Malaria Policy Advisor Jobs

The Public Health Institute (PHI) is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting health, well-being, and quality of life for people throughout California, across the nation and around the world. As one of the largest and most comprehensive public health organizations in the nation, we are at the forefront of research and innovations to improve the efficacy of public health statewide, nationally, and internationally.

The Global Health Training, Advisory and Support Contract (GHTASC) delivers effective global health programming to advance the mission of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Bureau for Global Health (GH) through institutional support and workforce development services from junior, mid-level, senior and expert advisory and administrative professionals.

The Africa Bureau’s Office of Sustainable Development (AFR/SD) provides intellectual, technical and strategic leadership to the bureau on sectoral policies, priorities and budgets through analyses, strategy development, program design, technical assistance, advocacy and information dissemination. It comprises four divisions: health; education; conflict, peacebuilding and governance; and economic growth, agriculture and trade. AFR/SD’s Health Division (where this position will sit) is dedicated to improving health outcomes across Africa and supporting our Missions to do so. Programming ~$14 million USD each year, the team focuses on: 1) strengthening, supporting, and elevating regional institutions and partnerships; 2) recognizing and leveraging multi-sectoral approaches responsive to key health and development challenges; and 3) identifying and communicating regional trends, challenges, and opportunities. The team, comprised of ~20 technical experts spanning COVID-19, HIV, TB, malaria, maternal and child health, family planning, health systems strengthening, and global health security- builds relationships between AFR and other work units across the Agency and interagency, ensuring that AFR context is applied to global health policy, programming, and decision-making.

Within the Africa Region, the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) is the USG’s flagship global malaria initiative led by USAID and implemented together with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The aim of PMI is to reduce the intolerable burden of malaria and help relieve poverty on the African continent. When PMI was launched in 2005, the goal was to reduce malaria-related mortality by 50% by a rapid scale-up of a package of proven malaria prevention and treatment measures: artemisinin-based combination therapy; insecticide-treated mosquito nets, intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy, and indoor residual spraying. USAID is the lead agency for implementation of the PMI. The contributions of PMI, together with those of other partners, have led to dramatic improvements in the coverage of malaria control interventions in PMI-supported countries, and all 15 original countries have documented substantial declines in all-cause mortality rates among children less than five years of age.

This is a one-year time limited position with the possiblity of extension to another year.

In collaboration with other Health Division members, the Malaria Policy Advisor will:

• Strengthen relationships with key African institutions in order to work collaboratively on advancing shared goals.
• Provide expert advice on malaria-related technical and programmatic direction and activity design, including through serving on technical working groups, joining and presenting at high-level meetings and workshops, and preparing and conducting presentations and papers.
• Serve in a liaison capacity with counterparts in Bureau for Global Health, PMI, and other intra- and inter-Agency colleagues to ensure coordinated support for countries and sub-regions within Africa.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Work closely with PMI and AFR leadership to help identify and take advantage of various opportunities to increase visibility of the President’s Malaria Initiative within the global health, development, and foreign policy spaces.
• Identify and advance opportunities between malaria and other development sectors in the AFR region to achieve development objectives, supporting cross-sectoral and multi-sectoral integration as appropriate.
• Provide technical guidance to the Health Division’s programmatic portfolio and serve as activity manager to one or more AFR/SD/Health-funded awards that contain malaria-specific activities, particularly as related to PMI- and malaria-specific policies and programs in Western, Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa.
• Provide technical support and advice on strategies, malaria operational plans, activities, reporting, and other areas related to USAID’s PMI programs in Africa, including by directly providing technical and programmatic support to 1-2 PMI focal countries in Africa.
• Serve as a member of the Global Health country team support system, providing direct support to certain African countries in the region, with a particular focus on PMI priority countries.

• Master’s degree with 6 years of relevant experience, bachelor’s degree with 8 years of relevant experience, Associate’s degree and 10 years of relevant experience, OR High School graduate and 12 years of relevant experience.

• High degree of judgment, ingenuity, and originality to interpret strategy and to analyze, develop, and present work results.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and solve problems, and coordinate, manage, and support activities that lead to mutual success across the different sectors.
• Demonstrated ability to provide intellectual leadership and operate strategically.
• Working-level proficiency in French is preferred.
• US. Citizenship with the ability to obtain and maintain secret clearance required.
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and in a team environment.
• Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally (anticipate 20%)

• Continual Learning: Assesses and recognizes own strengths and weaknesses; pursues professional development that is aligned with organizational role, contribution, and goals. Proactively shares knowledge with others to foster learning across the Organization.
• Interpersonal Skills: Employee demonstrates ability to work in cooperation with others and communicate effectively with co-workers, supervisors, subordinates, clients, and other outside contacts.
• Innovation: Employee takes initiative to propose new ideas/approaches and demonstrates ability to find new and better ways to accomplish work.
• Accountability: Takes ownership of work responsibilities and holds high standards. Keeps commitments and takes appropriate actions to ensure obligations are met. Pursues efficiency and effectiveness and adheres to organization policies and procedures.
• Customer Service: Handles customer questions and complaints, communicates with customers, handles service problems politely and efficiently, always available for customers, follows procedure to solve customer problems, understands company products and services, maintains pleasant and professional image.