Senior Program Management Specialist Job at United States US Embassy, US Mission in Uganda

Job Title:             Senior Program Management Specialist (HIV/AIDS Prevention)

Organisation: United States US Embassy, US Mission in Uganda

Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda

Salary: UGX 137,483,245-202,072,484 per annum

About US Embassy:

The United States Embassy in Kampala, Uganda has enjoyed diplomatic relations with Uganda for over 30 years.  Ambassador Deborah R. Malac currently heads the U.S Mission to Uganda.  The Mission is composed of several offices and organizations all working under the auspices of the Embassy and at the direction of the Ambassador.

Among the offices operating under the U.S Mission to Uganda are:

• United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
• Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
• Peace Corps

Job Summary: The Senior Program Management Specialist (HIV/AIDS Prevention) provides overall strategic and technical leadership and guidance to USG inter-agency partners, development partners, all levels of government, private sector and civil society organizations in support of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) partnership between the United States Government (USG) and the Government of Uganda (GoU). The incumbent serves as a mid-level manager within USAID/Uganda’s Office of Health and HIV. HIV prevention plays a pivotal role in the USG’s and GOU’s HIV/AIDS response and is even more critical as we pursue the global goal of “90-90-90” – that is 90% of Ugandans living with HTV are identified, 90% of those identified are enrolled on ART, and 90% of those have sustained viral suppression as well as the PEPFAR goal of HTV/AIDS epidemic control by 2020. In this context, the HIV/AIDS and TB Team requires a highly experienced HTV Prevention Specialist to provide strategic and technical direction to this $188+ million, technically complex, cross-cutting portfolio. The incumbent serves as the team’s leader on HIV/AIDS prevention issues, identifying opportunities for USG engagement in HIV/AIDS prevention programming and for effective collaboration and coordination with the GoU and other development partners. S/he will work across the Health and HTV Office and other offices in the Mission to support a coordinated, strategic approach to HIV prevention programming. The incumbent will have at

least eight years of progressively responsible experience in the field of HIV/AIDS; USAID, USG, international health organization, and/or international development organization program design and management experience; and extensive knowledge of Uganda’s development and HIV/AIDS program dynamics.

Key Duties and Responsibilities: 

• The Specialist will provide strategic and technical leadership on HTV/AIDS prevention issues to the USAID Mission and the broader USG PEPFAR Team. S/he will:
• Oversee the $35+ million HTV prevention budget ensuring that key priorities are adequately resourced.
• Serve as the primary expert and advisor on HIV prevention issues to the USAID/Uganda Mission.
• Maintain familiarity with current state-of the-art programmatic and research innovations towards the reduction of high-risk behaviors related to HTV transmission. S/he will provide expert advice to the Health and HTV Office and the Mission on new and emerging priorities and approaches that significantly impact HTV transmission.
• Support the development, improvement and dissemination of sound HIV/AIDS prevention policies and strategies in response to evolving epidemiological evidence.
• Establish effective linkages between HTV prevention, care and treatment, and health systems strengthening programs to ensure holistic and integrated approach to HIV/AIDS programming.
• Identify new opportunities and strengthen existing opportunities for integration of HIV/AIDS with other health, education, economic growth and democracy and governance activities, and well as with other areas of Mission work as appropriate.
• Support and strengthen coordination and harmonization of prevention approaches and messages across USAID-funded activities.
• Participate as a senior USAID/Uganda representative in USG interagency and national level technical, programmatic and policy meetings, consultations and working groups related to HIV/AIDS prevention.
• Participate in and take the lead on each stage of project design for new HTV prevention activities, including drafting and obtaining approval for concept papers, writing scopes of work, evaluating applications/proposals, and supporting the start-up of new projects.
• Technically advise and make recommendations on the need for short-term technical assistance; write scopes of work for consultants.
• Prepare reports and responses to USAID/Washington and State/Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator ad hoc requests for information.
• Provide expert advice and leadership in HIV prevention programming for key and priority populations.
• Serve as Agreement or Contracting Officer Representative (A/COR) or Activity Manager, providing day-to-day management of specified prevention activities. Review and approve workplans, budgets, quarterly and annual reports, performance monitoring plans. Monitor activities and provide supportive supervision through field visits.
• Assume responsibility for the financial management of assigned activities which includes monitoring bum rates and ensuring that obligations, expenditures, and budget pipelines conform to action plans. Submit quarterly accruals reports and ensure appropriate and timely incremental funding of activities.
• Provide technical input across the Health and HIV Office on implementing partner annual work plans, quarterly and annual reports for implementing partners and ensure these are consistent with current USG and GoU prevention priorities.
• Work closely with USAID partners to ensure that program achievements and lessons learned are reported, documented, and disseminated to sector representatives.
• Work with the Strategic Information Team to initiate and coordinate targeted analyses of HIV/AIDS data to generate trends and patterns to inform planning and programming.
• Supervise up to two technical Cooperating Country Nationals (CCNs), including developing annual work objectives, mentoring, facilitating professional development, completing annual performance reviews and providing performance feedback.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

