Infection Prevention and Control Technical Advisor - embedded role

Infection Prevention and Control Technical Advisor

Embedded at the Federal Ministry of Health, Ethiopia

***Please apply by submitting your CV and cover letter on our website using this link: IPC Technical Advisor***

Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL) works closely with low- and middle-income country governments, the World Health Organization, academic and other civil society partners to strengthen national capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to epidemic threats and build capacity for and implement a core package of interventions to reduce cardiovascular disease. Resolve to Save Lives’ Prevent Epidemics unit works closely with Ministries of Health and national public health institutes in Africa to strengthen epidemic preparedness capacity, accelerate disease detection and response, and to use data effectively to inform action. In addition to direct partnership with governments, we also work with implementing partners including US CDC, the World Health Organization, World Bank, and Global Health Advocacy Incubator to implement programs, prototype new innovations, and ensure sustainability through increased national ownership, including domestic budget allocations. To find out more about our work, visit: https://www.resolvetosavelives.org and https://preventepidemics.org/.

In partnership with the World Health Organization and Ethiopia’s Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), RTSL has been supporting the implementation of a hypertension control program in selected government primary health care facilities. In addition, RTSL, in collaboration with implementing partners, including the Ethiopian Public Health Institute is implementing the Epidemic Ready Primary Healthcare (ERPHC) project in Sidama and Addis Ababa to ensure healthcare workers at selected primary health facilities can detect priority pathogens, and protect themselves while treating patients. The project also aims to continue to strengthen the national IPC program and make primary health facilities epidemic ready through longitudinal capacity building, supportive supervision, monitoring of key indicators, and data use to guide tailored interventions at the health facility and national levels.

Position Purpose:

The Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Technical Advisor, embedded to the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health, will provide technical assistance to the FMOH in support of a unified, evidence-based strategy and coordinated approach to strengthen the national IPC program. The incumbent will support the creation of an enabling environment for IPC through systems level changes at the national and regional level including budget advocacy to increase domestic financing for IPC and will support the design and implementation of activities to step up the IPC score as described in the new IPC technical area in the 3rd edition of the Joint External Evaluation. The incumbent will support with ensuring allocated funds for IPC are efficiently and effectively utilized and coordinate IPC activities across partners.

The incumbent will also strengthen the capacity of the IPC focal point at the FMOH, and support task shifting of activities to increase sustainability of the national program beyond the RTSL project. The incumbent will work in collaboration with the FMOH, NGOs, multi-lateral and bi-lateral partners, and other organizations to develop and implement national, district, and community level strategies to improve IPC practices in Ethiopia. In addition, the incumbent will monitor and evaluate IPC implementation to meet national and international standards, support quality improvement initiatives, and conduct supportive site supervision visits as needed. In addition, the incumbent will support FMOH coordination for the RTSL ERPHC initiative and work closely with RTSL’s Senior Program Manager, ERPHI, Regional Health Bureaus, and woreda health offices to strengthen IPC at primary health facilities.

Roles and Responsibilities:

Key duties and responsibilities reporting to the Lead Executive Officer, Health Systems, Innovation and Quality Office, Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health and internal reporting to the RTSL Program Coordinator: Full time 12-month fixed term employment position at the FMOH.

Capacity Building and Technical Assistance

• Provide technical assistance to the FMOH in support of a unified, evidence-based strategy and coordinated approach to IPC implementation

• Develop and enhance IPC skills and knowledge across national, regional, and health facility levels through tailored support (e.g., trainings, supportive supervision visits, etc.)

• Support the development of a one-year annual workplan for IPC with timelines for implementation of key activities based on the national IPC Policy and IPC Strategy and Roadmap

• Strengthen capacity of IPC focal point and staff at the FMOH

• Coordinate high-quality, current, evidence-based training on IPC

• Provide mentorship and ongoing capacity building for health facility-level IPC focal points to ensure appropriate facility monitoring visits are effective and IPC gaps are identified and addressed

• Enhance understanding of the broader IPC context in Ethiopia by reviewing key IPC documents (e.g., policies, guidelines, assessment results, scientific literature)

• With RTSL, MOH IPC staff, regional IPC focal points, and woreda health office staff, conduct periodic quality assurance visits to health facilities

• Synthesize health facility data on IPC and identify existing gaps; work with implementing partners on addressing existing gaps through capacity building, mentorship, and supportive supervision

• Support data use for evidence-based policy and decision-making

IPC Advocacy

• Support creation of an enabling environment for IPC, including advocacy efforts to increase domestic financing for IPC at the national and regional levels and dedicated staff for IPC at the national level

• Ensure effective and efficient use of allocated IPC funding at the national level

Project Coordination

• Participate in bi-weekly meetings with the FMOH and RTSL teams to ensure coordination of activities, including the ERPHC project

• Share a monthly program report with the RTSL team to document progress, bottlenecks, and priorities for the upcoming month

Proactive Stakeholder Engagement and Communication

• Build and sustain strong relationships with stakeholders at all levels, from national to regional levels, ensuring transparent and ongoing communication of progress and insights

• Support change management and sustainability of relevant initiatives

Qualifications:

Educational Requirements:

• MD, Health officer, BSC nursing, Infectious disease specialist, with IPC training, or master's degree in environmental health, IPC or related disciplines

Required Experience and Skills:

• Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in infection prevention and control of large-scale health and health service delivery and systems strengthening programs

• Must possess proven knowledge and skills in IPC, including management and implementation of IPC programs at health facilities

• Ability to provide technical exercise in applying IPC principles to unique and different settings

• Experience in advocacy efforts and knowledge of the Ethiopian budget cycle

• Strong organizational and extensive management experience and communication skills including demonstrated ability to work effectively with persons at all levels of the public health system

• Proven ability to multitask across various planning and implementation processes within a highly demanding environment

• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written. Strong project management abilities, including organizing workflows, adhering to timelines, and focusing on critical details

• Demonstrated experience in collaborating with various types of partners including Ministries of Health

• Proficiency in MS Office applications

Duration: 12 months fixed-term employment position

Setting: Qualified candidates will be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and required to work from the Federal Ministry of Health. Internal travel to regions and health facilities will be required.

How To Apply

Please submit your CV and cover letter on our website via this link: IPC Technical Advisor.