Malaria (Senior) Program Officer

Terms of Reference –Malaria (Senior) Program Officer
Clinton Health Access Initiative, Vietnam

Click HERE [1] for bilingual TOR

Position: Malaria (Senior) Program Officer
Workplace: Hanoi with about 30% travel
Duration: One year, extendable based on performance and funding
Start date: October 2024
Reports to: Malaria Program Manager

Background

The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to our mission of saving lives and reducing the burden of disease in low-and middle-income countries. We work at the invitation of governments to support them and the private sector to create and sustain high-quality health systems.

CHAI was founded in 2002 in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic with the goal of dramatically reducing the price of life-saving drugs and increasing access to these medicines in the countries with the highest burden of the disease. Over the following two decades, CHAI has expanded its focus. Today, along with HIV, we work in conjunction with our partners to prevent and treat infectious diseases such as COVID-19, malaria, tuberculosis, and hepatitis. Our work has also expanded into cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and other non-communicable diseases, and we work to accelerate the rollout of lifesaving vaccines, reduce maternal and child mortality, combat chronic malnutrition, and increase access to assistive technology. We are investing in horizontal approaches to strengthen health systems through programs in human resources for health, digital health, and health financing. With each new and innovative program, our strategy is grounded in maximizing sustainable impact at scale, ensuring that governments lead the solutions, that programs are designed to scale nationally, and learnings are shared globally.

At CHAI, our people are our greatest asset, and none of this work would be possible without their talent, time, dedication and passion for our mission and values. We are a highly diverse team of enthusiastic individuals across 40 countries with a broad range of skillsets and life experiences. CHAI is deeply grounded in the countries we work in, with majority of our staff based in program countries. Learn more about our exciting work: http://www.clintonhealthaccess.org [2].

Established in Vietnam in 2006, CHAI works with several departments in the Ministry of Health to help reach national COVID-19, TB, hepatitis, and malaria targets. CHAI has emphasized a sustainable and integrative approach to health systems strengthening premised on a close partnership with government to build national capacity that will continue long after we exit. Since 2015, CHAI has been helping the Ministry of Health to accelerate malaria elimination in Vietnam.

CHAI’s team in Vietnam consists of 18 staff in addition to resources available at the regional and global levels. We are now seeking a Vietnamese national to help our government partners strengthen malaria systems.

Description

The Malaria Program Officer will help accelerate Vietnam’s drive towards malaria elimination by helping national and sub-national government counterparts to transition from a malaria control response to a malaria elimination response. This work requires close engagement with the government on strengthening surveillance systems, interpreting results, and planning and executing interventions to accelerate elimination in the country.

The Malaria Program Officer must be a highly motivated, entrepreneurial individual with outstanding problem-solving, project management, analytical, and communication skills. The Officer must be able to function independently and flexibly and have a strong commitment to excellence.

Main Responsibilities

Technical & Program Support

• Support the National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology, and Entomology (NIMPE) and the regional Institute of Malariology, Parasitology, and Entomology in Quy Nhon (IMPE Quy Nhon) and Ho Chi Minh City (IMPE HCMC) to implement their malaria roadmap to elimination. Specific activities may include supporting them on:

1. Convening stakeholders to develop operational guidance on elimination interventions
2. Developing materials and support trainings and assessments to build provincial, district, and commune capacity to execute their malaria programs
3. Analyzing and interpreting results of interventions and tools to accelerate elimination
4. Utilizing case-based or geospatial data to prioritize elimination efforts where there will be the greatest impact

• Work with NIMPE, IMPE Quy Nhon, IMPE HCMC, and other external partners to develop and execute work plans and budgets, and agreements with CHAI and support alignment with CHAI norms and policies
• Provide technical inputs for all the CHAI's malaria support activities

Operation management

• Identify and assess key risks at the Program management level; propose, develop and manage contingency plans
• Support program management team in coordination key activities within the region
• Support program management team in preparing required reports to donor and/or CHAI global teams
• Support program management team in the job recruitment process

Stakeholder management

• Provide rapid technical support and feedback friendly to help improve teamwork among CHAI staff
• Build and maintain effectively working relationships with related key partners including IMPEs, NIMPE, WHO and other organizations to ensure collaboration and information sharing, and partnership with GDPM in strengthening the malaria surveillance system
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Vietnamese citizen (due to travel permissions) who is comfortable working in remote locations in Vietnam
• Bachelor’s degree plus 2-3 or more years of work experience
• Exceptional problem-solving skills and quantitative and qualitative analytical capabilities including demonstrated ability to steer decisions based on data
• Strong written and oral English and Vietnamese communication skills
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships in a challenging multicultural environment
• Ability to manage numerous work streams simultaneously
• Experience developing work plans and budgets with grant sub-recipients, supporting implementation, and reviewing results
• Ability to work independently on demanding projects
• Comfortable with technology and proficient in Excel, PowerPoint, and Word

Advantages:

• Experience working with government institutions
• Advanced degree in public health or business
• Experience using statistical software for data analysis or with geographic information systems
• Experience in working with malaria and/or other infectious diseases

A one-page cover letter should specify the position sought and highlight why the candidate believes they are the right person for the position. A CV detailing professional experience and relevant qualifications.

Interested candidates should send materials in English to [email protected] [3] before 10 October 2024. Indicate position sought in the subject line. Applications will be reviewed as they arrive. Only shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview.