Technical Advisor I, Uniformed Services personnel

Job Code: TECH31014

Job Family: Technical

Compensation Band: M

FLSA: Exempt

Background

FHI 360 is a non-profit human development organization dedicated to improving lives in lasting ways by advancing integrated, locally driven solutions. Our staff includes experts in Health, Education, Nutrition, Environment, Economic Development, Civil Society, Gender, Youth, Research and Technology; creating a unique mix of capabilities to address today’s interrelated development challenges. FHI 360 serves more than 60 countries, all 50 U.S. states and all U.S. territories.

EpiC is an eight-year global project funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In Liberia, the project provides technical assistance and direct service delivery to break through barriers to 95-95-95 and promote self-reliant management of national HIV programs by improving HIV case-finding, prevention, treatment programming and viral load suppression among key and vulnerable populations.

The HIV response in Liberia provides a a holistic coverage to ensure no one is left behind. Under the leadership of National AIDS Commission, National AIDS Control Program and other civil society organizations, Liberia has strongly prioritized extension of HIV services to the Uniformed Service personnel. EpiC Liberia has been mandated to expand its existing program scope to support to these priority populations/targeted Uniformed Service namely the Police, Immigration, Liberia Revenue Authority and Customs and Correctional Services, with HIV-focused interventions.

Job Summary

Reporting to the EpiC Liberia Technical Director, the Technical Advisor (TA), Uniformed Services Personnel provides technical expertise on HIV prevention, care and treatment sensitization and service delivery tailored for uniformed services personnel, including police and immigration officers and members of the department of justice. Beyond reaching individuals with quality HIV services, EpiC will aim to increase awareness, reduce stigma and improve policies and programming. May manage other professional staff members.

The Technical Advisor, Uniformed Services Personnel will establish and continually refines technical frameworks, approaches, tools, and activities for EpiC Liberia project. The TA will identify specialized partnership needs, engage qualified partners to ensure technical performance, and monitor all technical aspects of the EpiC project from initiation through delivery. In addition, the TA will contribute project experience and learning to global thought leadership initiatives in specific area of technical specialization. The Technical Advisor, Uniformed Services Personnel will be a recognized technical leader in HIV with operational and implementation expertise and deep experience working on USAID programs.

Accountabilities:

Technical Requirements:

• Provides programmatic expertise in HIV prevention, care and treatment activities for members of uniformed services.
• Lead sensitization and stigma reduction activities among uniformed services and the governmental departments that support them.
• Works on problems of moderate to complex scope that require evaluation of variable factors.
• Demonstrates good judgment in selecting methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria for obtaining solutions, with some supervision.
• Networks with key internal personnel.
• Performs other duties as assigned

Project Design Implementation

• Ensures good and professional engagement with leadership of law enforcement and other Government entities within the uniformed services personnel.
• Ensures services for clients who experience intimate partner violence, other forms of gender-based violence are provided with the necessary support through World Health Organization’s LIVES support which constitute (Listen, Inquire, Validate, Enhance safety, and support).
• Works collaboratively with the entire EpiC team and ensures strong coordination among various government units coordinating uniformed services personnel on the implementation of technical activities.
• Contributes to the achievement of high-quality results in accordance with the targets identified in the work plan and Performance Monitoring Plan.
• Contributes to program quality according to FHI 360 standards including supervision of quality assurance and quality improvement initiatives among the uniformed services personnel and other at-risk groups as needed.
• Ensure good coordination with health facilities and EpiC staff coordinating such initiatives in health facilities.
• Assures that commodities such as condoms, condom compatible lubricants, STI drugs, HTC test kits etc. are available for clinical outreach services on a consistent basis at all clinical service provision facilities.
• Support the development of timely and accurate reports for EpiC HQ, USAID, Liberian government, and other stakeholders as needed.
• Building capacity of peer support teams for uniformed services personnel to manage HIV and AIDS programming for their beneficiaries through project technical assistance, monitoring, and management of recipients of care in HIV prevention, care, and treatment.
• Support the national efforts to build the capacity of County HIV coordination teams and uniformed services personnel coordinators not within the project implementing counties, to support HIV services in their respective counties.
• Support the design, integration, and implementation of HIV andAIDS interventions, ranging from outreach activities to treatment retention strategies, differentiated services delivery innovations for various packages of HIV services based on the needs of the uniformed services groups and other at-risk people.
• Supports community-level introduction of HIV PrEP services for HIV negative at risk recipients of care.
• Ensures technical support with all relevant EpiC interventions including index testing, HIV self-testing, social network innovations and going online strategies to increase coverage, HIV testing uptake, and case-finding among the uniformed services personnel and other at-risk groups as needed.
• Ensure the creation of service integrated model of HIV services providing opportunity for screening and referral for other conditions and services such as non-communicable diseases (diabetes, hypertension), family planning and mental health integration.
• Supervises any member of HIV services team member as may be assigned attached to the uniformed services team.
• Collaborates with other EpiC team members for efficient delivery of services • Supervises any member of HIV services team member as may be assigned attached to the uniformed services team.

