health/PMTCT Team Lead; FP- 3; FSN-12

WORK HOURS:     Full-time; 40 hours/week

ALL ORDINARILY RESIDENT (OR) APPLICANTS MUST HAVE THE REQUIRED WORK AND/OR RESIDENCY PERMITS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION.
"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is an international public health agency engaged in HIV prevention and care programs and research activities in Uganda.  CDC offers excellent career opportunities for professional growth, training, and collaboration with other health professionals. The main CDC offices are located at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) in Entebbe. CDC is an agency of the United States Mission in Uganda."
The Centers for Diseases Control is seeking an individual for the position of Public Health Specialist- Maternal Child Health/PMTCT Team Lead.

BASIC FUNCTION OF POSITION
The Maternal Child Health/PMTCT Team Lead Public Health Specialist works under the direction of the Health Services Branch Chief serving as the sole public health technical expert and agency point of contact for all activities and programmatic aspects of MCH within the CDC-Uganda office and the region. The primary responsibility of the position is to provide technical assistance and training support for maternal health components for the Maternal and Child Health Integrated Program (MCHIP) and to oversee the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) program.
Position is responsible for the day-to-day program and administrative management, design, implementation, coordination, and evaluation of the MCH and PMTCT prevention program activities and studies, including coordination and collaboration with other USG agencies that implement or support PEPFAR programs in Uganda. Job holder serves as a MCH and PMTCT program public health specialist advisor to Uganda Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, partners and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as well as contractors and implementing partners of MCH prevention program activities and studies. Job holder will be required to coordinate funding, reporting, and administration with the extramural team to ensure projects are conducted according to guidelines, and USG funds are appropriately utilized.
This management role requires public health technical leadership, results-oriented analysis, advocacy, and constant and clear communication with implementing partners, which include the Ministry of Health (MOH), other governmental organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).  Job holder represents CDC/Uganda on MCH and PMTCT issues at technical, policy and strategic planning meetings, including meetings with collaborators and donor agencies.    
A copy of the complete position description listing all duties and responsibilities is available on http://kampala.usembassy.gov/job_opportunites.html
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED
NOTE:  All applicants must address each selection criterion detailed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting each item.
1. Education required: Completion of a bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery and a master’s degree in public health is required.


2. Work Experience required: Five years of mid-to-senior level public health experience in developing, implementing and evaluating MCH Prevention or other public health programs that involve coordination with an international agency or implementing partner is required. One additional year of managerial responsibility with multiple staffing reporting is required. 
3. Language required:  Level IV English ability (fluent written, spoken and reading).
4.  Knowledge required:  Comprehensive knowledge of current MCH/PMTCT issues, prevention activities, community engagement, counseling and interventions, behavior change, testing, and treatment, particularly in antenatal settings, is required.  An in-depth knowledge of the range of MCH& PMTCT programs, policies, regulations and precedents applicable to development and administration of national/international public health program is required. Detailed knowledge of the host government health care system and structures including familiarity with MOH policies, program priorities and regulations is required.  In-depth specialist knowledge of USG HIV/AIDS public health programs, strategies, methods, processes and techniques used to plan, develop, implement and evaluate results of prevention programs is required. Good working knowledge of team management techniques to plan, organize and direct multi-disciplinary project teams and activities is required.  Must be conversant with survey design and questionnaire development and with data management programs, such as Epi Info, SPSS, SAS, etc.  Good working knowledge of overall administrative requirements, budgeting and fiscal management in support of contracts/cooperative agreements/grants/purchase requisitions is required.

5.  Skills and Abilities required:  Excellent oral and written communications skills to develop and maintain effective working relationships with national and international health partners are required.  Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills for establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with a wide variety of collaborating partners. The incumbent must have sound judgment and excellent analytical skills to independently resolve problems, overcome barriers to program implementation, and make appropriate decisions and recommendations related to program policy and implementation. Intermediate user level of word processing spreadsheets and databases is required.  Numerical skills for data analysis are required. Keyboarding skills that include speed and accuracy are required.

SELECTION PROCESS

When equally qualified, US Citizen Eligible Family Members (USEFMs) and U.S. Veterans are given preference.  Therefore, it is essential that the candidate specifically address the required qualifications above in the application.

ADDITIONAL SELECTION CRITERIA

1.  Management will consider nepotism/conflict of interest, budget, and visa status in determining successful candidacy.

2.  Current employees serving a probationary period are not eligible to apply.

3.  Current Ordinarily Resident employees with an Overall Summary Rating of Needs Improvement or Unsatisfactory on their most recent Employee Performance Report are not eligible to apply.

4.   Currently employed US Citizen EFMs who hold a Family Member Appointment (FMA) are ineligible to apply for advertised positions within the first 90 calendar days of their appointment.

5.   Currently employed NORs hired under a Personal Services Agreement (PSA) are ineligible to apply for advertised positions within the first 90 calendar days of their employment unless currently hired into a position with a When Actually Employed (WAE) work schedule.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates for this position must submit the following for consideration of the application:

1.  Universal Application for Employment as a Locally Employed Staff or Family Member (DS-174).

2.  A current resume or curriculum vitae.

3. Candidates who claim US Veterans preference must provide a copy of their Form DD-214 with their application.  Candidates who claim conditional US Veterans preference must submit documentation confirming eligibility for a conditional preference in hiring with their application.

4.  Any other documentation (e.g. essays, certificates, awards) that addresses the qualification requirements of the position as listed above.


SUBMIT APPLICATION TO
Human Resources Office
By email at KampalaHR@state.gov
ONLY ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED AND ONLY SHORTLISTED CANDIDATES WILL BE CONTACTED.
Clearly indicate the position applied for in the subject area of the email submission.
Please use standard file types such as Microsoft Word (.doc) and Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) and please send all documents in one file attachment.
Telephone:  0414-259-791/5


Deadline:02/07/2013