Senior Technical Officer – Indicator Based Surveillance (AfCDC)

Organization Information

Position:  Senior Technical Officer – Indicator-Based Surveillance (IBS)
Report to: Head of Division, Surveillance and Disease Intelligence
Directorate/Department/Organ: Africa CDC
Division: Surveillance and Disease Intelligence
Number of Direct Reports: 0
Number of Indirect Reports: 0
Job Grade: P3 Step 5
Number of Positions: 1
Contract Type: Appointment for Limited duration (ALD)

Purpose of Job

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), a specialized technical institution of the African Union established in 2017, has the mission to strengthen Africa’s public health institutions to detect and respond effectively to health threats. In its 2023–2027 Strategic Plan, Africa CDC prioritized integrated health systems and proactive surveillance as foundations for epidemic intelligence.

As part of this effort, Africa CDC is in the process of finalizing its Indicator-Based Surveillance (IBS) Strategic Framework, which defines core data variables, case definitions, reporting standards, indicators, and alert thresholds for priority epidemic-prone diseases across the continent. IBS provides structured, routine data flows that are critical for monitoring disease trends, detecting unusual events, and triggering timely public health action. It complements Event-Based Surveillance (EBS) and laboratory confirmation, together forming the backbone of epidemic intelligence for Africa.

Operationalizing IBS is central to helping AU Member States strengthen early warning capacity, fulfill International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) obligations, and harmonize reporting under the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) strategy

Main Functions

The Senior Technical Officer will provide strategic and technical leadership to support the operationalization and implementation of the IBS Framework across African Union (AU) Member States. The Advisor will guide Africa CDC and Member States in aligning IBS with the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) framework, International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), and Africa CDC’s broader surveillance agenda.

Specific Responsibilities

The Senior Technical Officer shall:

• Provide strategic technical guidance on IBS operationalization, including standards, case definitions, indicators, thresholds, and reporting timelines.
• Support Africa CDC in developing guidance, tools, and training materials to assist Member States with IBS implementation.
• Facilitate the integration of IBS with Event-Based Surveillance, laboratory systems, and digital platforms.
• Advise Africa CDC on aligning IBS with IHR (2005) core capacities, IDSR guidelines, and Africa CDC’s One Health and Digital Transformation strategies.
• Support capacity building and mentorship of Africa CDC staff and Member State IBS focal points.
• Represent Africa CDC in high-level technical meetings, regional consultations, and partner coordination forums.
• Support monitoring and evaluation of IBS implementation, including progress tracking, reporting, and lessons learned.
• Provide leadership in preparing scientific publications, technical briefs, and presentations on IBS.
• Perform other related duties as requested by the Division Director.

Academic Requirements and Relevant Experience

Master’s degree in Public Health, Epidemiology, Surveillance, or a related discipline.

OR

Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health, Epidemiology, Surveillance, or a related discipline

• At least 7 years’ experience for those with a Masters Degree and 10 years experience for those with a Bachelor’s Degree in public health practice, including infectious disease epidemiology and surveillance, with 3 years at senior/expert level.
• Demonstrated experience supporting national or regional surveillance systems, preferably in Africa.
• Strong knowledge of IDSR, IHR (2005), epidemic intelligence, and One Health approaches.
• Proven track record in technical advisory roles, guideline development, and training.

Required Skills

• Strong leadership and strategic thinking abilities to drive continental initiatives.
• Excellent communication, representational, and interpersonal skills.
• Proven ability to build consensus and partnerships across multiple sectors and stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a focus on solutions.
• Ability to work under pressure, manage multiple tasks, and deliver high-quality outputs on time.
• High degree of autonomy with demonstrated team spirit and collaborative approach.
• Commitment to Africa CDC’s mission and values, including equity, solidarity, and evidence-based action.

TENURE OF APPOINTMENT:

The Appointment will be for a period of Eleven (11) Months, of which the first three (3) months will be considered as a probationary period. Thereafter, the contract may be renewed subject to funding availability, satisfactory performance and agreed deliverables.

GENDER MAINSTREAMING:

Africa CDC 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, Kiswahili, Portuguese, and Spanish) is mandatory and fluency in another AU language is an added advantage

REMUNERATION:

The salary attached to the position for the eleven month period is US$  88,844.56  (P3 Step 5) inclusive of all allowances for internationally recruited staff, and US$ 68,255.99 inclusive of all allowances for locally recruited staff of the African Union.

APPLICATION INFORMATION

Applications must be submitted no later than February 24 ,2026 11h59 p.m. EAT.

-Only candidates who meet all job requirements and are selected for interviews will be contacted.

-Consideration will be given only to those candidates who have submitted a fully completed online application with a curriculum vitae (CV), an African passport, and the required academic qualifications, such as Diplomas, Bachelor’s degrees, Master’s degrees and any relevant certificate in line with the area of expertise.

-The African Union is an equal opportunity employer, and female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

-Candidates from less represented countries within the African Union are strongly encouraged to apply for positions that fit their profiles.

These countries include: Algeria, Angola, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Comoros, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Namibia, Niger, Sahrawi D.R., Sao Tome and Principe., Seychelles, Somalia and Tunisia.