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Position: Technical Surveillance Officers

Job Time: Full-Time

Job Type: Contract

Place of Work: Debre Birhan, Harar and Shashamane, Ethiopia

Application Deadline: June, 18/2022

Job description

PATH is a global nonprofit dedicated to achieving health equity. With more than 40 years of experience forging multisector partnerships, and with expertise in science, economics, technology, advocacy, and dozens of other specialties, PATH develops and scales up innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing health challenges.

PATH seeks Technical Surveillance Officers for the newly awarded multi-year USAID-funded “Surveillance for Malaria Elimination” (S4ME) project in Ethiopia. The S4ME activity supports Ethiopia’s NMEP to achieve their goals and objectives of sub-national malaria elimination, particularly to attain near-zero malaria deaths and eliminate malaria in selected low transmission woredas.

The technical surveillance officers will be responsible to strengthen the woreda-wide Surveillance for Malaria Elimination program with due emphasis on direct project-supported woredas selected under the three S4ME cluster offices. S/he will be working very closely with the Capacity Building and Technical Team Lead based in the S4ME cluster offices and the zonal health department malaria/PHEM case teams (as necessary) for day-to-day technical and administrative decision-making, related to malaria elimination activities in the targeted project supported woredas. S/he will also be responsible to provide day-to-day technical support to the woreda Malaria and PHEM focal personnel (woreda based staff) based in each supported woreda who in turn are responsible to provide closer technical support to targeted health facilities and health posts.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Closely working with the Capacity Building officer and Surveillance Team Lead and Zonal malaria/PHEM case team, the S4ME technical surveillance officers are responsible to:
• Support the development of woreda and facility-level malaria elimination activity plans and quality implementation.
• Establish/facilitate cluster level malaria elimination partners’ meetings to share experience among partners to minimize duplication of efforts and maximize collaboration to efficiently utilize resources and implement evidence-based surveillance for malaria elimination interventions
• Support woreda and facility-level tailored malaria case-based surveillance activities are included in the targeted plans and implemented in an ongoing and quality manner.
• Facilitate the development of woreda level capacity building activity plans focusing on malaria elimination activities
• Organize woreda level joint quarterly mentorship, supportive and monitoring activities to targeted health facilities and the health posts in collaboration with woreda health office malaria experts
• Coordinate malaria surveillance activities with other PMI-and non-PMI projects within the targeted woredas and share timely data and information to inform, adapt, and implement antimalarial interventions in collaboration with the zonal health department and implementing partners
• Support implementation of interventions like targeted mass treatment, chemoprevention, larval source investigation and management in the targeted woredas as appropriate
• Assist the implementation and scale-up of an evidence-based malaria elimination model in the S4ME targeted woredas and organize experience sharing events to learn and replicate best practices to the other woredas
• Carry out any other duties and responsibilities related to malaria elimination program as assigned by the S4ME Capacity Building and Surveillance Team Lead and the Zonal Health Department Malaria focal person as necessary
• Take on any other duties as may be assigned by the Capacity Building and Surveillance Team Lead and the project leadership team at PATH country office.

Data Management and Reporting

• Build the capacity of woreda level malaria, HMIS and PHEM focal personnel to analyze and manage surveillance data and its use for decision making. This may include the development of dashboards to visualize the data and facilitate the identification of foci/hotspots in each project-supported woredas.
• Conduct or facilitate quarterly data quality assessments (RDQA) in targeted health facilities and the health posts in project supported woredas
• Ensure analysis of routine malaria surveillance data obtained from the health facilities (health centers and health posts) quarterly to use for evidence generation and subsequent decision making
• Contribute to the ongoing identification of potential learning agendas for program adaptations and performance improvements at the facility and health post levels as necessary

Required Qualification

• Master’s degree in Public Health, Field Epidemiology, or related health fields
• Minimum of three years of experience working in disease surveillance (preferably malaria), M&E and/or research in malaria programs
• Excellent problem-solving skills with the ability to analyze situations, identify existing or potential problems and recommend solutions
• Proven experiences of woreda level technical support related to malaria surveillance activities
• Demonstrated excellent oral and written communications skills, including surveillance data management and report writing
• Demonstrated ability to translate assessments and findings into learning, use of information for action, with respect to malaria surveillance systems
• Excellent organization, time management, attention to detail, and ability to appropriately prioritize competing tasks
• Proven ability to work in a dynamic team environment with minimal supervision, anticipating pressing needs and requests
• Cultural sensitivity and diplomacy in communicating with a broad and diverse audience/team
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Teams
• Willingness and ability to travel 60% of the working days in a month to a remote area
• The local language of the duty stations is highly desirable
• Experience with DHIS2 and woreda level PHEM management system is needed
• Excellent oral, written, and presentation skills in English

PATH is dedicated to diversity and is an equal opportunity employer.

PATH is an equal opportunity employer. Every qualified applicant will be considered for employment. PATH does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, age, national origin, marital status, disability status, political ideology, military or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.