Senior Public Health Specialist (Influenza and Other Respiratory Pathogens) at Embassy of The United States

The Embassy of the United States of America to Kenya, located in Nairobi, is home to the diplomatic mission of the United States to the Republic of Kenya. The embassy opened in central Nairobi on 2 March 1964, when the United States established diplomatic relations with Kenya.

Duties

The job holder serves as a Senior Public Health Specialist supporting Influenza Program activities and is responsible for planning, formulating, analyzing, evaluating, and/or implementing policies for CDC’s public health programs for influenza, and respiratory pathogen surveillance, prevention and control activities. This job holder will provide comprehensive public health disease and surveillance advice, research and assistance directed to the development and readiness to detect, respond, and manage outbreaks of avian/human influenza and other emerging infectious diseases in Kenya and the region. The job holder will work with partners to establish surveillance to monitor the circulation and impact of respiratory pathogens and improve laboratory support for surveillance and outbreak response. The position holder will also be involved in partner contact that includes senior and mid-level officials at the ministry of health and a wide variety of implementing partners. The position will report to the Influenza Program Director in Kenya.

Qualifications and Evaluations

EXPERIENCE:

• Three years of mid-to-senior level public health experience in developing, implementing and evaluating public health programs or other relevant public health programs that involve coordination with an international agency or implementing partner is required. One additional year of experience at the managerial level with multiple staff is required.

JOB KNOWLEDGE: 

Technical knowledge of the epidemiology of the range of influenza and other respiratory pathogens and infectious disease programs, policies, regulations is required. Must be conversant with survey design and questionnaire development, data management programs and working knowledge of statistical analysis methods. Detailed knowledge of the Kenyan health care system and structures including familiarity with Ministry of Health (MOH) policies, program priorities and regulations is required. Familiarity with the Kenya immunization programs is highly desirable. In-depth specialist knowledge of USG infectious disease public health programs, strategies, methods, processes and techniques used to plan, develop, implement and evaluate results of prevention programs is required. Good working knowledge of team management techniques to plan, organize and direct multi-disciplinary project teams and activities is required. Good working knowledge of overall administrative requirements, budgeting and fiscal management in support of contracts/cooperative agreements/grants/purchase requisitions is required. Good working knowledge of team management techniques to plan, organize and direct multi-disciplinary project teams and activities is required.

Education Requirements:

Doctoral level degree (Doctor of Public Health (DrPH), Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or host country equivalent degree in medicine, public health, health policy, epidemiology, psychology, behavioral, counseling or social work is required.

LANGUAGE: Level IV (fluent) English (read/speak/write) (This may be tested). Kiswahili Level III (read/speak/write) is required.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES:Strong oral and written communications skills are required. Ability to lead project teams and work groups and to develop effective working relationships with national and international working partners is required. The incumbent will be expected to exercise considerable ingenuity and tack in applying guidelines to unique and different settings, as the work is highly complex. Incumbent will be required to develop innovative methods to collect data more effectively and efficiently using new technology. Training and experience with MS Office and working knowledge and application of statistical analysis software such as SAS, STATA or R is required.

Qualifications: All applicants under consideration will be required to pass medical and security certifications.

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