Senior Technical Officer-Public Institutions & Member States Partnerships (AfCDC)

Organization Information

Reports to: Head of Partnership and International Cooperation
Directorate/Department: External Relations and Strategic Engagement
Division: Partnership and International Cooperation
Number of Direct Reports: 0
Number of Indirect Reports: 0
Job Grade: P3
Number of Positions: 1
Contract Type: Fixed Term

Purpose of Job

The African Union, established as a unique Pan African continental body, is charged with spearheading Africa’s rapid integration and sustainable development by promoting unity, solidarity, cohesion and cooperation among the peoples of Africa and African States as well as developing a new partnership worldwide. Its headquarter is located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is a specialized technical institution of the African Union that supports Member States in their efforts to strengthen their health systems. Africa CDC was officially launched in January 2017, and is guided by the principles of leadership, credibility, and ownership, and delegated authority, timely dissemination of information, transparency, accountability, and value addition. The institution works with all African countries to strengthen the capabilities of their public health institutions for disease surveillance, emergency response, prevention and control, including the capacity to detect and respond quickly and effectively to disease threats. It also serves as a platform for Member States to share and exchange knowledge and lessons from public health interventions.

Effective public health interventions/actions require an adequately staffed, highly skilled, diverse and interdisciplinary workforce. Given the diminishing ratio of the African Public health workforce to the dual burden of disease on the continent, there is need to strengthen and build capacity of public health workforce in the continent to meet the current responsibilities.

To effectively manage the Partnerships that Afirca CDC has that support the institution in achieving its mandate, Africa CDC is looking to recruit a qualified Senior Technical Officer-Public Institutions & Member states Partnerships to support the Partnerships and Grant Management Division. Under the direct supervision and guidance of the Head of Partnership and Grant Management, the Senior Technical Officer-Public Institutions & Member states Partnerships will primarily focus on fostering strategic partnerships, enhancing technical cooperation, and facilitating the exchange of knowledge and resources to advance public health initiatives in Africa. The Senior Technical Officer-Public Institutions & Member states Partnerships role will focus mainly on establishing and sustaining collaborations with stakeholders and donors, securing resources for Africa CDC’s programs and initiatives. This involves identifying and onboarding potential partners, formulating resource mobilization strategies, and overseeing relationships with existing partners.

The division aligns resource mobilization efforts with Africa CDC’s strategic objectives, collaborates with Africa CDC Centers and divisions to pinpoint areas requiring additional resources, and refines fundraising strategies accordingly.  assisting the Grants Management Lead in pre-award, award and post-award grants management processes that cover both the grants and funding partners. The Senior Technical Officer will work closely with internal divisions, sub-grantees, funding partners and other stakeholders to optimize grant funding impact and foster positive relationship with funding partners and sub-grantees.

Main Functions

Partnership Development:

• Identify, initiate, and cultivate partnerships with public institutions, governmental agencies, and other stakeholders at regional and national levels.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders to facilitate collaboration and resource sharing.
• Explore opportunities for joint initiatives, funding opportunities, and capacity-building programs to support the Africa CDC’s mission and objectives

Technical Cooperation:

• Provide technical expertise and support to public institutions and member states on various public health issues, including infectious disease control, immunization, surveillance, and emergency preparedness.
• Collaborate with partner organizations to develop and implement technical assistance programs, training workshops, and capacity-building initiatives.
• Support the development and dissemination of technical guidance, best practices, and innovative approaches to address public health challenges in Africa.

Knowledge Exchange:

• Facilitate the exchange of information, data, and experiences among public institutions and member states to promote learning and innovation.
• Organize workshops, conferences, and meetings to foster dialogue, networking, and collaboration on priority public health issues.
• Contribute to the development of knowledge products, reports, and publications to document lessons learned and successful interventions.

Monitoring and Evaluation:

• Monitor progress, track performance indicators, and evaluate the impact of partnership activities and interventions.
• Prepare regular reports and updates on partnership initiatives, achievements, and challenges for internal and external stakeholders.
• Identify lessons learned and recommend strategies for continuous improvement and optimization of partnership efforts.

Specific Responsibilities

• Actively seek out and identify potential partners among public institutions, governmental agencies, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Cultivate relationships with identified partners through regular communication, meetings, and collaborative discussions.
• Actively seek out and identify potential partners among public institutions, governmental agencies, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Cultivate relationships with identified partners through regular communication, meetings, and collaborative discussions.
• Collaborate with partners to explore funding opportunities, grants, and other financial resources to support Africa CDC’s programs and initiatives.
• Assist in the preparation of funding proposals, grant applications, and project budgets to secure financial support for partnership activities.
• Perform any other related duties as may be assigned by Supervisors.

Academic Requirements and Relevant Experience

• Master’s Degree in Development Studies, International Relations, Public Policy, Strategic Management or International Development with a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience OR Bachelor’s degree in Development Studies, International Relations, Public Policy, Strategic Management or International Development or related field with a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated experience in successfully managing partnerships from initiation to implementation and evaluation stages.
• Relevant experience in partnership management, business development, or related fields
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong negotiation and persuasion skills to build and maintain relationships with partners.
• Cultural sensitivity and the ability to work effectively with diverse teams and partners from different backgrounds.
• Leadership qualities and the ability to influence and motivate others towards common goals.

Required Skills

• Excellent oral and written communication skills both in English and French.
• Ability to give attention to details and ability to work effectively under pressure.
• Proven ability to use clear, concise language in correspondence as well as including content tailoring for the purpose and audiences when preparing written briefs and reports.
• Good interpersonal skills, organizational ability and time management.
• Good computer skills, including excellent word processing, proficiency with e-mail and internet search
• Demonstrable proficiency using Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point
• Demonstrable familiarity with accepted tools, techniques, policies, rules and regulation
• A demonstrated commitment to high professional ethical standards and a diverse workplace

Leadership Competencies

Core Competencies

Functional Competencies

TENURE OF APPOINTMENT:

The Appointment will be made on a fixed term contract for a period of one (1) year, of which the first three (3) months will be considered as a probationary period. Thereafter, the contract may be renewed for a similar period 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.

REMUNERATION:

The salary attached to the position is an annual lump-sum of US$  96,921.34  (P3 Step 5) inclusive of all allowances for internationally recruited staff, and US$ 78,461.08 inclusive of all allowances for locally recruited staff of the African Union Commission.

APPLICATION INFORMATION

Applications must be submitted no later than January 28, 2025 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.

-Africa CDC 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.