International Health Regulations Strengthening Project ? Health Protection Advisor at British Embassy

Main Purpose of Job

This post is located within Public Health England’s (PHE) Global Public Health division, led by the Director of Global Public Health. The Global Public Health division supports the delivery of PHE’s Global Health Strategy. It provides a corporate service to PHE supporting the oversight, coordination and delivery of PHE’s international activity and working with UK government departments and other UK partners to build and strengthen international public health links. The division also maintains its own extensive portfolio of global health programs and projects, focusing on capacity building and health system strengthening in partner countries.

This post is suitable for highly experienced health protection specialists with international experience. The role will include advising on system coordination, technical and organizational development activities, and building and managing key partnerships and networks.

The post will be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with travel across the continent as needed. The post-holder will also work closely with the IHR Strengthening Project leads in Africa CDC, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Zambia.

Diplomatic skills and cultural intelligence are critical, as engaging with senior leadership, ministers, senior government officials and other donor or development agency representatives will be critical to the role. We are seeking individuals with both technical knowledge and international relations capability, able to demonstrate both PHE’s and Civil Services competencies and ways of working.  Key to this is the ability to influence and negotiate in order to manage key relationships with local and other international stakeholders.

The post-holder will be managerially accountable to the IHR Project Africa CDC Lead, and through them, to the overall IHR Project Lead. An initial job plan will be agreed upon with the successful candidate at the commencement of the post.  This job plan will be reviewed as part of the annual job planning process

KEY AREAS:

• Familiarisation with Global Health Security and International Health Regulations
• Experience in capacity building and development
• Experience in developing an online training workshop 
• Experience (3 yrs min) in health protection
• Experience in chairing and facilitating meetings/workshops with numerous stakeholders

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

The post-holder will provide expert input to the IHR Strengthening Project’s work in the Africa region. In particular, this role will support the IHR Project collaborations with Africa CDC. The post holder will also facilitate collaboration between national and regional institutions with a role in global health security.

• Specific work plans will be agreed upon in consultation with PHE IHR Project Lead for Africa CDC and Africa CDC senior team. However, main duties and responsibilities will include the following:
• Advising on and providing technical support to Africa CDC in accordance with the IHR Project's core mandate. Assist with system coordination plans and partnerships, provide technical and coordinating support to Africa CDC and WAHO’s efforts to develop a resilient network of NPHIs, ensuring that the networks are linked to existing systems and relevant national/regional institutions.
• Facilitating alignment between the IHR work project of Africa CDC and PHE’s capacity-building activities. This will include working with PHE technical teams to coordinate input into Africa CDC RCC and WAHO based on engagement with National Public Health Institutes.
• Under the direction of the IHR Project Africa CDC Lead, providing advice and guidance on PHE activities with Africa CDC, and in consultation with the IHR Project Lead and Africa CDC leadership, set objectives for the PHE IHR strengthening project in the Africa region more broadly. This will be in keeping with Africa CDC partners’ framework.
• Work with the UK-based Project Manager and support team in the coordination of key project activities e.g. international training and events, international deployments and procurement; supporting with the maintenance of project documentation, progress and risk trackers and finance records as required.
• Report writing and communication of activities and deliverables as required by Project Lead/Project Manager and in line with Ways of Working document/timelines e.g. quarterly reporting, input to weekly meetings, quarterly technical working group meetings, etc.
• Host technical experts from across PHE, HMG and external partners on their visits to deliver specific technical expertise for aspects of the project as required/identified. 
• Under the leadership of the IHR Project Africa CDC lead, representing the Africa region components of the IHR project and the global programs team at internal and external meetings as directed by, or in partnership with, the IHR Project Lead/other country leads.
• Possible additional general responsibilities such as mentoring public health professionals in Africa CDC and other organizations as relevant. 
• Carrying out other functions in line with professional capabilities as agreed with line management.

You will be a highly organized, creative team player who is a self-starter and has excellent written and verbal communication skills.  You will have a thorough understanding of a broad range of communications and engagement skills and issues gained through experience in the field, and you will have excellent negotiation skills, enabling you to deal sensitively with stakeholders with complex and sometimes conflicting interests. You will be expected to show a strong drive to complete and evidence progress, recognizing the importance of compliance and reporting.

This role is subject to change, removal or amendment from the advert at short notice.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience

• Postgraduate qualification in a relevant subject
• At least 3 years experience of public health systems in developing countries and demonstrable experience in disease surveillance, emergency preparedness and response and health protection
• Staff management and training and practical experience in facilitating change
• Understanding of global health including the health challenges of low- and middle-income countries and the international health architecture and knowledge of global health security architecture such as the WHO International Health Regulations (2005), and integrated disease surveillance and response systems
• Leadership and management experience including target setting, selection
• Training and development experience
• Knowledge of Africa CDC
• Experience of partnership working - linking with staff across varied organizational functions to address inter-dependencies and ensure alignment
• Experience of working within a multi-stakeholder international environment
• Experience in working with information technology using Microsoft Office packages (Word, Excel and PowerPoint)
• A positive, resilient, flexible and adaptable “can-do” attitude that can see a way through challenges.  
• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships, both in terms of day-to-day working practices, but also in relation to management systems
• A demonstrated commitment to high professional ethical standards and a diverse workplace
• Demonstrate commitment to own Continued Professional Development (CPD)

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience  

• Additional qualification or relevant experience in public health or other relevant field or equivalent experience. 
• Experience of participation in research and development projects

Required competencies

• Changing and Improving, Collaborating and Partnering, Building Capability for All, Delivering Value for Money

Application deadline: 21 May 2021

Grade: D6 (L)

Type of Position: Fixed term, with the possibility of renewal

Region: Africa

Country/Territory: Ethiopia

Location (City): Addis Ababa

Type of Post: British Embassy

Number of vacancies: 1 (One)

Starting monthly salary (): ETB 96,724.51

Start Date: 1 June 2021

Additional information

Annual Leave and Public Holidays:

Locally engaged staff of all grades will be entitled to paid annual leave as follows:
Up to 2 years 22 days
After 2 years services 25 days
After 5 years services 30 days

In addition to annual leave, the British Embassy observes up to a maximum number of 14 Ethiopian, British and Religious public holidays each year. A list of such Embassy holidays will be published each year. Office Staff required to work on these holidays will be granted time off in lieu or overtime where circumstances permit.

• Please complete the application form in full as the information provided is used during screening.

• Please check your application carefully before you submit, as no changes can be made once submitted.

• The British Embassy will never request any payment or fees to apply for a position.

• Employees recruited locally by the British Embassy in Addis Ababa are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law in Ethiopia.

• Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary may have their salaries reduced by the equivalent local income tax amount.  

• All candidates must be legally able to work and reside in the country of the vacancy with the correct visa/work permit status or demonstrate eligibility to obtain the relevant permit. The responsibility lies on the successful candidate to;  

  • Obtain the relevant permit
  • Pay the fees for the permit
  • Make arrangements to relocate
  • Meet the costs to relocation