TECHNICAL ADVISOR FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE OPERATIONS

Supervisor: Technical Advisor for epidemiological surveillance & vaccination

Positions to supervise: N/A

Context:

• Jhpiego is an international nonprofit health organization affiliated with Johns Hopkins University. Jhpiego works with health experts, governments, and community leaders to provide high-quality health care to their populations. Jhpiego develops strategies to help countries take care of themselves by training skilled health workers, strengthening health systems, and improving care delivery.
• With funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Jhpiego is implementing the Enhancing Global Health Security (GHS) project. With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, the GHS project includes support for SARS-CoV-2 targeted prevention, detection, and response interventions, with a focus on leveraging relationships and technical expertise to provide technical support to grantees and partners in the Global Fund’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Job Purpose :

• The Health Emergency Response Operations Advisor is responsible for the execution of tasks necessary for the implementation of interventions related to his/her area of expertise in the GHS project. Under the supervision of the Technical Advisor in Epidemiological Surveillance and Immunization and in collaboration with project team members, he/she will provide overall support in the planning and implementation of project activities.
• The Health Emergency Response Operations Advisor is responsible for providing technical expertise and assistance to the Ministry of Health and other partners in the design, implementation, and capacity building of the health sector in prevention, risk reduction, preparedness, surveillance, response, and early recovery from emergencies and disasters related to all hazards (natural, man-made, biological, chemical, radiological, and others).

Primary Responsibilities :

• Serve as the link between the project public health incident management structures;
• Ensure intelligence of emergency threats and ongoing public health emergencies in the world and in Cameroon so as to be able to inform other project members in an appropriate and timely manner;
• Coordinate the implementation of GHS project support activities to public health incident management structures during both the preparedness and response phases of health emergencies;
• Provide technical support or be deployed in the response to outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics at all levels of the health system;
• Contribute to the development of Jhpiego’ s portfolio and visibility in Health Emergency Response Operations;
• Support the production of technical information and data on disasters and emergencies in close collaboration with CORUS including data analysis and report preparation to facilitate information sharing, decision making and response to events;
• Participate in the development of the project’s annual work plans, budgets and periodic progress reports for immunization and epidemiological surveillance;
• Represent Jhpiego in settings and forums where Health Emergency Response Operations issues are discussed;
• Perform other related duties as required.

Key Skills and Qualifications Required:

• Master’s degree in Public Health or Epidemiology or other equivalent degree;
  • Medical degree or higher in health Attaché or Health Advisor with proven experience in project management would be a plus;
• Training in field epidemiology (basic, intermediate or advanced), incident management system will be an asset;
• Proven experience working in an NGO;
• Experience implementing projects funded by a US government agency is an asset;
• Proven experience in routine epidemiological surveillance at the national or sub-national level of at least 5 years
• Proven experience in health emergency response operations;
• At least five (5) years’ experience in the implementation and management of health programs;
• Good knowledge of the Cameroonian health system;
• Ability to plan activities, monitor their implementation and prepare technical reports;
• Ability to design an epidemiological investigation protocol including all implementation tools;
• Ability to create and use a database;
• Ability to create and use a database; Field experience and ability to travel frequently and stay in peripheral areas covered by the programs;
• Computer skills (Microsoft Office);
• Mastery of at least one survey or routine data management and analysis software;
• Ability to work under pressure, to perform multiple tasks in a short time frame;
• Recent participation in a public health emergency response is an asset.

Language and other requirements

• Good knowledge of French and working knowledge of oral and written English;
• Strong organizational skills, autonomy and a high sense of accountability;
• Ability to identify a problem, analyze it and propose relevant operational recommendations;
• Excellent communication, negotiation, synthesis and writing skills;
• Ability to plan, accept responsibility and share information with colleagues and partners;
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team and to meet deadlines;
• Female applicants are strongly encouraged.