Senior Advisor for Major Non-Communicable Diseases Program

Job Description

SENIOR ADVISOR, MAJOR NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES PROGRAM – ETHIOPIA

Resolve to Save Lives – Ethiopia Cardiovascular Health Program

Embedded with the Ethiopia Federal Ministry of Health (MOH)

This position is a 12-month technical assistance position with a potential opportunity for renewal.

BACKGROUND:

Resolve to Save Lives, an international not-for-profit organization registered in Ethiopia, collaborates with Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health (MOH) to strengthen the national and subnational cardiovascular health program, particularly the Hypertension Prevention and Control and Healthy Nutrition Project across Ethiopia. At national level, RTSL collaborates with the MOH, providing support for the formulation of health policy and legal frameworks favourable for prevention and control of non-communicable diseases and unhealthy foods. At subnational, health facility and community levels, the program interventions include hypertension prevention through screening, nutritional counselling and health education, and treatment and close follow up of clients with hypertension and comorbidities who are enrolled to intervention health facilities in six regions and city administrations across Ethiopia.

POSITION PURPSOSE AND SCOPE:

This is a senior-level, full-time position that assists the national cardiovascular health and other major NCD programs within the Ethiopia MOH. The Senior Advisor will be accountable to MOH’s Diseases Prevention and Control Lead Executive Office (or NCDs Unit desk) and Resolve to Save Lives Ethiopia. The Senior Advisor will ensure the alignment of RTSL hypertension control and nutrition programs with the strategic and operational plans of the MOH and execute the planned activities under the leadership of the MOH, subnational regional health bureaus and other health and non-health sectors. Furthermore, the Senior Advisor will strengthen fruitful partnership and collaboration with the technical working group (TWG) established under the MOH and other relevant stakeholders, including members of the national TWG for the NCD and nutrition/unhealthy diet. They will also assist the MOH to develop, implement and monitor project concepts, implementation strategies, prepare program reports and organize performance review workshops.

Based on the continued expansion of the RTSL Ethiopia program, revisions may be made to the job responsibilities.

KEY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Senior Advisor will perform the following duties and other similar duties as seen relevant by the MOH.

Leadership, advocacy, and partnership management

• Provide strategic leadership and technical support to MOH’s NCD team and relevant technical working group (TWG) to roll out the national NCD/CVH program and enhance adherence to standard protocols.
• Work closely with the NCD team and relevant technical working group (TWG) to establish fruitful partnerships and coordinate key stakeholders, including members of the national TWG for NCD and nutrition. Assist MOH in developing, implementing and monitoring and program activity plans.
• At subnational levels, assist NCD units in regional health bureaus and intervention health facilities to implement and monitor evidence-based hypertension and nutrition programs.
• Work with MOH and RTSL and develop effective advocacy strategies for mobilizing domestic and global resources for NCD program.
• In close consultation with RTSL nutrition team, assist MOH leadership to expedite the formulation of unhealthy diet control legal frameworks, and prepare evidence-based policy briefs to facilitate the health diet law development process.
• Liaise with the Ethiopia Food and Drug Authority (EFDA), Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), other government offices, civil service organizations, professional associations, and relevant stakeholders.

Policy, Program and Strategic Technical Support

• Support NCD team to develop strategic and annual action plans for major NCD program and facilitate familiarization, harmonization and alignment with regional health bureaus and partners.
• Support the development of guidelines, protocols, training materials, communication and campaign materials, provider support tools and education materials on prevention and control of NCD program
• Assist the development of implementation guideline and roadmap for scale up interventions such as differentiated service delivery and digital health.
• Support national efforts for strengthening the NCD/CVH drug and commodity supply chain management systems through active participation during drug quantification and forecasting exercises for quantification of medication and devices.
• Actively participate and support the initiative of the multisectoral engagement for NCD program.

Program Management and Coordination of Stakeholders

• Ensure the harmonization and alignment of RTSL program activities with MOH/RHB priorities and strategic and operational plans. Lead the planning, organization, execution, monitoring, and documentation of NCD programs activities, and oversee the operations management of programs.
• Serve as the primary liaison between MOH and RTSL and serve as a point person within the NCD directorate for the development of unhealthy diet related laws and represent RTSL at relevant national and regional TWGs and scientific conferences.
• Coordinate the initiation, development and implementation of activities that promote RTLS programs involving MOH, RHBs, partners and donors.

