Project Management Specialist (HIV BioMedical Prevention) At US Agency for International Development

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. SOLICITATION NO.: 21-167 **

2. ISSUANCE DATE: November 1, 2021**

3. CLOSING DATE/TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: November 12, 2021 (4:30 PM East Africa Time)

4. POSITION TITLE: Project Management Specialist (HIV BioMedical Prevention)**

5. MARKET VALUE: Equivalent to FSN-PSC11 (Step 1 4,792,523.00 KSH to Step 13 8,147,267.00 KSH per annum)**.** In accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan of USAID/Kenya and East Africa. Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.*

6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Initial six (6) months probationary period, with an additional six (6) months upon successful completion of probation period. Additional four (4) option years contingent on fully successful or better performance rating, funds availability and the continued need to retain the position.**

7. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Nairobi, Kenya; with possible travel as stated in the Statement of Work.**

8. SECURITY CERTIFICATION REQUIRED: Prior to joining USAID, the selected candidate will be required to:**

· Undergo a comprehensive background investigation

· Undergo a health check to obtain medical clearance and;

· Obtain and retain an embassy issued Security Certification.

9. STATEMENT OF DUTIES: (See Below).

10. AREA OF CONSIDERATION: Open to qualified Kenyan Citizens and current employees of the U.S. Government. USAID provides equal opportunity and equitable treatment for employment of all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status or sexual orientation.

11. PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The position requirements do not involve rigorous physical demands.

II. BACKGROUND

In Kenya, a consortium of United States Government (USG) agencies is charged with coordinating and managing the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) under the leadership of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator. These agencies include USAID/KEA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Peace Corps, the Department of State (DOS) and the Department of Defense (DOD). The goal is to develop and implement one coherent USG HIV/AIDS program in Kenya combining the strengths and capabilities of all agencies. The Chief of Mission (COM) provides overall guidance to the interagency team and the PEPFAR Coordination Office facilitates complementarities among the various activities implemented by the USG agencies, the GOK and other HIV/AIDS donors in Kenya. The Specialist facilitates communication and ensures collaborative working relationships with high-level decision makers, as well as with technical staff in host country ministries (e.g. Health, Education, and Labour), regional health entities, USAID/Washington counterparts, and with other donors and non-governmental organizations working in the health, education and social welfare sectors.

The Project Management Specialist – (HIV Biomedical Prevention) – provides strategic guidance, program monitoring and support to select USAID implementing partners (IPs), which deliver HIV biomedical prevention services throughout Kenya. The general responsibilities of the position are to ensure that all activities contribute to empowering individuals to protect themselves from HIV, ultimately enabling Kenyans to lead longer, healthier lives. Specifically, the Specialist will work as part of the core USAID/Kenya and East Africa HIV Team and the broader PEPFAR interagency as well as with the GOK, NGOs, and the private sector, and contribute to the prevention agenda, including the identification of new and emerging biomedical HIV prevention activities that contribute to the enhancement of health outcomes. Technical duties include leading efforts to ensure HIV biomedical prevention interventions are based on the latest relevant science and that scientific knowledge is translated into program guidelines and practices for the national program, incorporating new interventions into the national strategy including voluntary male medical circumcision (VMMC), medication-assisted treatment (MAT), pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Strategic planning duties include representing USAID and the USG at the mid-career level, including interagency and technical strategy and policy working groups. The position functions under the supervision of the HIV Clinical Services Sub-team Leader. The incumbent has a mastery of global health, HIV prevention, as well as the entire USAID/USG health portfolio. The Specialist may be assigned to act for the HIV Clinical Services Sub-team Leader in their absence or preoccupation.

III. MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

a. Management of USAID/ Kenya and East Africa’s HIV Prevention Activities with a focus on Biomedical Prevention (50%)

· Oversees and coordinates USAID supported activities for all aspects of HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention implemented at multiple delivery sites and among multiple partners to conform to national guidelines and U.S. Government (USG) technical strategies. Leads the implementation of monitoring and evaluation activities for biomedical-focused HIV and STI prevention programs including HIV Testing Services (HTS) and VMMC, PEP, PrEP, MAT and other emerging high impact, evidence based biomedical interventions such as self-testing and HIV vaccine development. Liaises closely with the Sub-team Leader for implementation and evaluation of biomedical HIV and STI prevention activities and coordinates closely with other HIV team and HPN staff as needed to ensure synergy across activities; disseminates information and report regularly to the HIV Team and Sub-Team Leads, HPN Office leadership, and PEPFAR Interagency Technical Teams and Liaisons on activity progress, implementation challenges, and other issues.

· Serves as an Agreement/Contracts Officer’s Representative (A/COR) for at least one Biomedical HIV prevention award and as activity manager for at least one award. Analyze financial reports, including reporting on activity burn rates and pipelines and expenditure accruals, reviewing reports from partners with particular attention to activity and financial indicators.

· Provides clinical and technical direction to implementing partner(s) and cooperating agency counterparts, reaching agreement on follow-up activities, and following through to ensure they are effectively carried out. Conduct regular site visits to review implementation of clinical prevention programs. Based on information collected during field visits, communicate findings and recommendations for strengthening biomedical HIV prevention activities to the HIV Team and, as appropriate, implementing partners and Government of Kenya counterparts. Assists implementing partners to understand compliance with all relevant USAID and PEPFAR regulations and procedures. Based on observations, assessment reports, performance statistics and other available data, make programmatic recommendations to the PEPFAR Inter-Agency Team (PIAT).

· Organizes and coordinates management actions to support the achievement of results. Assists in the preparation of USAID project documentation and reports and maintains program management records ensuring systematic monitoring of performance. Assists in assessing implementing partner performance; conducts regular Site Improvement through Monitoring System (SIMS) visits to monitor availability and quality of services; reviews all written reports and furnishes feedback to partners; verifies asset use; assists with and conducts site visits for partner oversight; recommends and pursues measures to improve performance; provides regular status updates to the USG PEPFAR Team; and monitors the implementation of biomedical HIV and STI prevention programs to ensure that they remain in full compliance with Government of Kenya policy and PEPFAR guidance and serve the needs of Kenyans.

· Provides clinical and technical program assistance, including drafting narrative content for information and action pertaining to biomedical HIV prevention activities including clinical HTS,VMMC, MAT, PEP and PrEP activities. Prepares and writes documents related to the assigned area of responsibility, including drafting briefing papers, country operational plan entries, and annual, semi-annual, quarterly and interim reporting inputs. Prepares and clears HPN-related documentation such as action memoranda, implementation letters, scopes of work and accompanying budgets. Also prepares trip reports, activity status reports, project briefing materials and meeting summaries as needed.

· Liaises closely with all USAID/KEA HPN supported activities and team members to provide technical analysis and reports as required, including those for presentation at national, regional and international meetings and conferences.

b. Technical responsibilities (40%)

· As the subject matter expert on the intersection of clinical services and HIV prevention, the incumbent keeps abreast of current literature, trends and program experiences and provides ongoing technical assistance, training, guidance and advice about HIV with a focus on assuring quality and increasing uptake of biomedical prevention interventions.

· Leads formulation of USAID/KEA/HPN’s strategic approach to biomedical HIV/AIDS prevention programming, aligned with the Agency’s Global Health Strategy and PEPFAR guidance. Participates in the development of guidelines, operational procedures and manuals, educational materials, teaching modules, and other resources to implement biomedical HIV prevention activities and for incorporating new prevention technologies into the national program.

· Represents USAID/KEA/HPN at technical, policy and strategic meetings, including with other national collaborators and donor agencies. Makes presentations at meetings and conferences on issues relating to biomedical HIV prevention and shares USAID’s experiences in this area. Working with the Sub-team Leader, the Community Services Sub-team, and other USG counterparts, organizes learning events to update USG partners and build their capacity in state of the art approaches.

