Technical Advisor – Surveillance & Data Management at Jhpiego - John Hopkins University

Overview

• The Technical Advisor for Surveillance and Data Management is a strategic position within Jhpiego Global health security initiatives supporting Nigeria to strengthen IHR core capacities and enhance National and subnational capacities for pandemic preparedness, outbreak and emergency prevention, detection and response. This position will work on strengthening Surveillance and data management, working closely on the Com-WATCH digital surveillance solutions, One health coordination, event based, community based and indicator-based surveillance. This Advisor will provide technical oversight for the project’s data lifecycle and its application within a multi-stakeholder, One Health framework. This role serves as the critical bridge connecting the Com-WATCH digital platform, community-level users, and national regulatory bodies to achieve public health impact, contributing to workforce development, PHEOC, PHEM, Surveillance, IHR core capacities and others.
• The successful candidate will also drive the project’s surveillance and data strategy, ensuring the integrity and flow of data from community sources (PPMVs, Agrovets, CHWs, citizens) to national dashboards. They will lead the analysis and interpretation of this data to identify trends, hotspots, and signals relevant to AMR across sectors. A key function will also be to manage complex relationships with government partners including NAFDAC, NCDC, PCN, and VCN, ensuring their sustained engagement and the system’s alignment with their needs. Furthermore, the Advisor will guide social mobilisation efforts to promote the widespread adoption and effective use of the Com-WATCH platform, ensuring it becomes a trusted tool for both surveillance, data management and stock management.

Responsibilities

Surveillance

• Facilitate the operationalisation of the project’s surveillance framework, including refining indicator definitions and data collection protocols.
• Strengthen integrated disease surveillance, with real time availability of actionable, high quality surveillance data that can be used to guide decision making National / subnational
• Facilitate the operationalization of EBS, CBS, and IBS systems at national and subnational levels, ensuring coherence with IHR 2005 and NAPHS priorities.
• Support NCDC and State Ministries of Health to establish and strengthen EBS structures, including signal detection, verification, risk assessment, and reporting workflows.
• Provide technical guidance for scaling CBS networks, integrating community informants (e.g., CHWs, PPMVs, Agrovets, veterinary workers) to enhance early detection and reporting.
• Improve IBS performance by standardizing data elements, indicators, and reporting timelines across the IDSR platform and related systems (e.g., DHIS2, SORMAS).
• Ensure interoperability of EBS, CBS, and IBS data through harmonized data pipelines, validation mechanisms, and dashboards.
• Support integration of Com-WATCH AMR reports into broader surveillance streams for One Health intelligence

Data Management, Analytics, and Interpretation

• Oversee the data pipeline for both Event-Based Surveillance (EBS) of SF reports and routine stock management data.
• Routinely monitor state-level reporting rates and other key performance indicators, proactively identifying and flagging gaps, and working with field teams to address them.
• Conduct in-depth scientific data analysis to explore correlations, causations, and trends
• Prepare and present sophisticated data analytics in a clear and compelling manner through reports, presentations, and interactive dashboards for the Project Steering Committee, donors, and government counterparts.
• Establish and manage robust data quality assurance (DQA) and validation protocols for all incoming data streams (mobile app, USSD, chatbots).
• Provide technical guidance for the design and execution of the project’s baseline and endline assessments
• Lead the preparation of data-driven abstracts, manuscripts for peer-reviewed publication, and technical briefs to contribute to the global evidence base on digital surveillance and AMR.
• Document challenges, lessons learned, and best practices related to community-based digital surveillance and data management.
• Contribute to project reporting and the development of public-good outputs.

One Health Surveillance & Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the primary technical liaison for data management for all key regulatory partners, proactively managing relationships with NAFDAC, NCDC, the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), and the Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN).
• Champion the project’s One Health data vision, ensuring surveillance activities and data analytics address the human-animal interface
• Facilitate high-level stakeholder engagement, including co-designing data-sharing protocols and response workflows that are integrated into partners’ standard operating procedures.
• Represent the Com-WATCH project at the National One Health AMR Technical Working Group (TWG) and other strategic forums, presenting data-driven insights to inform national policy.
• Translate partner needs into technical requirements for the Com-WATCH platform, ensuring dashboards and analytics are fit-for-purpose for each regulatory body.

Social Mobilisation and Com-WATCH Adoption

• Implement robust social mobilisation and community engagement strategy to drive awareness, trust, and sustained adoption of the Com-WATCH platform among PPMVs, Agrovets, CHWs, and the public.
• Drive active mobilisation and demand generation amongst private sector working with associations and leaders to build a network of advocates and super-users.
• Monitor user adoption rates and gather qualitative feedback to inform continuous improvements to the platform and training approaches

Required Qualifications

Education

• Master’s degree in public health, Epidemiology, International Development, or a related field.

Experience

• A minimum of eight (8) years of progressive experience managing and implementing public health surveillance, M&E, or health information systems in developing countries.
• Demonstrated experience leading high-level stakeholder engagement and policy dialogue with diverse partners, particularly Nigerian government health agencies
• Strong, practical experience working within a One Health framework.
• Proven experience designing or managing Event-Based and Community-Based Surveillance systems.
• Demonstrated experience in social mobilisation, community engagement, or health communication for technology adoption or behaviour change.
• Previous experience working in an INGO is highly desirable.

Technical Skills

• Deep understanding of surveillance and epidemiological principles, particularly as they apply to AMR and pharmacovigilance.
• Advanced proficiency in data analysis, visualisation, and management using tools such as SORMAS, DHIS2, Stata/R/SPSS, Power BI, and GIS software (e.g., QGIS, ArcGIS).
• Demonstrated ability in scientific writing, with a track record of contributing to publications or high-level technical reports.

Core Competencies

• Exceptional analytical, strategic-thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to manage complex partnerships through strong negotiation and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a complex environment with multiple tasks, short deadlines, and intense pressure to perform.
• Ability to travel 50% of time.