The Senior Program Officer (SPO) for Child Survival and Infectious Disease Surveillance will support the establishment of a mortality surveillance ecosystem for countries in Africa that will result in more coordinated and effective outcomes from some $500 million in annual surveillance investments across the foundation. The SPO will lead an implementation strategy for a broad range of foundation investments in surveillance including mortality surveillance, environmental surveillance (primarily sewage-contaminated water), and functional support across Program Strategy Teams (PSTs) on other infectious disease surveillance programs requiring cross-foundational coordination. The SPO will also provide functional support to the Epidemic Preparedness and Control team. In this role, the SPO for Child Survival and Infectious Disease Surveillance will coordinate with Africa Center for Disease Control and other partners to support countries wishing to implement countrywide surveillance modeled on the Countrywide Mortality Surveillance for Action (COMSA) demonstration projects. The SPO will also explore, promote, and support cutting edge disease surveillance advances including the use of Pathogen Genetic Sequencing, incorporation of formal disease modeling in Emergency Operations Centers, environmental surveillance, and others. In support of these activities the SPO will implement portfolio of investments that will benefit a range of PSTs seeking improved surveillance information. The SPO for Child Survival and Infectious Disease Surveillance will also oversee an external process to ensure that we are not doing this alone. Engage key partners in global health surveillance and mortality reduction, align the investments of others such as the World Bank, World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, African Development Bank, and other Foundations towards common goals and standards. Obtain co-funding for core surveillance activities of the Foundation. Establish and oversee a family of grants aimed at strengthening the quality and quantity of surveillance data by aligning investments and agreeing on common measures of success.
- Innovate to drive the field of mortality and disease surveillance forward with the use of cutting-edge technologies such as Pathogen Genetic Sequencing, Environmental Surveillance, and the incorporation of formal disease modeling in Emergency Operations Centers.
- Lead the process to support countries needing a comprehensive and near-term sample registration system such as COMSA, while retaining the value of the periodic external surveys (DHS and MICS) and progressing towards full Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS).
- Leverage and secure new funding to grow and sustain the child survival and infectious disease surveillance work in countries across Africa and South Asia.
- Create collaborations among partners, governments, and other funders to create systemic change in the field of surveillance to drive more effective disease control programs across our countries of interest.
- Working at the rapid pace of the foundation, use creative investments and partnerships to demonstrate valuable advances or discard ineffective ones in the service of foundation efforts to reduce mortality and improve health.
- Work with POs, external advisors and consultants to evaluate current and future field sites used for foundation surveillance activities and developing methods for standardization across the ecosystem regarding data collection and diagnostic assays.
- Serve as a thought leader through articles, blogs or other media, by speaking at conferences and events, in leading a cross-cutting surveillance working group within the foundation including finalizing strategy and adjusting as needed (at least annually) based on information received from pilot sites/projects and sites brought on early in the process. Stay abreast of new technologies (e.g., diagnostic assays) and introduce into the surveillance ecosystem when appropriate. Consider environmental surveillance to build on and extend polio investments to benefit cholera and other future areas.
- Serve as an acknowledged authoritative expert in mortality surveillance.
- Represent the foundation on other pressing epidemiologic and/or surveillance projects (e.g., epidemic response, environmental surveillance, polio surveillance, antimicrobial resistance) working with WHO, CDC, and other governmental and academic partners as appropriate.
- Review, make recommendation on, and manage surveillance/epidemiologic grants
- Problems are highly complex; decisions are made only after extensive research and consultation with others.
- This role is responsible for high quality interactions and clear and consistent communications with grantees and partners in the field.
Leadership and Culture
We believe that energized people, working well together, fueled by great leadership in an inclusive environment in which they thrive, will do phenomenal things.
- Experience in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC) setting is highly preferred.
- Experience as technical resource to teams and leadership on impact, cost effectiveness and decision analyses.
- Strong quantitative analytic skills.
Core Knowledge and Skills
- Need to understand and be capable of operating in the international arena of surveillance and epidemiology with sound core knowledge and experience in brokering relationships across organizational levels and disciplines and cultures.
- Exercise independent judgment in developing methods, techniques and evaluating criteria for development and execution of child survival program
- Demonstrated ability to prioritize, focus & achieve results.
- Accomplished at building consensus, inclusive and effective leadership skills.
- Excellent written & oral communications skills effective with a broad & diverse audience.
- Proven ability to lead and influence others in a constructive manner and to build and sustain collaborative relationships.