Technical Advisor, ART/Treatment at Jhpiego - John Hopkins University

 Job Description
 Job Description
Overview:
The HIV Care and Treatment Technical Advisor will provide strategic leadership and technical guidance in the development and implementation of Care and Treatment components of a CDC-funded HIV prevention, care and treatment (comprehensive services) project in Nigeria. It is anticipated that the position will be based in Abuja. Responsibilities will include providing leadership and technical guidance in the development and implementation of HIV activities, including the integration of TB and MNCH services. This position will ensure the technical and methodological soundness of activities based on current scientific evidence. This position is contingent upon award. Nigerian nationals are strongly encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities:

• Provide mentoring and capacity building assistance at the individual and organizational level in specific areas of expertise including but not limited to:
• improving continuity of care and follow-up for HIV-positive individuals and HIV-exposed infants;
• provision of a minimum package of care for people living with HIV (PLHIV)
• ensuring the quality of rapid HIV counseling and testing, including provider initiated testing and counseling in priority district health services
• strengthening the relationships between the community and the health facilities to enable adherence, as well as integrating couples counselin
• oversee the engagement of communities as the entry point to ANC and PMTCT services
• enhancing laboratory diagnostic capacity including new diagnostic technologies, laboratory bio-safety, quality assurance procedures, laboratory management and staffing issues,
• interventions for co-occurring diseases impacting HIV-infected patients including TB; and
• expanding HIV/STI/TB surveillance programs and strengthening laboratory support.
• Develop or review evidence-based clinical training materials, job aids, and curricula, supervisory systems and other training materials needed for implementation of TB and HIV laboratory activities to meet the needs of the US government and the Government of Nigeria
• Reinforce the peer review process, including sharing lessons learned and best practices adopted, to continually bridge performance gap
• Provide “training of trainers,” in-service and pre-service education, follow-up and supportive supervision to health workers, lab technicians and/or CBOs
• Actively participate in relevant Technical Advisory Group Meetings, and represent Jhpiego in professional forums by participating and presenting in pertinent meetings and conferences
• Analyze potential PMTCT, MNCH, HIV Testing and TB strategies within the context of the program and communicate these, as necessary, to policymakers, funding agencies, and/or program staff
• Formulate and test sustainable solutions to training and service delivery gaps, utilizing cross-cutting approaches such as performance and quality improvement
• Document and maintain an inventory of successful tools and approaches for quality improvement
• Author and co-author abstracts and presentations for journals and conference
• Assist in the preparation of donor reports and project reports

Required Qualifications:

• A clinical degree (medicine, nursing, pharmacy, laboratory technology or other) required; specialty training in medicine, infectious diseases, or other relevant advanced clinical degree preferred
• At least five (5) years’ experience in implementing HIV treatment, care and support programs including PMTCT and TB/HIV
• Experience training health workers and/or CBOs in comprehensive HIV and TB care
• Experience building capacity at individual and organizational levels
• Experience with a mix of practical technical skills in HIV and TB care, including laboratory services necessary for strengthening service delivery at the clinical and community-level
• The ability to liaise with senior MOH officials and dignitaries, executives of NGOs, FBOs, CBOs, the for-profit business community, and senior members of the donor community
• Demonstrated in-depth understanding of Nigerian healthcare system
• Proven track record managing a project team composed of several technical experts and fostering team work
• Ability to coach, mentor and develop technical capacity in national programs and technical staff in the areas
• Familiarity with CDC and PEPFAR administrative, management and reporting procedures and systems
• Strong oral and written communication and presentations skills in English
• Strong skills in word processing and Excel spread sheets;
• Ability to travel unrestricted within Nigeria and internationally
• Nigerian nationals are encouraged to apply
• Provide mentoring and capacity building assistance at the individual and organizational level in specific areas of expertise including but not limited to:
• improving continuity of care and follow-up for HIV-positive individuals and HIV-exposed infants;
• provision of a minimum package of care for people living with HIV (PLHIV)
• ensuring the quality of rapid HIV counseling and testing, including provider initiated testing and counseling in priority district health services
• strengthening the relationships between the community and the health facilities to enable adherence, as well as integrating couples counselin
• oversee the engagement of communities as the entry point to ANC and PMTCT services
• enhancing laboratory diagnostic capacity including new diagnostic technologies, laboratory bio-safety, quality assurance procedures, laboratory management and staffing issues,
• interventions for co-occurring diseases impacting HIV-infected patients including TB; and
• expanding HIV/STI/TB surveillance programs and strengthening laboratory support.
• Develop or review evidence-based clinical training materials, job aids, and curricula, supervisory systems and other training materials needed for implementation of TB and HIV laboratory activities to meet the needs of the US government and the Government of Nigeria
• Reinforce the peer review process, including sharing lessons learned and best practices adopted, to continually bridge performance gap
• Provide “training of trainers,” in-service and pre-service education, follow-up and supportive supervision to health workers, lab technicians and/or CBOs
• Actively participate in relevant Technical Advisory Group Meetings, and represent Jhpiego in professional forums by participating and presenting in pertinent meetings and conferences
• Analyze potential PMTCT, MNCH, HIV Testing and TB strategies within the context of the program and communicate these, as necessary, to policymakers, funding agencies, and/or program staff
• Formulate and test sustainable solutions to training and service delivery gaps, utilizing cross-cutting approaches such as performance and quality improvement
• Document and maintain an inventory of successful tools and approaches for quality improvement
• Author and co-author abstracts and presentations for journals and conference
• Assist in the preparation of donor reports and project reports

Required Qualifications:

• A clinical degree (medicine, nursing, pharmacy, laboratory technology or other) required; specialty training in medicine, infectious diseases, or other relevant advanced clinical degree preferred
• At least five (5) years’ experience in implementing HIV treatment, care and support programs including PMTCT and TB/HIV
• Experience training health workers and/or CBOs in comprehensive HIV and TB care
• Experience building capacity at individual and organizational levels
• Experience with a mix of practical technical skills in HIV and TB care, including laboratory services necessary for strengthening service delivery at the clinical and community-level
• The ability to liaise with senior MOH officials and dignitaries, executives of NGOs, FBOs, CBOs, the for-profit business community, and senior members of the donor community
• Demonstrated in-depth understanding of Nigerian healthcare system
• Proven track record managing a project team composed of several technical experts and fostering team work
• Ability to coach, mentor and develop technical capacity in national programs and technical staff in the areas
• Familiarity with CDC and PEPFAR administrative, management and reporting procedures and systems
• Strong oral and written communication and presentations skills in English
• Strong skills in word processing and Excel spread sheets;
• Ability to travel unrestricted within Nigeria and internationally
• Nigerian nationals are encouraged to apply