• Position: HIV Care and Treatment Senior Technical Advisor
• Company: Catholic Relief Services
• Location: Lusaka, Lusaka Province, Zambia
• State: Lusaka
• Job type: Full-Time
• Job category: NGO Jobs in Zambia

The Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Zambia country program was established in 2000 and administers a varied and diversified portfolio of nutrition, health systems strengthening, food security, economic growth and livelihoods, orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) research and HIV and AIDS programs. CRS carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. Our Catholic identify is at the heart of our mission and operations. We welcome as part of our staff and as partners people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and commitment to serving those in need

BACKGROUND

Epidemic Control 90-90-90 (EpiC 3-90) support the Ministry of Health (MOH) in targeted faith-based sites to achieve UNAIDS Fast Track goals for epidemic control: 90% of all PLHIV know their status, 90% of those diagnosed will receive sustained ART, 90% of all people receiving ART will have viral suppression.

EpiC 3-90 supports comprehensive HIV/AIDS service delivery at supported faith-based facilities while building capacity and systems for sustainability through three-pronged approach: 1) Supported health facilities improve their delivery of HIV prevention, treatment, and laboratory services; 2) Improve key health system functions and structures needed to deliver quality HIV services, and 3) Health information strategically collected and utilized to improve HIV service delivery. Through the course of the project, EpiC 3-90 will gradually decrease its involvement so that District and Provincial Medical Offices (DMOs, PMO) can assume oversight of and technical assistance to supported facilities.
EpiC 3-90 consortium members have been partners since 2004 through CDC-funded AIDSRelief and AR-T projects. CRS brings globally recognized expertise in grants management, health systems strengthening and sustainability, and top-notch HIV/AIDS service delivery. Local faith-based organizations CHAZ and Chreso are integral parts of the Zambia health system and will remain in Zambia as technical partners and resources to the MOH well after the end of this project.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Care and Treatment Senior Technical Advisor (CTSTA) will support and lead the clinical team and community team. She/he will be responsible for providing supervisory and overall guidance to the project’s community and clinical team. She/he reports to the Deputy Chief of Party/Technical. S/he sets community and clinical standards for the two teams in collaboration with the DCOP/Technical and provides HIV Care and Treatment support to the program. S/he will coordinate the community and clinical teams; monitors program clinical implementation, as well as community; she/he will work with MOH and CDC to ensure that the project implements a differentiated service delivery model that is efficient, sustainable and leading the project to achieving the HIV epidemic control; maintain relationships with project partners and key stakeholders in project clinical implementation; contributes to CDC reporting (Test and Start Report, CoAg Reports, Semi-Annual Progress Report, Annual Progress Report) , as well as to development of annual country operation plan (COP) submission, health facilities system strengthening, strategic plans and reports; S/he will develop/utilizes systems to track program clinical quality, as well as community program quality, in collaboration with the Continuous Quality Improvement Advisors. The primary function of this position is to provide technical support in the area of community delivery models that support HIV epidemic control at all supported health facilities and in the area of Adult Care and Treatment and strengthen the clinical capacity of supported health facilities. This position will support cooperation and communication with all health facilities in the management of the EPIC 3-90 project and other community development activities related to the project.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Care and Treatment Senior Technical Advisor (CTSTA) will primarily be responsible for leading the community and clinical teams and providing Adult HIV Care and Treatment support, as well as community support to all supported health facilities. S/he will support the DCOP/Technical in communication with health facilities, development of the Country Operating Plan (COP), planning annual targets and ensuring appropriate use of resources. The CTSTA will also assist identify areas of concern within the project and work with the program team to find viable solutions. She/he sources, supervises and mentors community and clinical teams. She/he will work with the M&E team to ensure continuous quality improvement. The position reports directly to the Deputy Chief of Party/Technical and will work closely with the Deputy Chief of Party (Operations) so that the budget corresponds to and reinforces health facilities activities, as well as with the Director for SI and M&E for better and improved reporting.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide direct support and oversight to the community and clinical technical teams, mentoring them to enhance their abilities to deliver a comprehensive HIV treatment and care program using efficient and sustainable community approach.
• Supervise Clinical Technical Advisors and the Senior Community Advisor.
• Provide leadership and technical expertise for the development, updating, and implementation of policies, guidelines and job aids for the project in line with national guidelines and CDC expectations.
• Coordinate with MOH at national and provincial levels to ensure that the project is implemented in line with national Health Strategic plan as well as in line with the National HIV treatment guidelines as Zambia embarks on implementation of the 90:90:90 goal.
