Public Health Specialist (Senior Immunization Specialist) at the U.S. Embassy

The U.S. Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria is seeking eligible and qualified applicants for the position below:

Job Title: Public Health Specialist (Senior Immunization Specialist)

Announcement Number: Abuja-2019-024
Location: Abuja
Series/Grade: LE – 0550 11
Promotion Potential: LE-11
Hiring Agency: Embassy Abuja
Appointment Type: Permanent
Work Schedule: Full-time – 40 hours per week
Security Clearance Required: Public Trust – Background Investigation
Appointment Type Details: Indefinite subject to successful completion of probationary period

Summary

The work schedule for this position is: Full Time (40 hours per week)
Start date: Candidate must be able to begin working within a reasonable period of time (6 weeks) of receipt of agency authorization and/or clearances/certifications or their candidacy may end.

Duties

Under the supervision of the CDC Abuja Director of the Global Immunization Division (GID), the incumbent will provide technical support to the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and other participating partners in the design, implementation and strengthening of routine disease surveillance systems and in the conduct of surveys designed to measure Vaccine Preventable Disease (VPD) prevalence and other indicators necessary for accurately evaluating the impact of Routine Immunization (RI) programs.
The incumbent will work in cooperation with staff from the Government of Nigeria at all levels to apply disease-reporting procedures and population-based surveillance methodologies to ensure that GID’s program objectives are met.
In addition, the incumbent will focus on improving routine immunization coverage in the country, which is a key requirement towards polio eradication.

Qualifications and Evaluations
Requirements:

Experience: Five (5) years of mid- to senior-level public health experience in the public health programs: planning, training, management and development of epidemiological surveillance and/or large scale surveys, immunization with emphasis on disease eradication and control; and an additional one (1) year experience at the managerial level is required.

Job Knowledge:

Detailed knowledge of the epidemiology of Polio, Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPD), immunization data systems, Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance, surveillance systems, Supplemental Immunization Activities (SIAs), as well as knowledge of the agency’s role and function in supporting the host country’s Routine Immunization (RI) and surveillance system, and intra-agency procedures for coordination with agency headquarters.
Detailed knowledge of immunization program improvement interventions, polio eradication strategies, research methods and the collection, analysis and presentation of public health/epidemiologic data in order to plan, design, direct the implementation of and the collection, analysis and dissemination of immunization epidemiological and surveillance data. This includes knowledge of the principles, theories and practices of internationally recognized standards for RI, polio, and surveillance as well as regulation and procedure.
Detailed knowledge of the host government health care system and structures including familiarity with Ministry of Health policies, program priorities and regulations is required.
Good working knowledge of team management techniques to plan, organize and direct multi-disciplinary project tams and activities, as well as working knowledge of the District Health Information System (DHIS2).
Detailed knowledge of the structure and function of endemic and international NGOs providing polio eradication efforts, immunization services, as well as understanding of the work and current projects of other collaborating and donor agencies as to how overall AFP and VPD RI and surveillance of the programs is being conducted and how data is being analyzed.

Education Requirements:

Medical Degree (MBBS/BMBch) or Master’s Degree in Public Health, Epidemiology, Demography is required.

Evaluations:

This may be tested.

Language:

Level IV (Fluent) speaking/reading/writing of English is required.

Skills and Abilities:

Technical expertise in public health interventions, particularly the epidemiology and surveillance of communicable diseases, with emphasis on immunization and the organization of immunization campaigns.
Capacity to develop and conduct operational research, evaluation, monitoring, data analysis to assess progress in implementing public health interventions, specifically as it relates to polio.
Ability to establish effective working relationships with people of different nationalities and cultural background.
Proven experience to interact with multi-disciplinary and multi-national teams.
Strong analytical skills to readily understand and discuss routine immunization and polio interventions as well as capacity to understand new surveillance program design, management, and implementation approaches are required. This includes the development of evaluation designs, use of reliable and valid instruments, and methods for data collection, analysis and reports.
Excellent oral and written communications skills are required to develop and maintain effective, sustainable working relationships with national and international working partners and to prepare substantive and analytical reporting.
Strong management skills are required to operate independently with limited direct supervision of day-to-day activities and to lead results-driven project teams and workgroups.
Excellent overall computer skills (keyboarding with both speed and accuracy) and advanced skill levels in use of at least one of the most common epidemiologic data analysis software (EPINFO, STATA, SAS, or SPSS) is required.
Excellent numerical skills for manipulating and reporting statistical data is required.
Experience in the setting of computer software development standards, specifications and guidelines as well as experience working within already set standards to implement IT solutions is required.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO):

The U.S. Mission provides equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation.

Qualifications:

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

Benefits and Other Info
Agency Benefits:

Locally Employed Staff, including Members of Household (MOHs), and Third-Country Nationals (TCNs), working at the U.S. Mission in Abuja, Nigeria may receive a compensation package that may include health, separation, and other benefits.
For EFMs, benefits should be discussed with the Human Resources Office.
The pay plan is assigned at the time of the conditional offer letter by the HR Office.

Other Information
Hiring Preference Selection Process:

Applicants in the following hiring preference categories are extended a hiring preference in the order listed below. Therefore, it is essential that these applicants accurately describe their status on the application. Failure to do so may result in a determination that the applicant is not eligible for a hiring preference.

Hiring Preference Order:

AEFM / USEFM who is a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran*
AEFM / USEFM
FS on LWOP and CS with reemployment rights **

Important

Applicants who claim status as a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran must submit a copy of their most recent DD-214 (“Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty”), equivalent documentation, or certification.
A “certification” is any written document from the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions within 120 days after the certification is submitted by the applicant. The certification letter should be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and contain (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and (2) the character of service. Acceptable documentation must be submitted in order for the preference to be given.
This level of preference applies to all Foreign Service employees on LWOP and CS with re-employment rights back to their agency or bureau.
For more information (i.e., what is an EFM, USEFM, AEFM, MOH, etc.?) and for additional employment considerations, please visit the following link.

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