Senior Public Health Surveillance Advisor

Palladium Group

Abuja, Nigeria

Project Overview and Role

In April 2019, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded the implementation of the Translating Data for Implementation (Data.FI) cooperative agreement to a consortium led by Palladium. Data.FI is a $180 million, 5-year project which will serve as USAID's primary mechanism for data, technology, and health information systems to support HIV activities across strategic President's Emergency Program for AIDSRelief (PEPFAR) countries as part of a suite of large-scale global HIV programs representing the next generation of HIV/AIDS programs. The project will play a key role in USAID's goals of helping partner countries on their journey to self-reliance and transitioning local organizations to prime recipients of US Government funding.

The project's overall goal is to improve in-depth global, regional, and national analyses of HIV epidemiologic and program data that can be directly applied to expedite the achievement of PEPFAR targets to attain and sustain control of the HIV epidemic. The focus also includes directly supporting host country governments and implementing partners to enhance existing health information system platforms further to inform management responses to well-defined HIV/AIDS programming gaps. To ensure rapid access to high-quality data, Data.FI is working towards accelerating data utilization to rapidly course-correct and take to scale cost-effective and impactful activities, models, and approaches required to attain and maintain HIV epidemic control; scaling and optimizing in-country health information system capabilities to collect, exchange, adapt, govern, and visualize information to track the attainment and maintenance of HIV epidemic control, and supporting the transition of prime funding and implementation to capable local partners.

Purpose of Position

Palladium is seeking a Public Health Surveillance Advisor responsible for providing technical Leadership and expertise in implementing global health security activities within the project. He/She will lead the routine disease surveillance and provide clinical expert support for the information systems currently supported by USAID, aligning with the national HIV surveillance guidelines. He/She will lead technical assistance to the Nigeria Centers for Disease Control (NCDC), Ministry of Health (FMOH), NASCP, NACA, and implementing partners in the design, implementation, and strengthening of routine disease surveillance and information systems to align with the national disease surveillance plan.

The Public Health Advisor will report to the Deputy Country Director.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Technical leadership and accountability on implementing global health security, COVID-19, and HIV surveillance activities across the project.
Technical leadership in developing an evaluation framework to guide analysis and triangulation of existing evaluation, research, and surveillance data (electronic or otherwise) to inform disease control efforts and better implement surveillance activities across the USAID-supported states.
Led the development of journal review articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals as mandated by USAID.
Lead the development of required umbrella protocols Data.FI project and provide feedback to all implementing partners with individual data systems on the appropriate collection of high-quality data for monitoring the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Provide technical support to set up the system for clinical review and approval of information systems supported by Data.FI Nigeria.
Provide technical leadership to the COVID-19 technical teams at the national and state levels for efficient and effective implementation of the workplan.
Lead technical leadership to develop and implement methods and systems for acquiring, compiling, synthesizing, extracting, and reporting data within the implementation area.
Provide critical analysis and thinking, advice, and recommendations on issues based on accepted scientific understanding of infectious and emerging diseases in a global context.
Use qualitative and quantitative methods when conducting research, planning, and programming information to develop health policy.
Collaborate with government agencies and other global health partners to assist in developing possible solutions for health interventions.
Evaluate data collection, quality control, and data utilization methods used to study epidemiological problems and issues.
Develop and disseminate technical reports on disease surveillance in areas of support across the Data.FI project implementation.
Lead capacity-building activities at National and State levels through training and systems support in surveillance, epidemiology, and monitoring and evaluation.
Represent Data.FI in National technical working groups, meetings with partners, and other stakeholders.
Other duties assigned by the project and local USAID mission.

Required Qualifications

A master's degree in public health, epidemiology, or related field.
At least 5 years of progressive public health experience and/or research experience within the HIV/AIDS program.
Demonstrate a detailed understanding of Nigeria’s Health ecosystem.
Demonstrate knowledge of epidemiology, statistical analysis, and public health relevant to the HIV and TB epidemic.
Demonstrate experience managing research/evaluation projects and resources.
Demonstrate innovative methods to manage aggregate and individual-level data to inform epidemic response.
Demonstrate experience in managing large datasets from program/survey/surveillance data.
Expertise in MIS Office and statistical analysis software such as SAS, STATA, or SPSS.
At least 3 first-author publications in peer-reviewed journals.

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