NTD Data Use Regional Officer

The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to saving lives and reducing the burden of disease in low-and middle-income countries, while strengthening the capabilities of governments and the private sector in those countries to create and sustain high-quality health systems that can succeed without our assistance. CHAI has been operational in Ethiopia since 2005 and has worked in collaboration with the Ethiopian government and health related organizations to address major causes of mortality and morbidity in Ethiopia. There are currently 9 programs and over 120  staff and management in Ethiopia, as well as a network of 1,500 CHAI staff and senior experts globally.  For more information, please visit: http://www.clintonhealthaccess.org.

CHAI is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and is committed to providing an environment of fairness, and mutual respect where all applicants have access to equal employment opportunities. CHAI values diversity and inclusion and recognizes that our mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people with diverse experience, backgrounds, and culture.

Position Overview: 

The achievement of the 2030 Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) goals depends on the ability of national programs to use high-quality, timely data to inform their decision-making and program delivery. A number of factors limit the use of high-quality data at country program and operational levels including the absence of decision relevant NTD indicators in health information systems; the fragmented nature of the available data; limited access to timely information, analytics, visualizations and evidence; and lack of staff capacity and time to creatively review and interpret data. Global and regional initiatives promoting the sharing and use of information for decision making, such as The Expanded Special Project for the Elimination of NTDs (ESPEN) offer exciting promise for overcoming some of these challenges but effective uptake into country planning and operational processes has been insufficient to date.

In Ethiopia, CHAI is working with the government to improve the availability of high-quality information across relevant levels of the health system, and to help NTD programs more routinely use data and analytics to inform strategic planning and program implementation.  The main expected outcome is that evidence based decisions inform strategies, planning and implementation of NTD work at the national and subnational level.

CHAI is seeking a highly motivated and mission-driven NTD Data Use Regional Officer to drive the success of this initiative, communicating and executing against a coherent vision in Ethiopia. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to be part of an innovative initiative that aims to transform how data and modelling can be used to inform decision-making within Neglected Tropical Disease programs.

The NTD Data Use Regional Officer will be a core member of the CHAI team and will contribute to our efforts to support the government to achieve NTD elimination and control goals. They will have deep personal commitment to producing results and be able to work independently and strategically to drive implementation. They must be a highly motivated, entrepreneurial individual with outstanding project management, problem-solving, organizational, relationship management and communication skills. 

The NTD Data Use Regional Officer will be based in Southwest Ethiopian (SWE) region and will report to the SWE Regional Health Bureau Disease Prevention and Control Directorate Director and CHAI NTD Data Use Program Manager for organizational tasks. This position will play a critical role in advancing the project goal by serving as a liaison for subnational project implementation. 

Responsibilities:

• Work with regional NTD focal person to advance program goals.  Specific areas of support include:
  • Work with regional and district health teams to ensure timely and accurate collection of NTD data from health facilities.
  • Support strengthening of data quality review mechanisms and conducting data quality assessments
  • Work to improve data systems; support development or expansion of digitized systems and  forms
  • Conduct regular data analysis to identify trends, gaps, and areas for intervention.
  • Support strengthening of  data review meetings to inform decision-making
  • Expand use of modeling/analytics used to inform elimination strategies and interventions
  • Work with program team to design and conduct capacity building to expand NTD and data capacity of NTD program and health workers
  • Identify and establish partnerships established with local organizations, academic and technology partners in the region
  • Work with program team  to ensure NTD program knowledge is stored and shared
  • Build capacity of NTD staff on data analysis, analytics, and writing
• Continuously build strong relationships with stakeholders from government, partner organizations and local institutions to facilitate coordination, problem solving, alignment of objectives and delivery of results 
• Work in close partnership with other CHAI country staff, 
• Work with program team to proactively monitor, measure and manage execution of CHAI’s NTD program in South West Ethiopia Region to ensure that expected deliverables and targets are achieved on time and within budget.  
• Work with program team to identify and problem-solve challenges in meeting program objectives, including internal and external conflict resolution, budget constraints, and other operational challenges, applying a strategic, solution-oriented approach to adjust objectives and activities accordingly
• Synthesize results and communicate them internally and externally regional venues through high-quality presentations, reports and publications as needed
• Contribute to development of project donor reports ensuring adherence to reporting timelines
• Any other tasks as assigned

Qualifications:

• Master's Degree (Public Health, Health Informatics, Business Administration or related field) with 7 years of experience or bachelor’s with 10 years of experience
• Strong data management, analysis and other monitoring and evaluation skills
• Experience with health management information systems (HMIS).
• Experience working at subnational level and providing mentorship, coaching or technical assistance 
• Exceptional problem-solving solving skills and analytical capabilities. Ability to effectively scope problems, anticipate and pre-empt emerging issues, and make decisions with conviction even in highly ambiguous contexts
• Demonstrated ability to learn quickly, connect the dots and act upon technical information and translate scientific knowledge into actionable insights for decision-making. Ability to adapt to new environments and challenges.
• Experience working and communicating with government officials and multilateral organizations; ability to navigate complex government processes 
• Ability to favorably influence decision making processes in a diplomatic and collaborative manner
• Ability to work independently without extensive structural or operational support (handle multiple tasks simultaneously, set priorities, delegate, and work independently) 
• Ability to be effective in high-pressure situations and work in a fast-paced, multicultural environment
• Ability be patient and to achieve maximum efficiency and impact with limited human and financial resources
• Fluency in English language, both written and oral
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Experience working in public health and with international organizations;
• Knowledge of NTDs or other global infectious diseases; and understanding of disease surveillance with knowledge of global health issues
• Experience in disease surveillance, including analysis and review of data for program planning and decisions
• Experience with information technology and systems; digitization
• Experience living or working in Southwest Ethiopia

Advantages 

How To Apply

CHAI-EthiopiaHR@clintonhealthaccess.org and/ Or www.ethiojobs.net