NOTE:  All applicants must address each selection criterion detailed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting each item.

• The applicants for the US Embassy Senior Program Management Specialist (HIV/AIDS Prevention job opportunity should hold a Master’s Degree in a field relevant to development assistance such as Medicine, Social Sciences, Social Work, Public Health, and International Development. Other relevant training or certification, if applicable, to augment university degrees and work experience.
• A minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible, professional experience in HIV/AIDS with international development organizations and/or other multi-lateral or bi-lateral organizations.
• Increasingly responsible experience in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of HIV/AIDS prevention initiatives in developing countries and/or in generalized epidemics.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply relevant regulations, policies, and operational guidelines of entities such as the U.S. government, international health organizations, or international development organizations.
• Demonstrated knowledge of PEPFAR processes through which HIV/AIDS programs are planned, reviewed, approved, implemented and evaluated.
• Demonstrated HIV/AIDS program design and effective implementation experience in developing country/generalized epidemic settings.
• Demonstrated understanding of state-of-the-art HIV/AIDS combination prevention initiatives including HIV counseling and testing, gender based violence prevention and mitigation and post violence care, targeted key and priority population programming, condom promotion, social and behavior change communication, pre-exposure prophylaxis, and voluntary medical male circumcision.
• Demonstrated ability to apply policy directives to activity design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation.
• Experience in analyzing HTV/AIDS epidemiological data and translating data into practice.
• Demonstrated knowledge of or experience working with PEPFAR.
• Ability to communicate information in an objective, transparent, accurate, and concise oral and written forms and to represent USAID/Uganda’s programs and priorities to a wide range of outside parties including senior Ugandan officials, senior management, and others.
• Ability to independently conceive, plan, organize, manage, and evaluate important, diverse and complex work projects.
• Excellent analytical, technical and project management skills to review and provide substantive feedback on concept papers, proposals, program descriptions/scopes of work, performance reports, and other technical and programmatic documents.
• Ability to participate in and/or lead internal and external teams.
• Ability to respond professionally and adjust in fluid situations in order to meet deadlines in the face of competing priorities and time pressures.
• Ability to resolve complex planning and implementation issues with colleagues in technical offices and other parts of the mission.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including diplomacy and tact, to work effectively with people at all levels, from senior officials to support staff, in a culturally diverse environment, accepting divergent points of view and help find consensus to achieve team goals.
• Ability to develop positive working relationships within an interagency working environment. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with implementing partners, private sector partners, other donor partners, and both central and district level Government of Uganda counterparts.
• Ability to effectively appraise staff, write annual performance evaluations and set mutually agreed-upon and achievable work objectives for staff that he/she supervises.
• Excellent computer skills including in Microsoft Office, web-based databases, and electronic filing, including the ability to help others and to learn new programs quickly.
• Language Proficiency: Level IV (fluent) in English is required with excellent speaking and writing skills.

How to Apply:

All those interested in working with the US mission in Kampala should send their applications and strictly adhere to the following:

• A signed DS-174 Employment Application for Locally Employed Staff or Family Member, Click Here
• Cover letter clearly indicating the position for which you are applying and describing how you meet the minimum requirements
• A Curriculum Vitae/Resume
• Copies of Academic Transcripts
• Names, contact numbers, and e-mail addresses of three (3) professional references. At least one of the references must be a prior or current direct supervisor.

Submit Application To:

Human Resources Office

By email at KampalaHR@state.gov

NB: Your application will be reviewed if you have fulfilled all the requirements including submission of standard file types such as Microsoft Word (.doc) and Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) in a single attachment (No Zipped files, Links or Multiple Attachments) and should not exceed 10MB. Please clearly indicate the position number and title you are applying for on the DS-174 form.

Deadline: 26^th October 2018