Global Health Fellows Program II

Technical Advisor III: Capacity Building Advisor

Commodity Security and Logistics Division, Office of Population and Reproductive Health, Bureau for Global Health, United States Agency for International Development

Location: Washington, DC

Assignment: Two year fellowship

GHFP II-P1-043

The Global Health Fellows Program (GHFP-II) is a five year cooperative agreement implemented and managed by the Public Health Institute in partnership with CDC Development Solutions and Management Systems International. GHFP-II is supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

GHFP-II's goal is to improve the effectiveness of USAID health programs by developing and increasing the capacity of health professionals with tailored development opportunities. This is accomplished through the recruitment, placement and support of diverse health professionals at the junior, mid and senior levels, and professional development activities aimed at enhancing the technical and leadership skills of global health professionals.

BACKGROUND:

The Commodity Security and Logistics Division of USAID's Office for Population and Reproductive Health supports USAID's efforts to strengthen commodity security - i.e., improving the availability of and access to essential health commodities for people in low and middle income countries. Commodity security is an essential component of health services. In many low and middle income countries, people are often unable to reliably access health commodities due to inadequate supply, policy barriers, and ineffective health systems. Expertise across a range of disciplines is required to advance commodity security and to design and implement policies and programs that support it. Financing, policy reform, market segmentation, procurement, logistics, workforce capacity, performance improvement, and institutional strengthening are just areas of concern.

Under the President's Global Health Initiative and a set of Agency reforms known as USAID Forward, USAID has placed increased focus on country ownership and leadership of programs as well as on building sustainability through health systems strengthening. USAID's efforts in supply chain strengthening and in ensuring commodity security have increased their focus on building the individual, institutional and systemic capacities that are needed to increase and sustain access to health commodities. The Commodity Security and Logistics Division therefore seeks a Capacity Building Advisor with a strong record of experience in strengthening developing country institutions and systems, and an interest and ability to apply this experience to building capacities for supply chain management and/or other areas important to commodity security (policy, advocacy, financing, private sector).

INTRODUCTION:

The Capacity Building Advisor will work within the Commodity Security and Logistics (CSL) Division and will lead CSL's work in areas specifically related to building sustained individual, institutional and system capacities for improving commodity security. This will include providing technical leadership for USAID's approaches in capacity building to improve commodity security and health supply chain management; providing technical guidance for USAID implementing partners on capacity building and organizational strengthening; and actively participating in a new multi-stakeholder Initiative People that Deliver (www.peoplethatdeliver.org) that promotes sustainable approaches to developing human resource capacity for supply chain management. CSL and USAID missions invest significantly in capacity building for supply chain management and commodity security and the Advisor will be expected to provide leadership to better these investments by identifying promising capacity building innovations from elsewhere that can be adapted, tested, and replicated/scaled-up in the supply chain and management space.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Capacity Building Advisor will lead CSL's work to build sustained individual, institutional and systems capacities for improving commodity security and health supply chain management. The primary responsibilities of the Capacity Building Advisor include:

• Provide leadership, advocacy, and technical guidance, within and beyond USAID, to support the development of a strong supply chain workforce in low and middle income countries for public health; strengthening national systems and institutions (public and private sector) for the recruitment, training, and retention of qualified personnel
• Provide technical leadership for USAID's participation in, and support for, the People that Deliver initiative through participation in one or more of the working groups and supporting USAID's representation on the People that Deliver Board
• Provide technical guidance to USAID missions and their country partners (ministries, non-governmental organizations, donors, multilateral organizations, etc) in their efforts to strengthen country capacities for public health supply chains and commodity security. The focus will be on priority countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia
• Provide technical leadership to CSL's implementing partners in capacity building for public health supply chains and commodity security
• Develop new relationships and strengthen existing relationships for developing sustainable country capacities for improving access to health supplies with major donors, international NGOs, private foundations, multilateral organizations, and global health partnerships. Foster improved communication and collaboration with these agencies
• Provide technical guidance to and liaise with Global Health Bureau-wide health systems strengthening activities
• Participate in Global Health Bureau country teams to support integration of supply chain and commodity security concerns in field programs, working through such processes as program evaluations, program designs, and strategy development and review.

Other tasks or responsibilities may be assigned based on (a) organizational programming need and/or (b) the Advisor's own interests.

REQUIRED SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE:

• Master's degree in a discipline relevant to the technical focus of this position; for example, public administration, management, organizational development, and human resources
• Minimum ten years' experience in capacity building (especially focused on institutional or systems levels), systems strengthening, organizational development, performance improvement, and/or human resource systems; with at least three to five years of such experience working in a developing country or resource challenged setting, preferably in health
• High degree of judgment, maturity, ingenuity and originality to interpret strategy, to analyze, develop and present work and to monitor and evaluate implementation of programs
• Demonstrated flexibility and openness in responding to changing work priorities and environment
• Open professional style, blending teamwork and participation with individual initiatives as well as having a can-do orientation and service mindset; effective team building, strategic thinking, taking a leadership role, appreciative listening, and achieving results
• Excellent management, interpersonal and team work skills
• Good oral communication and writing skills
• Willingness to travel to developing countries.
• Proficiency in French (most preferred), Portuguese, or Spanish, desired
• Experience in project/program management, project design, strategic planning, and/or change management desirable
• Knowledge of or experience with global health partners (e.g., World Bank, UN agencies, Global Fund), and international initiatives for human resources in health (e.g., Global Health Workforce Alliance), desirable
• Knowledge of and/or experience working in the supply chain management /commodity security arena, desirable
• US Citizenship or US Permanent Residency required

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

Salary will be based on commensurate experience and earnings history.  The Public Health Institute offers a comprehensive benefits package including professional development programs

 http://www.ghfp.net/docs/2012_Benefits_Booklet_GHFP.pdf 

TO APPLY:

All applicants are required to apply for this position through GHFP's online recruitment system at https://www.ghfp.net/recruitment/, which allows you to store your CV, profile and bio data form in our database. A separate cover letter describing your qualifications and experience, interest and familiarity with issues relating to this position, and how this position relates to your career goals is required for each application. All online applications must be submitted by 5:00 pm Eastern Time, June 5, 2012.

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