• Mentor and supervise teams ensuring sustained in improving access to ART for PMTCT and increased uptake of pediatric ART in line with the national HIV guidelines and national targets.
• Work with MoH technical working groups to periodically review training curricula for health workers in ART/PMTCT service delivery as well as treatment of HIV related conditions and infections.
• Working in conjunction of the Chief of party and the Deputy Chief of Party/Technical, mobilize community and clinical/technical expertise at the health facilities to resolve community and clinical issues that shape or affect local public policy as well as project design
• Lead HIV treatment and community technical working groups and sub-groups to ensure enhanced coordination, harmonization and strengthening of Differentiated Service Delivery Models (DSD), as well as HIV prevention treatment and care policies, guidelines and standard operating procedures, and standardized training of healthcare workers.
• Ensure the project fully implements management systems and standards for technical support services such as laboratory support (including an institution of routine viral load scale up, mechanisms for early infant diagnosis and system for shorter results turn around), referral, linkage and retention systems, project monitoring and evaluation for better patient outcomes.
• Contribute to Catholic Relief Services Zambia HIV treatment and care roles contributing to organizational learning both in Zambia, the southern African Regional countries as well as CRS Headquarters.
• Take leadership in ensuring that community and clinical activities are implemented in conformity to inter-sectoral, regional, international and other policies and guidelines for HIV/AIDS treatment and care issues considering the 90:90:90 goal.
• Provide leadership in community and health systems assessments and help in identifying systems’ needs to run an HIV treatment interventions by faith-based health facilities in Zambia using the community approach.
• Work with faith-based health facilities and the MoH at provincial and district level to set up training calendar to help monitor in-service training and mentoring activities for the community and clinical HIV treatment services.
• Work with community and technical teams to identify innovative, cost-effective, replicable interventions for decongesting health facilities and transferring stable on care patients to community care and treatment
• Support community and technical teams to carry out on-the-job training and mentoring for new faith-based facilities staff in HIV treatment, care, and support.
• Support community and technical teams in developing work plans, scheduling of implementation timelines, interpretation of program data for quality assurance and quality improvement, as well as reporting on patient outcomes upon implementation
• Support Epic 3-90 project teams in documentation in areas such as the community approach, HIV prevention, treatment and care and share good practices within and without CRS, in the local and international conference in line with CDC requirements.
• Support relevant junior staff in developing and conducting small tests of change for innovations in program implementation.
• Support finalization of active follow up of pre-ART patients for immediate ART initiation (e.g., through phone calls, SMS, and/or active tracing using community health workers). This will include support for distribution and utilization of SOPs for treatment, clinical and laboratory monitoring; patient flow and appointment scheduling (esp. for multi-month scripting)
• Support the dissemination and implementation of the National Test and Start operational plan
• Support the conversion of all Option B+ facilities to static ART sites
• Improve Linkage to Treatment (evidence-based linkage)
• Support the scale up of differentiated models of service delivery to decongest clinics, increase ART retention, and improve quality of care.
• Support the implementation of Community Based ART distribution points and Community Health Worker ART dispensation
• Support monitoring the retention of patients initiated on ART to identify and address losses to follow-up.
• Author and co-author abstracts and presentations for national, international conferences as well as journals as applicable.
• Any other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:

Internal: Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party (Operations/Technical), Health System Strengthening Advisor, Consortium Members (CHAZ and Chreso), Senior Continuous Quality Advisor, Senior Community Advisor, Senior Lab Advisor, SI/M&E Team and Health Facilities,
External: Host country government agencies, international and national non-governmental organizations.

JOB SPECIFICATIONS:

1. Have a medical degree, MD preferred, or an advanced degree in a public health or medically related field.
2. Experience with antiretroviral therapy (ART) and understanding of Zambian ART guidelines
3. Experience in HIV and AIDS programming in resource-poor settings at the field level and providing technical assistance to partner organizations.
4. Excellent analytical skills,
5. Proficiency in MS Office suite, including Word, Excel, Outlook Express, and Internet Explorer. SPSS and Epi-info, a plus.
6. Five years’ relevant post-qualification experience, familiarity with USG procedures.
7. Good command of spoken and written English.
8. Self-guided, strong organizational and planning skills; Ability to work independently and under pressure
9. Excellent communication, coaching and facilitation skills

 

How to Apply

Applicants Instructions: Please email a cover letter and curriculum vitae which should include three references to: [email protected] Please include the position you are applying for in the subject line.

The closing date for applications is 15th November 2017. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview