Technical Director, Cervical Cancer Elimination
Location:
- Nigeria-Abuja
- Ethiopia-Addis Ababa
- South Africa-Capetown
- Mozambique-Maputo
- Senegal-Dakar
- Kenya-Nairobi
- Rwanda-Kigali
- South Africa -Johannesburg
- Malawi-Lilongwe
- Cameroon-Yaounde
Organization: Management Sciences for Health (MSH)
Job Description
MSH is recruiting a Technical Director, Cervical Cancer Elimination for a potential upcoming Unitaid global activity. Unitaid is seeking proposals to accelerate cervical cancer elimination through secondary prevention by strengthening national screening and treatment programs, expanding access to innovative diagnostic technologies, and improving the availability and affordability of cervical cancer commodities.
The initiative will support countries to establish and scale integrated cervical cancer screening and treatment services aligned with the World Health Organization elimination strategy, with a focus on increasing access to HPV testing, screen-and-treat approaches, and innovative delivery models that reduce loss to follow-up and improve service coverage for underserved populations. Activities are expected to generate evidence and implementation approaches that inform national scale-up, improve health system efficiency, and accelerate progress toward global cervical cancer elimination targets.
This position is subject to project award and funding.
Role
The Technical Director, Cervical Cancer Elimination will lead the overall technical design and implementation of the project’s cervical cancer secondary prevention strategy and be responsible for ensuring the quality, coherence, and effectiveness of technical activities across countries.
The Technical Director will lead the development, adaptation, and scale-up of integrated screening and treatment models aligned with WHO elimination targets, including HPV testing strategies, screen-and-treat approaches, referral and follow-up systems, and integration of cervical cancer services within primary health care and related service platforms such as HIV, reproductive health, and maternal health programs.
Working closely with consortium partners, ministries of health, and technical experts, the Technical Director will support the adaptation of global guidance to country contexts, strengthen service delivery models, and promote high-quality implementation of cervical cancer screening and treatment programs. They will provide senior technical guidance to country teams and government counterparts, support problem-solving around implementation bottlenecks, and contribute to implementation learning and evidence generation to inform national scale-up and global best practices.
In collaboration with the Project Director and other technical leads, the Technical Director will help ensure coordination across technical workstreams and integration of service delivery, innovation, and health systems components into a coherent country implementation approach. The Technical Director will support country teams in implementing technical activities and contribute to technical engagement with governments, donors, and partners.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Proven technical leadership in cervical cancer prevention, women’s health, reproductive health, or related public health programs, with at least 8+ years of progressive experience in technical leadership and global health program implementation. 10 years of progressively responsible experience is preferred.
- Advanced degree in public health, medicine, epidemiology, or another relevant field is required.
- Demonstrated experience designing and implementing cervical cancer screening and treatment programs, including HPV testing, visual screening approaches, screen-and-treat models, and referral systems.
- Experience supporting the integration of disease-specific services into broader health systems, including primary health care, HIV programs, maternal health services, reproductive health services, or non-communicable disease platforms.
- Experience supporting quality assurance, supportive supervision, quality improvement, or implementation research approaches is an advantage.
- Hands-on experience working with ministries of health and national cancer control programs to strengthen service delivery and scale evidence-based interventions.
- Experience implementing programs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, including supporting in-country teams and providing technical assistance to governments and implementing partners.
- Familiarity with global cervical cancer elimination strategies, including WHO guidance and international initiatives aimed at expanding access to screening and treatment services.
- Experience collaborating with international organizations, donors, and technical partners to support program implementation, learning, and evidence generation.
- Demonstrated ability to guide technical teams, mentor program staff, and foster collaboration across multidisciplinary teams.
- Strong communication and facilitation skills, including experience supporting technical working groups and coordinating with national stakeholders.
- Fluency in English required; fluency in French and/or Portuguese is advantageous.
- Preference will be given to candidates based in Sub-Saharan Africa.
MSH is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected category under applicable federal, state, and local laws.
