Director, Health Security Capacity Strengthening (Guatemala Global Health Security (GHS) Activity) At Global Communities

Overview

Location: Guatemala City, Guatemala

Reports to: Chief of Party

Please Note: This position is contingent upon award and USAID approval with an anticipated start date of April/May 2025.

Global Communities works at the intersection of humanitarian assistance, sustainable development, and financial inclusion to save lives, advance equity and secure strong futures. We support communities at the forefront of their own development in more than 35 countries, partnering with local leaders, governments, civil society and the private sector to achieve a shared vision of a more just, prosperous and equitable global community. We work with government, non-government, private sector, and community stakeholders to promote transparency, foster accountability, and access the channels they need to make their voices heard, promote change, and realize their full potential.

Global Communities seeks a qualified candidate for the position of Director, Health Security Capacity Strengthening for the upcoming USAID Guatemala Global Health Security (GHS) Activity. The goal of USAID Guatemala GHS is to enhance health system capabilities, promoting resilience and autonomy in preventing, detecting, mitigating and responding to the health and economic impacts of emerging infectious disease outbreaks.

The GHS Capacity Strengthening Director will provide technical leadership and oversight to the project’s “One Health” capacity development strategy to ensure high-quality, sustainable technical support and capacity strengthening that is tailored to the needs of each local entity and/or government unit at the national or sub-national level (department, district, community). They will develop and drive a cross-cutting, systems-based approach for capacity strengthening across project activities. The GHS Capacity Strengthening Director will collaborate with the project’s technical and program teams to ensure all government “One Health” partners and local entities/units have appropriate capacity strengthening support. Capacity strengthening includes individual, team/unit, and organizational strengthening, including the skills and systems needed for effective and sustainable multi-sectoral coordinating mechanisms. GHS will improve technical and operational health security capacity across diverse technical areas, e.g., policy, laboratory, surveillance, health workforce training, emergency response operations, personnel deployment and risk communication toward more sustainable structures. This position reports to the Chief of Party and serves as a key personnel position on the leadership team. We are looking for passionate, dedicated professionals to help us build the world we envision: one of expanded opportunity, where crises give way to resilience and all people thrive.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Chief of Party during the project start-up to develop work plans, concept notes, strategies, tools, and budgets that reflect the project’s capacity strengthening requirements and needs.
• Design/assist capacity strengthening mapping exercises and assessments at multiple levels for key stakeholders in the GHS response in order to identify and prioritize gaps/strengths for skills transfer, management development, technical strengthening, and sustainability of GHS interventions.
• Provide technical leadership and guidance on organizational development for local organizations to successfully comply with USG Rules and Regulations and achieve USAID program performance goals, as required.
• Oversee the development and implementation of annual GHS Technical Support and Capacity Strengthening Plans in coordination with technical advisors and local counterpart leaders and operations managers.
• Monitor implementation of day-to-day capacity strengthening activities, such as training, mentoring, development of tools, standard operating procedures, and communities of practice. Support constructive feedback by counterparts of TA interventions carried out by GHS staff and other providers.
• Ensure that local entities/units or networks receive targeted, timely high quality technical capacity strengthening assistance that draws from local or regional sources and experts including on-line training/TA platforms and face-to-face group activities.
• Work directly with local organizations/units or networks of GHS stakeholders, building on the successes and lessons learned from USAID’s local partner transition and localization efforts
• Work directly with government ministries working on the One Health approach to prevent, detect, mitigate, and respond to health threats.
• In coordination with M&E, monitor and track the quality and sustainability outcomes and results of the GHS capacity strengthening interventions and use this data/information to continually improve the project’s performance.
• Regularly consult and network with local partners, government stakeholders, TA providers and private sector partners to develop platforms for cross learning to share information and innovate on effective, sustainable capacity development interventions to promote resilience and autonomy of Guatemala’s response to emerging threats and infectious disease outbreaks.
• Coordinate closely with the Chief of Party and Finance Director to ensure that capacity development interventions are in line with program goals and budget.

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree or equivalent in Public Health, Veterinary Science, Environmental Sciences, or related field
• Preferred previous USAID experience with a proven track record on effective team leadership of capacity strengthening and sustaining performance success.
• Five (5) years of increasing experience in designing and implementing capacity-strengthening technical assistance to local partners in global health including operational, technical and systems strengthening. Familiarity with the global health security field, as relates to specific capacity strengthening applications.
• Demonstrated understanding of/expertise in applying USAID’s localization policy, including knowledge of capacity strengthening frameworks, systems thinking, organizational development, health systems strengthening, training systems and outcome measurement.
• Excellent inter-personal, group facilitation and training skills and ability to work collaboratively on a wide range of issues related to Global Health Security capacity strengthening.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to manage a complex workload and deadlines.
• Spanish fluency or advanced proficiency required. English language proficiency (reading and writing) preferred.
• Experience in Guatemala required. Local Guatemalan nationals are strongly encouraged to apply.
• A passion for the mission and values of Global Communities.

Travel requirements: Up to 30% in-country travel

Global Communities positively welcomes and seeks applications from all sections of society. We are committed to a work environment that respects the dignity and worth of everyone and offers equal opportunity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment.

Global Communities holds strict safeguarding principles and has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment. In the process of recruitment, selection, and appointment, Global Communities will conduct robust reference and background screening checks, including international vetting as a signature of the Global Misconduct Disclosure Scheme to ensure children and vulnerable adults are safeguarded, and abuse is prevented. The incumbent is required to carry out their duties in accordance with Global Communities Safeguarding policy and the Standards of Conduct.