Head, Diseases Surveillance & Intelligence at African Union (AU)

The African Union (AU) is a continental body consisting of the 55 member states that make up the countries of the African Continent. It was officially launched in 2002 as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU, 1963-1999).  We are an Integrated, Prosperous and Peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Head, Diseases Surveillance & Intelligence

Requisition ID: 726
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Organization: African Union Commission – AUC
Reports to: Director
Directorate/Department: Africa CDC
Division: Disease Surveillance and Intelligence
Number of Direct Reports: 4
Number of Indirect Reports: 0
Job Grade: P5
Contract  Type: Regular

Purpose of Job

• The Head of Division, Disease Surveillance and Intelligence reports to the Director, Africa CDC and is responsible for leading and coordinating the agency public health infectious disease monitoring and surveillance programmes.
• The Head oversees multi-disciplinary teams charged with carrying out specific technical work in developing, implementing, maintaining and evaluating the systems and tools employed by Africa CDC to carry out the disease surveillance framework and implementation platform outlined in the agency’s strategic plan.  The Division’s work will be implemented through a variety of initiatives including Africa CDC’s Regional Integrated Surveillance and Laboratory Networks (RISLNET) in collaboration with Member States, National Public Health Institutes, and other technical partners to strengthen capacities and enhance efficiencies of existing public health assets in the region to effectively prevent, rapidly detect, and resolutely respond to current and emerging public health threats.
• The Division’s activities will also build on existing public health disease surveillance systems and activities to generate data and reporting against targeted diseases to yield routine and events-based surveillance information for use by the Africa CDC, including its Regional Collaborating Centres (RCC) and Member State constituencies, and its core public health partners.
• The Division will also build related technical capacity of its constituent base through training and delivery of technical assistance.

Main Functions

• Manage and supervise employees within of the division with regard to the department goals objectives including performance evaluation.
• Design strategies and policies consistent with the Department’s goal in order to address the pertinent issues in the relevant area.
• Contribute to the development of the departmental business continuity plan and ensure implementation at division level
• Manage risk within the division and recommend mitigation strategies
• Design and plan policy programs to achieve the strategies.
• Develop new and existing activities as components of the strategies and policies.
• Address problems in arising to current approaches to relevant area.
• Engage stakeholders within Members States and RECs in designing and implementing strategies.
• Represent the organisation and explain its position at conferences.
• Mobilise funding from all donors to use to execute strategies and activities.
• Contribute to the preparation of periodic financial and budget execution reports and monitor budget execution at division level.
• Ensure creation of an inspiring work environment to enable staff development and professional progression.

Specific Responsibilities
The Head of Division, Disease Surveillance and Intelligence shall:

• Establish events-based surveillance (EBS) as an important mechanism for early warning, risk assessment, disease predictions and response;
• Strengthen and enhance implementation of the existing surveillance systems such as IDSR within member states and ensure linkages with animal, agriculture, environmental and other relevant sectors;
• Support countries to strengthen disease-specific surveillance systems for priority diseases (e.g. HIV, TB, Vaccine Preventable Diseases, Malaria, etc.) appropriate for the African context;
• Facilitate and strengthen RCCs in promoting inter-country collaboration on surveillance monitoring and reporting, including data sharing and use, as well as engagement of countries in RISLNET;
• Strengthen quality of data collection, management, analysis and reporting;
• Improve Africa CDC’s access to health-related data through coordination, collaboration and technical assistance with/to Member States and partners;
• Support establishment and strengthening of National Public Health Institutes to coordinate surveillance systems in a multi-sectorial approach and to ensure surveillance data informs national policy and public health action;
• Support strengthening of capacity on data analysis for action in Africa particularly by National Public Health Institutes;
• Oversee and guide development of peer review research publications in epidemiology, surveillance or related health science. Also directly prepare manuscripts for peer review publication in scientific journals.
• Represent the agency on behalf of the Director in technical meetings, conferences or similar venues where the agency seeks to be recognized to advance its mission and strategic goals.
• Represent the agencies scientific interests as a member of a scientific review committee, study group, public health task group, or comparable groups, delegated responsibility for reviewing and developing public health scientific policies, procedures and guidelines.
• Under the direction of the designated Africa CDC Incident Manager, coordinate the delivery of technical services in support of Africa CDC Emergency Response activities as appropriate and assigned.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Director.