· Serves as a technical advisor for HPN-managed biomedical HIV prevention-specific mechanisms; work with HPN activity managers to ensure that biomedical HIV and STI prevention activities are technically sound. Provides expert advice to the PEPFAR Inter-Agency Team (PIAT), GOK and stakeholders on evidence-based and best practice approaches to addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic in different geographic and social contexts, with special attention to age and gender-differentiated approaches. Consults on the development and implementation of biomedical HIV prevention activities, including assistance in the application of new data and research findings to program activities. Promotes program innovations, along with strong evaluation, e.g., introduction of PrEP, PEP uptake, and HIV vaccine development.

· Advises on appropriate linkages between biomedical HIV and STI prevention services, and between clinical HIV/AIDS prevention services and other health and development priorities.

c. Preparation of Key Mission Information Products and Documents (10%)

· The HIV Biomedical Prevention Specialist will be responsible for reporting on Kenya-specific information related to select aspects of the HPN portfolio as part of the Mission’s and PEPFAR’s annual planning and reporting process; participates in the preparation of Congressional presentations; drafts technical and congressional notifications; and prepares implementing documents such as program descriptions and scopes of objectives/work for new solicitations.**

IV. POSITION ELEMENTS:

a. Supervision Received: The USAID Project Management Specialist (HIV Biomedical Prevention) works under the day-to-day supervision of the HIV/AIDS Sub-team Leader for Clinical Services or designate. Assignments are made orally and in writing. Most assignments are self-generated, and occur in the normal course of the work, but the incumbent determines those that must be coordinated with the supervisor. The supervisor provides a review of the assignment, the goals and objectives to be achieved, and the results expected. The incumbent will seek advice and assistance as required. Completed work is accepted as technically correct, and the overall assignment is reviewed in terms of results achieved.

b. Supervision Exercised: No supervision of USAID staff is expected.

c. Available Guidelines: Available guidelines include USAID Mission Orders, Mission strategy, and other relevant reports; the Automated Directives System (ADS); and, USAID Mandatory and Standard Provisions, the FAR and AIDAR, and other published and unpublished guidelines. Guidelines are often general in nature and not specific to the situation at hand, requiring considerable interpretation.

d. Exercise of Judgment: Substantial judgment (discretion) is used daily in giving technical guidance to USG, USAID, and GOK colleagues, to IPs, and in representing USAID in multiple stakeholder fora, including the highest levels of the Embassy and GOK. Management decisions over certain implementing partners are at the discretion of the incumbent. Independent judgment is required for developing, implementing, and managing assigned program/project activities, for reporting, and for other assignments.

e. Authority to Make Commitments: The incumbent retains the authority given to activity managers and A/CORs within USAID, and may make administrative arrangements consistent with ADS guidance and Mission policy. The incumbent takes action and establishes priorities based on available guidelines and professional judgment. Guidance is sought when needed, and the supervisor informed of activity and project status. Within the scope of the authority delegated, the incumbent may indicate to ranking counterpart and IP officials that they will make a recommendation to USAID on a specific activity issue or problem. The incumbent may negotiate ad referendum for the Office Chief and/or the Sub-team Leader.

f. Nature, Level, and Purpose of Contacts: The incumbent maintains a full range of contacts within USAID and the USG; with GOK, county, and local governmental organizations; and, maintains contact with implementing partners and grantees implementing USAID-funded programs/projects/activities. Within the Embassy, contacts include up to the Ambassador level. Within Mission they include up to the Mission Director level and within the Office, contacts are with counterpart staffs, as needed. Host-government, county, local, and other contacts vary widely with the type of activity being implemented, and may be at any level. Frequent and substantive personal contacts with senior level officials of the county and local governments, and with the private sector, are for the purpose of explaining and defending USAID policies, objectives, and procedures, and to transmit and interpret GOK counterpart, county and local level, and private-sector attitudes and concerns to senior USAID officials.

g. Time Expected to Reach Full Performance Level: One year.

V. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

Any application that does not meet the minimum requirements stated below will not be evaluated. Only short listed applicants will be contacted. If you have not been contacted within one month from the closing date of this advertisement, please consider your application unsuccessful.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

a. Education: Completion of a Bachelor’s of Medicine, Nursing or Surgery (MBChB or BSc.) with a graduate degree in public health or a related field and specialization in behavioral science, internal medicine, infectious diseases, and/or public health is required.

b. Prior Work Experience: Minimum of five years of progressively responsible public health experience working for a government agency and/or a development organization, and/or implementing partner, with experience spent in a developing country context supporting development programs, preferably in Kenya or a similar developing country and at least three years of strong technical experience managing biomedical HIV prevention, vaccine development programs and/or clinical quality assurance activities.

c. Post Entry Training: Familiarization training in USAID-specific procedures, regulations, and methods, and orientation to working from a donor-Agency perspective, etc., will be provided. Successful completion of formal A/COR certification courses is required. Other training to maintain professional capability in the field, and other courses offered for professional USAID staff, as appropriate; and, courses, seminars, conferences, and other activities in fields related to the sector and needed to maintain and update professional qualifications as they become available will be provided, subject to offerings and the availability of funds.

d. Language Proficiency: Fluent (level 4) English and good working knowledge (level 4) Kiswahili written and oral capability is required; English-writing ability may be tested.

e. Job Knowledge: Advanced public health knowledge and experience in biomedical HIV prevention and transmission in children, adolescents, and adults is required. Thorough specialist knowledge of clinical HIV services is required. Comprehensive knowledge of the Kenyan government HIV prevention and social protection policies, health care and social welfare systems and structures including familiarity with Ministry policies, program priorities and regulations is required. The incumbent should have professional-level knowledge of development principles, concepts, and practices, especially as they relate to the devolution of the health sector and the increasing roles and responsibilities of the counties within this new formulation. The incumbent must have a good knowledge, or the potential to quickly acquire such knowledge, of USG legislation, policy, and practice relating to development assistance, of USAID programming policies, regulations, procedures, and documentation, and of the objectives, methodology, and status of assigned activities is required. The incumbent must have knowledge and understanding of the organization and respective roles of the different levels of the GOK, and the role of units within each level, in order to enhance effective communication, and to develop consensus on program/project strategy and implementation plans.

f. Skills and Abilities: Demonstrated diplomatic and leadership skills with strong oral and written communication abilities is required. Ability to analyze, understand and discuss new program design, management and implementation approaches is required. This includes the development of evaluation designs, protocol/guideline development, and methods for data collection, analysis and reports. Ability to lead project teams and workgroups and to develop effective working relationships with national and international working partners is required. The incumbent will be expected to exercise a high level of independence, ingenuity, and tact in applying guidelines to unique and different settings, as the work is highly complex. The ability to influence and persuade others will be required to work collaboratively with organizations engaged in biomedical HIV prevention activities. Skills in project programming, policies, and plans, and in developing strategies for implementation is desired. The ability to work effectively in a collaborative team environment, and to achieve consensus on policy, program/project, and administrative matters, is necessary. The work requires good computer skills in order to manage assigned activities and to achieve set goals and achievements, both technical and financial.

VI. EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS

Applicants must submit a resume/cv which describes how their relevant professional experience and education has prepared them to meet the specific challenges of the duties and responsibilities described above. As part of the interview process, those applicants ranked highest may be required to submit a timed writing sample on a topic provided. The selection committee may conduct reference checks at any time during the selection process.

Applications that do not meet the required minimum qualifications will not be scored.

• Prior work experience (30 points)
• Language (Pass/Fail)
• Job Knowledge (40 points)
• Skills and abilities (30 points)

Total possible points: 100

Candidates meeting the above required qualifications for the position will be evaluated based on information presented in the application and reference checks. References will be asked to assess the applicant’s technical knowledge, work performance, communication skills, and group dynamics, using the above criteria. USAID reserves the right to conduct interviews with the top ranked short-listed applicants. The interview will be one of the determining factors in the final selection.