Regional Technical Advisor, PrEP Implementation Science And Service Delivery (Nairobi) at Jhpiego

Overview

Jhpiego is a lead implementing partner for private foundations and large international donors supporting HIV programs globally, including HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)-related products and services. The regionally-based Implementation Science and Service Delivery Advisor is responsible for contributing to research planning, including identification of research questions and study methods to answer knowledge gaps related to existing HIV PrEP implementation and introduction of new PrEP technologies under a new USAID-funded project focused on expanding access to HIV prevention technologies. Knowledge gaps span the full spectrum of implementation/product introduction, including: regulatory and policy; provider training and competency assessment; supportive supervision and mentorship; forecasting and supply chain management; marketing and demand creation, including counseling and interventions for behavior change; all aspects of service provision; monitoring and evaluation; and quality assurance and improvement.  Key work will focus on differentiated service delivery models, to include private pharmacies and e-commerce partners.  For imminent PrEP products, national rollout studies are planned for a number of key countries, and Jhpiego’s Implementation Science and Service Delivery Advisor will be responsible for coordinating protocols across countries and providing technical assistance to ensure uniformity in execution.  This coordination work will involve close engagement with other non-governmental organization implementers supporting HIV PrEP, stakeholders from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), ministries of health, and normative agencies, among others.  Each country engaged in national rollout studies will have dedicated staff to execute agreed research activities, and the Implementation Science and Service Delivery Advisor will provide director technical oversight for these positions, though there will not be supervisorial responsibilities.  Beyond responsibilities for national rollout studies, this technical advisor will provide HIV PrEP technical assistance across an array of HIV PrEP work, including: serve as the implementation science liaison with advisory committees that include product developers; engagement with local partners and private sector stakeholders; coordination of programming to maximize integration opportunities with gender considerations, sexual and reproductive health, and health services relevant to adolescent girls and women;  and, represent evidence stemming from implementation research on research utilization endeavors.  All Jhpiego HIV PrEP efforts aim to provide evidence for use by the World Health Organization in formulation of normative guidance and recommendations, with an eye toward demedicalization of PrEP toward self-care strategies for health.

This position will also provide technical assistance to Jhpiego PrEP projects by providing strategic and technical leadership in the development of PrEP materials and implementation approaches. Working closely with field-based and international technical and program staff, the Regional PrEP Implementation Science and Service Delivery Advisor provides technical and programmatic guidance to programs throughout Africa.

They will be responsible for reporting on Jhpiego activities and solving problems in short timeframes, while ensuring operational and program quality and integrity. This includes ensuring effective organizational management and communication interacting with other projects, Jhpiego staff and offices across the sub-Saharan Africa region, as well as international partners and agencies. This position will be based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Responsibilities

Implementation Science Leadership for OPTIONS+ In Coordination With Consortium Partners and Jhpiego’s OPTIONS+ Project Director

• Propose and refine research questions encompassing an array of thematic areas to increase access to and speed entry to market of HIV PrEP products
• Develop implementation research methods to address study hypotheses, mindful of desired standardization across high intensity countries, and also countries’ interests to address locality-specific gaps in understanding around HIV PrEP programming
• Serve as the responsible party for providing virtual and in-person technical assistance to and overall coordination among in-country partner organizations and other stakeholders engaged in national rollout studies
• Ensure national rollout studies are progressing in a timely manner and yielding deliverables according to schedule
• Represent Jhpiego’s interests and present progress, achievements and lessons learned to the donor and key stakeholders in public and professional circles through meetings, conferences, and presentations
• Advise counterparts on technical issues and participate in relevant technical advisory groups with counterparts and partner institutions
• Participate in the annual work planning process in close collaboration with the donor, MOH, project team and project partners
• Mentor and support country-based staff within Jhpiego offices and among Consortium partners and PEPFAR implementing partners tasked with participating in national rollout studies
• Work with Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) staff to develop M&E frameworks and effectively track data/results
• Work closely with Jhpiego home office staff to ensure effective, timely and coordinated project implementation
• Ensure compliance with donor and Jhpiego operational policies and regulations