Client/Funder Support:

• Participate in client / funder meetings and provide technical

input. Draft sponsor reports and presentations.

• Represents the organization and / or Institute to external entities at professional meetings and conferences.
• Maintains collaborative relationships with donor/client organizations, relevant government agencies, bilateral and other NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and consistently maintained and viewed as a knowledgeable resource in their technical area.
• Continually maintains a dialogue and technical exchange with field counterparts and technical staff members of implementing partners.
• Participate in client / funder meetings and draft reports/presentations. Partner/Sub-Award Management:
• May be daily POC (Point of Contact) with clients for some projects on technical matters.

Capacity Building, Training and Supervision:

• Develops and implements technical training and capacity building interventions. Identifies strategies to address training gaps.
• May supervise or provide technical guidance to staff members locally. Project/Program Reporting:
• Drafts sponsor financial and technical reports.
• Collates and uploads output and deliverables data to sponsor data systems. Prepares and delivers presentations to sponsors on progress. • Helps in the development and review of work plans.
• Creates technical content, owning the content, true experts at an advanced level (maybe the most senior technical person).
• Serves as the primary author for technical deliverables (e.g., reports, presentations, manuscripts).
• Gathers and aggregates data to provide a summary / high level overview. Quality Assurance:
• Ensures technical deliverables are consistent with best practices in the industry / subject and meet client / funder contractual obligations
• Identifies areas for improved efficiency or effectiveness within prescribed parameters, and institutes enhancements to procedures.

Applied Knowledge & Skills:

• Ensures appropriate and timely technical support for field projects. • Ensures the quality of implemented technical activities and systems at all levels. Conducts routine coordination with employees and consultants, on-site and in the field.
• Strong knowledge and skills in a specific technical area/function and general understanding of concepts and principles of related technical areas/functions. • Solid knowledge of standards for the technical area/field, operational processes and procedures, work, and task flow.
• Has the ability to manage projects, set realistic priorities, and plan for the successful implementation of activities.
• Proficient writing and verbal communication skills.
• Relevant computer software skills (including, at a minimum, the standard applications in MS Office).
• Ability to manage their own work to job and performance standards. • Must be able to read, write and speak fluent English.

Problem Solving & Impact:

• Demonstrates the ability to assess needs within agreed upon duties and considers course of action best to meet those needs.
• Effectively applies knowledge of technical area to solve a range of problems. Demonstrates the ability to develop solutions to problems that cannot be solved using existing methods or approaches.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.

Supervision Given/Received:

• May supervise junior staff members.
• Coordinates own workflow and sets individual priorities.
• Works under general guidelines for completion and accuracy as determined by the supervisor.
• Accomplishes results through lower-level staff managers or through experienced staff who exercise independence in their assignments.
• Reports to the Technical Director.

Education:

• Master’s Degree or its international equivalent in public health or related field or Related Field.
• Project Management (PM) Certification preferred.

Experience:

• Requires 8+ years of relevant experience in providing technical assistance and capacity building HIV programming for key populations groups, professional work experience in the field of Public Health and HIV.
• Experience in work plan development and report writing.
• Experience working on international donor funded Uniformed personnel services, KPs, or HIV programs; experience working in a technical capacity on KP programs preferred.
• Experience in designing and implementing KP focused HIV and AIDS prevention, (including PrEP), treatment viral load optimization, among KP groups. • Ability to work well with others and to develop and maintain compatibility among project partners, staff, subcontractors, consultants, and recipients of assistance; Knowledge of PEPFAR programming and reporting preferred
• May manage activities of lower-level staff, however, main function is individual contributor.
• Documented experience providing technical assistance, capacity building and business development in the specific technical domain. Prior work experience in a non governmental organization (NGO), government agency, or private organization.

Typical Physical Demands:

• Typical office environment.
• Ability to spend long hours looking at a computer screen and doing repetitive work on a keyboard.
• Ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time.
• Ability to lift 5 – 25 lbs.

Technology to be Used:

• Personal Computer, Microsoft Office 365 (i.e., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Skype/TEAMS, e- mail), cell phone and printer/copier.

Travel Requirements:

10% – 25%

This job description summarizes the main duties of the job. It neither prescribes nor restricts the exact tasks that may be assigned to carry out these duties. This document should not be construed in any way to represent a contract of employment. Management reserves the right to review and revise this document at any time.

The position will be based in FHI 360’s office in Monrovia. Liberian nationals and candidates currently based in Liberia are encouraged to apply.

Suitably qualified candidates openly living with HIV and/or who are representative of the key populations affected by HIV are also actively encouraged to apply.

Application: Send a CV and motivation letter to Liberia.EpiC.recruitment@fhi360.org Closing date is Friday September 20, 2024, at 5.00 pm GMT. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.