Abt Associates Recruitment

The International Health Division is committed to the improvement of health and healthcare delivery around the world.  Serving both the public and private sectors, our efforts include health policy research and evaluation, health promotion and disease prevention, health finance, and health systems management.  Our impact is felt in policies that ensure healthcare access for women, children, and individuals with special needs, in strengthening health infrastructures, and HIV/AIDS solutions.

NGenIRS is a UNITAID-funded partnership between the Innovative Vector Control Consortium (IVCC), President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), and its IRS implementing partners Abt Associates Inc., Global Fund (GF), PATH/Malaria Control and Elimination Partnership in Africa (MACEPA) and National Malaria Control Programs (NMCPs).  The objective is to accelerate and expand access and affordability of new, third generation formulations of IRS insecticides (3GIRS) for malaria vector control to mitigate insecticide resistance and increase the effective susceptible lifetime of IRS insecticides. The goal of the NGenIRS project is sustainable and rational deployment of effective malaria vector control tools in insecticide resistance management programs to save lives and improve health.

Abt Associates is PMI’s primary implementing contractor for IRS in Africa through the Africa Indoor Residual Spraying (AIRS) program.  Abt works in more than 17 African countries to introduce and sustain high-impact interventions to combat malaria to promote health, education, and economic growth. Abt has been implementing the PMI AIRs project since 2011.  Abt works closely with the NMCP in each country.  The PMI AIRS Project currently supports IRS campaigns in 11 African countries and entomological monitoring in 16 countries.

Job Description

Job Title: NGenIRS Regional Coordinator

Abt Associates role in the NGenIRS project:

• Executes PMI spray operations in country (funded by PMI).
• Procures insecticide products and other commodities required for spraying in each country.
• Reports results of spray operations and advanced M&E to IVCC and PMI.
• Supports forecasting process working with the IVCC Forecasting Consultant.
• Coordinates at country level with partners and stakeholders – in collaboration with PMI and the GF
• Responsible for day-to-day communication at country level with NMCP and other key stakeholders
• Participates on the Project Steering Committee

Opportunity

Under the supervision of the PMI AIRS Project Operations Director, and under daily management by the NGenIRS Project Director, the NGenIRS Regional Coordinator will support the planning, coordination and implementation of NGEnIRS activities in each country in their region (W. Africa & East/Southern Africa).  .

Specific duties and responsibilities include the following

• Ensure the day-to-day oversight of NgenIRS-related implementation, managing the smooth interface between NgenIRS, Abt/AIRS and in-country partners including NMCPs, Ministries of Health, PMI, Global Fund and other stakeholders.
• Assist with the promotion of the project, the selection of new countries, the brokering of partnerships and the development of MOUs with NMCPs, Ministries of Health and the Global Fund.
• Work with NMCP/MOH officials and NGenIRS implementing partners to collect and compile IRS campaign data from both PMI funded IRS campaigns and NMCP campaigns funded by Global Fund or with a host country’s own funding.
• Coordinate and develop content for forecast design workshops for implementing countries.
• Assist NGenIRS implementing partners in each country to establish IRS Steering Committies, with the NMCP with the goal of coordinating overall IRS campaign planning, entomological monitoring, combined M&E, and disemination of IRS best practices and job aids across all IRS districts in a country.
• Coordinate and develop content for county_level and regional workshops for non-focus countries around insecticide planning and forecasting.
• Travel to participating countries and/or the UK to work directly with NgenIRS and project partners on insecticide forecasting.
• Particpate in IRS manufacturer/distributor meetings with insecticide suppliers on country forecasts and production planning as needed.
• Work with the NgenIRS Evidence Manager and other staff and partners to aggregate regional IRS spray campaign data from countries to track project and global trends in IRS growth by insecticide formulation.
• Assist the NGenIRS Project Director and other staff, including the Techncial Communications Officer, as needed with project planing, implementation, event planning, presentations and reporting deliverables.
• Participate in project planning and semi-annual management review meetings.

Qualification requirements include the following

• Bachelors Degree (minimum), or a Masters Degree (desirable), in Business, Administration, Public Health or other relevant field.
• At least six (6) years of professional experience managing operational aspects of large international development projects, preferably USAID or Global Fund, or other UN funded projects, with significant experience in vector control programs.
• Strong analytical and computer skills, with an emphasis on budget and financial analysis.
• Experience in logistics, procurement, and supply chain management highly desirable.
• Fluency in English with strong written and verbal communication skills. French is required for the regional position based in Acrra, Ghana, and Portuguese is desired for the regional poisition based in Lusaka, Zambia.
• Significant management and supervisory experience.
• Excellent writing, presentation, computer, interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Experience developing and delivering training preferred.
• Willingness to travel 30-50%

Minimum Qualifications

(6+) years of experience and a master degree OR the equivalent combination of education and experience.