Capacity Building and Continuous Quality Improvement

• Develop a capacity building plan on NCD strategies and clinical protocols and other program standards.
• Design, implement and document data-driven quality improvement projects, and optimize adherence to technical and program management standards and grant requirements.
• Organize mentorship visits, training workshops, scientific forums and multi-sector advocacy and stakeholder engagement workshops on NCDs and unhealthy diet control to create awareness on the effect of salt reduction and artificial trans-fat on well-being, hospitalization, and premature death.
• Coach program team on program management and monitoring approaches.
• Work with RTSL program leads to increase a pool of resource personnel or trainers on Major NCD, and supports the cascading of national NCD/CVH training to regional and facility levels.
• Support MOH and regional health bureaus on sodium reduction and unhealthy diet control legal framework, and build capacity of relevant technical working groups.

Program monitoring and evaluation

• Assist MOH to analyzing data/developing NCDs M&E framework, standard recording tools, data flow and reporting tools, and feedback system.
• Submits monthly technical report to the Ministry’s DPC LEO/ NCDs Team, and RTSL on key NCD/CVH performance indicators, best practices, implementation challenges, and key partnerships. Ensure that monthly program bottlenecks are presented to MOH, RTSL, and NCD TWG to address obstacles.
• Facilitate identification of best practices and recognition of key achievements by stakeholders at national and subnational levels.
• Promote routine program data analysis and use data to design quality improvement works and assist team in analyzing and visualizing program data to enhance data-driven decision making.
• Facilitate the utilization of Simple dashboard for decision-making among the FMOH leadership and actively participate in the national TWG established for digital health support.
• Participate in national surveys, assessments and program reviews on cardiovascular diseases and their risk factors including unhealthy diet (sodium, sugar, trans fat and saturated fat)
• Work with the policy, planning, monitoring and evaluation directorate to improve the collection and analysis of cardiovascular disease prevention and use the data for program improvement.
• Track progress toward program result/outcome and submit high-quality program report updates to the Country Management Team, and MOH.

Program learning and knowledge management

• Promote national program data analysis and use the evidence and program learning processes to promote quality improvement at national and subnational levels.
• Assist research evidence generation efforts of the Ministry, and actively participate during routine program performance reviews, operational research, and quality improvement works.
• In consultation with the MOH and RTSL point of contact, develop program communication materials (program briefs, success stories, and reports) and disseminate them in relevant scientific conferences.
• Provide technical support for the NCDs team and directorates through organizing an annual summit on NCD, assist in evidence generation and synthesis, and disseminating of the research evidence.

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND COMPETENCIES:

Required qualification, training, and experience:

• Applicants should have at least a specialty training in internal medicine (internists).
• A minimum of eight years of work experience following a Doctor of Medicine (MD).
• A demonstrable experience in public health, program management, clinical leadership, health service management or strategic or policy advisory work is advantageous.
• Well-versed with the health care system operation in Ethiopia, national NCD strategies, and familiarity with project operation in an international NGO is advantageous.

Desirable skills and competencies: 

• Highly motivated, self-initiator, and willing to work with team members of diverse backgrounds.
• Excellent public health or clinical leadership and management skills
• Excellent inter-personal communication skills and the ability to effectively coordinate diverse teams.
• Thorough understanding of the technical and programmatic aspects of a cardiovascular public health program, including the ability to identify and quickly address any challenges or obstacles.
• Computer literate (MS Office applications, particularly Excel, power point, and virtual meeting platforms.
• Fluency in spoken and written English and official working language in Ethiopia.
• Willingness and ability to frequently travel across Ethiopia.

REPORTING & SUPERVISION:

Direct Report/Primary Supervisor: MOH’s Diseases Prevention and Control Lead Executive Office with reporting duty to Resolve to Save Live’s Program Director/Country Director in Ethiopia.

Directly Supervises: none.

COMPENSATION OFFERED AND REMUNERATION:

The salary for this position is competitive and shall be commensurate with the job requirements, factoring in the candidate’s qualifications, experience and salary history. In addition to salary, a package of fringe benefits will also be provided.

The successful candidate shall be issued an initial contract for a period of one year, with the potential for an extension based on satisfactory performance and availability of program funds.

LOCATION: 

Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with possible travel to program operations regions in Ethiopia.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Eligible candidates interested in this position are requested to send their application letter and CV.

RTSL accepts and reviews applications on an ongoing basis. We are grateful for your interest in our work and for your application. Unfortunately, due to the volume of applications, we are unable to respond to every applicant. One of our talent team members will contact you if your qualifications match the role.