Academic Requirements and Relevant Experience

• Master’s Degree in a relevant discipline such as, but not limited to, Public Health, basic Health Science (e.g., Biology, Chemistry), Epidemiology, Health-Services Research and related fields.

Experience and Knowledge Requirements:

• A minimum of twelve (12) years of relevant experience* in public health practice, with emphasis on infectious disease epidemiology, monitoring and surveillance, and operational research, with at least seven (7) years at managerial level out of which five (5) years should be in a supervisory role, and with wide responsibilities to lead and manage national, regional or global public health programmes;
• At least ten (10) years of the total experiences should be in public health infectious disease epidemiology and surveillance programmes at national, regional or continental public health organizations in either private or public sector domains;
• Record of high-quality, peer-reviewed epidemiology and/or outcomes research publications;
• Strong scientific leadership with proven skills in facilitation and coordination of research and public health epidemiology and surveillance programme and research activities, and motivating and developing people.
• Scientific, technical and managerial expertise and leadership in the development and enhancement of epidemiology and surveillance programmes and workforce capacity building in Africa, across different geographic regions;
• Experience in leading public health programmes;
• Broad experience in collaborating with research and programme partners and in managing multiple tasks and complex projects is expected;

Required Skills
Functional Skills:

• Mastery of the theories, concepts, principles, practices, methods and techniques of public health programme administration and other aspects of the field of public health.
• Mastery of a wide range of qualitative and/or quantitative methods for the assessment and improvement of programme effectiveness or the improvement of complex public health management processes and systems.
• Skills in the analysis and subsequent response to scientific trends in emerging infectious diseases, and to develop, apply and adjust disease surveillance strategies and policies to further agency mission, goals and objectives.
• Skills and abilities to lead people toward meeting the organization’s vision, mission, and goals and provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts.
• Strong leadership skills and presence at the executive level, with a proven ability to problem solve, communicate complex issues orally and in writing, and to work cooperatively and diplomatically with diverse stakeholders.
• Excellent technical expertise and experience in the management of complex, public health programmes.
• Comprehensive knowledge and expert skill in application of planning, budgeting, assessment, and evaluation techniques.
• Expertise in planning, organizing, and leading teams of scientific and technical experts, senior programme representatives, and extramural consultants in complex projects including programmatic analyses, evaluation, and policy, programme and tools development and implementation.
• Highest level of interpersonal and communication skills (oral and written), tact, and sensitivity in the performance of duties.
• Outstanding representational skills and experience to interact effectively with senior-level officials within the organization in other key stakeholders in both public and private-sector organizations.
• Excellent negotiation skills.
• Comprehensive knowledge of strategic planning, assessment and evaluation processes.
• Demonstrated ability with regard to computer skills, including office administration and statistical software applications and online digital information systems.

Leadership Competencies:

• Strategic Perspective
• Developing Others
• Change Management
• Managing Risk

Core Competencies:

• Building relationships
• Foster Accountability Culture
• Learning Orientation
• Communicating with impact

Functional Competencies:

• Conceptual thinking
• Job Knowledge and information sharing
• Drive for result
• Fosters Innovation

Tenure of Appointment

• The appointment will be made on a regular term contract for a period of three (3) years, of which the first twelve months shall be considered as a probationary period.
• Thereafter, the contract will be for a period of two years renewable, subject to satisfactory performance and deliverables.

Gender Mainstreaming:

• The AU Commission is an equal opportunity employer and qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.

Languages:

• Proficiency in one of the AU working languages (Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish) and fluency in another AU language is an added advantage

Remuneration
Indicative basic salary of US$  50,746.00 (P5 Step1) per annum plus other related entitlements e.g. Post adjustment ( 46% of basic salary), Housing allowance US$  26,208.00  (per annum), and education allowance (100% of tuition and other education-related expenses for every eligible dependent up to a maximum of US$ 10,000.00 per child per annum), for internationally recruited staff and a maximum of $3,300 per child per annum for locally recruited staff.

Application Closing Date
1st November, 2021.