Senior Program Specialist, Epidemiology and Surveillance at US Embassy

Duties

This position is responsible for activities related to the implementation of intensified routine immunization activities across Nigeria, which will contribute to strengthening the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), specifically for core technical areas that are deemed priority for the CDC-Nigeria Office and Government of Nigeria.

The Job holder is a senior Epidemiologist responsible for providing technical expertise and assistance to the Ministry of Health (MOH), the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and other participating partners in the design, implementation and strengthening of vaccine preventable disease (VPD) surveillance, laboratory, immunization, and information systems and the conduct of large, complex surveys designed to measure measles/yellow fever/rubella infection rates and other indicators of importance used for evaluating the impact of control programs and activities.

Qualifications and Evaluations

Requirements:

EXPERIENCE: 

The job holder should have at least five (5) years experience in public health disease surveillance and experience in the control of priority VPDs including Polio, measles, rubella, yellow fever intervention programs at the local, state or international levels that entailed responsibility for the planning, implementation and evaluation of program activities.  The job holder should also have experience in use of measurement methods required for M&E, surveys/surveillance or strategic information of populations and health programs, including quantitative and qualitative research.  This must include at least two (2) years of management experience. 

JOB KNOWLEDGE: 

The job holder is required to have detailed knowledge of surveillance, disease outbreaks, the epidemiology of measles, yellow fever, and rubella, research methods and collection. The job holder should also be able to give presentations on public health/epidemiologic data in order to plan, design, direct the implementation of and strengthen procedures for collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of epidemiological data. This includes knowledge of the principles, theories and practices of USG and internationally recognized standards for disease outbreaks and response protocol, surveillance, and survey regulations and procedures. The job holder is required to have detailed knowledge of planning, implementing and monitoring immunization programs; experience supporting planning, implementation and monitoring of SIAs. Detailed knowledge of the host government health care system and structures including familiarity with Ministry of Health policies, program priorities and regulations. Good working knowledge of team management techniques to plan, organize and direct multi-disciplinary project teams and activities is required. Good working knowledge of overall administrative requirements in development and support of grants, contracts, memoranda of understanding and cooperative agreements. Good working knowledge of CDC and USG public health programs, strategies, methods, processes and techniques used to plan, develop, implement and evaluate results of immunization programs.

Education Requirements:

• Master’s degree in public health, medicine, epidemiology, demography or behavioral science is required.
• Note: NYSC Certificate/Exemption/Exclusion document is required.