 Regional Technical Support to Jhpiego PrEP Projects

• Ensure that Jhpiego’s PrEP programs are safe, evidence-based and aligned with the priorities of host country governments, donors and program beneficiaries
• Mentor Jhpiego technical advisors in the areas of PrEP and align their efforts to ensure rapid and sustainable results
• Lead and coordinate the revision and development of competency-based learning resource package on clinical and communication approaches of PrEP
• Lead and coordinate the design of implementation scientific research that may promote new initiatives and innovations for future adoption
• Contribute to increasing depth and strength of Jhpiego’s technical capacity by identifying consultants and potential new staff, including conducting training and providing technical assistance and mentoring as required
• Identify and disseminate best practices and new technical strategies and approaches
• Develop and maintain excellent relationships with colleagues and donors worldwide
• Advocate on behalf of Jhpiego with traditional and new partners
• As appropriate, provide technical input to country programs during the development of work-plans and/or long-term strategies
• Support Jhpiego country programs with staff training, capacity building and materials development
• Support country programs with Jhpiego internal reporting requirements to review progress to PEPFAR-assigned targets, using Jhpiego reporting systems, and in collaboration with M&E colleagues at HQ and in the field
• Keep relevant Jhpiego leadership and other technical staff informed of successes, challenges, and lessons learned in implementing programs in areas of technical expertise
• Identify and support new program development opportunities as appropriate
• Provide analyses of new program development opportunities
• Provide technical inputs to proposals as needed
• Participate as requested in final review of technical and programmatic portions of proposals
• Write, co-author and otherwise support the documentation of Jhpiego’s program results in international conferences and peer-reviewed journals and publications
• Motivate and mentor assigned staff and consultants
• Assist with identification of professional development needs for technical staff in the field
• Represent Jhpiego in global, ESA regional, and national meetings and conferences

Required Qualifications

• Resident of Kenya
• Doctoral degree in public health or a related field
• 7+ years of professional, progressively more responsible management experience of international public health programs phases (design, implementation, monitor, reporting, and financial management).
• Experience as an investigator in research protocols including implementation science for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis interventions
• Experience developing and managing relationships with collaborating organizations and/or consortia
• Experience developing successful, replicable and sustainable projects in East Africa
• Experience designing and managing complex HIV/AIDS prevention and pre-exposure prophylaxis programs, including those focusing on key and vulnerable populations
• Experience integrating gender equities and norms into programs
• Proven leadership skills and expertise in strategic program planning, implementation and management
• Ability to build capacity and collaboration between governmental and non-governmental partners and other project implementers
• Experience designing and supervising activities with a facility/community interface, including building the capacity of community-based organizations to implement project activities.
• Experience in leading annual work plans, incorporating national Technical Working Groups directives, and collaborating on local action plans.
• Ability to communicate effectively, instilling trust and confidence. Excellent interpersonal and written and oral presentation skills.
• Ability to work in a complex environment charged with multiple tasks, short deadlines and intense pressure to perform
• Capacity for analyzing technical problems and issues that impede efforts to provide improved health care to populations; developing technical solutions to these problems/issues and assisting in the design of operational research that could yield appropriate solutions
• A team player accustomed to building team capacity, delegating working teams, and developing communities of learning among host country partners and counterparts
• At least two years of experience overseeing PrEP activities in the ESA region
• Demonstrated ability to develop technical capacity in regional and national programs
• Familiarity with key Jhpiego cross-cutting approaches including pre-service education, in-service training and low dose high frequency learning
• Ability to work on a variety of projects concurrently in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities
• Ability to coach and mentor technical staff and strong skills in facilitation, team building and coordination
• Strong verbal, written and presentation skills
• Ability to develop productive working relationships with counterparts in other agencies and organizations worldwide
• Awareness of, sensitivity to, and experience in working in multiple socio-economic settings and with multi-cultural staff and groups
• Ability to travel up to 50%, primarily within East and Southern Africa
• Strong track record of conference presentations and publications in the area of PrEP
• Fluency in English and at least one additional language spoken in East and Southern Africa (Portuguese, and/or Kiswahili)