Public Health Specialist, Surveillance at the U.S. Embassy

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The U.S. Mission to Nigeria comprises of the Embassy in Abuja, FCT, and the Consulate General in Lagos. U.S. Consulate General Lagos is the Mission’s representative to the Nigerian people in the southern region.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Public Health Specialist, Surveillance

Announcement Number: Abuja-2021-103
Location: Abuja
Series/Grade: LE – 0550 11
Hiring Agency: Embassy Abuja
Promotion Potential: LE-11
Work Schedule: Full-time – 40 hours per week

Overview

• Hiring Path: Open to the public
• Who May Apply / Clarification From the Agency:
  • For USEFM – FP is 04.  Actual FS salary determined by Washington D.C.
  • All Interested Applicants / All Sources
  • Current Employees of the Mission – All Agencies and/or U.S. Citizen Eligible Family Members (USEFMs); Eligible Family Members (EFMs); or Declared Members of Household (MOHs) – All Agencies
• Security Clearance Required: Public Trust – Background Investigation
• Appointment Type: Permanent
• Appointment Type Details: Definite not to Exceed (5 year).

Summary

• The work schedule for this position is: Full Time (40 hours per week)
• Start date: 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.
• Supervisory Position: No
• Relocation Expenses Reimbursed: 25% or less
• Travel Required: Job holder routinely travels to immunization sites, project sites and facilities to monitor immunization activities. 20-25 % of time will be spent on local and international travel for site visits, workshops, trainings, conferences, etc.

Duties

• This position is responsible for activities related to the implementation of intensified routine immunization activities across Nigeria, which will contribute to strengthening the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), specifically for core technical areas that are deemed priority for the CDC-Nigeria Office and Government of Nigeria.
• The Job holder is a senior Epidemiologist responsible for providing technical expertise and assistance to the Ministry of Health (MOH), the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and other participating partners in the design, implementation and strengthening of vaccine preventable disease (VPD) surveillance, laboratory, immunization, and information systems and the conduct of large, complex surveys designed to measure measles/yellow fever/rubella infection rates and other indicators of importance used for evaluating the impact of control programs and activities.

Requirements
Experience:

• Five years experience in public health disease surveillance and in the control of priority VPDs including Polio, measles, rubella, yellow fever intervention programs at the local, state or international levels that entailed responsibility for the planning, implementation and evaluation of program activities is required.
• Experience in the use of measurement methods required for M&E, surveys/surveillance or strategic information of populations and health programs, including quantitative and qualitative research is required. Experience must include two years of management experience.

Job Knowledge:

• Detailed knowledge of surveillance, disease outbreaks, the epidemiology of measles, yellow fever, and rubella, research methods and collection is required. The ability to give presentations on public health/epidemiologic data in order to plan, design, direct the implementation of and strengthen procedures for collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of epidemiological data is required.
• This includes knowledge of the principles, theories and practices of USG and internationally recognized standards for disease outbreaks and response protocol, surveillance, and survey regulations and procedures.
• Detailed knowledge of planning, implementing and monitoring immunization programs; experience supporting planning, implementation and monitoring of SIAs is required. 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 teams and activities is required.
• Good working knowledge of overall administrative requirements in development and support of grants, contracts, memoranda of understanding and cooperative agreements is required. Good working knowledge of CDC and USG public health programs, strategies, methods, processes and techniques used to plan, develop, implement and evaluate results of immunization programs is required.

Education Requirements:

• Master’s Degree in Public Health, Medicine, Epidemiology, Demography or Behavioral Science is required.
• Note: NYSC Certificate or Exemption document is required.

Evaluations:

• This may be tested. Please specify your level of proficiency in the language listed.

Language:  

• Fluency in speaking/reading/writing of English is required. 

Skills and Abilities:

• Strong analytical skills to readily understand and discuss new surveillance and immunization program design, management, and implementation approaches is 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 more common epidemiologic data analysis software (EPINFO, STATA, SAS, or SPSS) is required.
• Excellent numerical skills for manipulating and reporting statistical data is required. Ability to exercise tact in applying guidelines to unique and different immunization and VPD surveillance activities is required. Ability to persuade others, ingenuity and innovation will be required to influence collaborative organizations engaged in disease prevention and control to adopt appropriate strategies for improving the surveillance and survey process is required. This may be tested.

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.

Marketing Statement:

• We encourage you to read and understand the Eight (8) Qualities of Overseas Employees before you apply.

Benefits and Other Info

Benefits
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.

Salary
NGN N15,890,203 / USD58,767 Annually.

Application Closing Date
15th October, 2021.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Important Information

• All candidates must be able to obtain and hold a Public Trust clearance. 
• To apply for this position click the “Apply To This Vacancy” button at the top of the page. Click on the “Submit Application” button to complete your application process. For more information on how to apply visit the Mission internet site.

Required Documents:

• Please provide the required documentation listed below with your application:
• Residency and/or Work Permit (if applicable)
• Degree (not transcript)
• NYSC Certificate
• Certificate or License

For EFMs, in Addition to the Above:

• Copy of Orders/Assignment Notification (or equivalent)
• DD-214 – Member Copy 4, Letter from Veterans’ Affairs, or other supporting documentation (if applicable)
• SF-50 (if applicable)

Next Steps:

• Applicants who are invited to take a language or skills test, or who are selected for an interview will be contacted via email.
• For further information – the complete position description listing all of the duties, responsibilities, required qualifications, etc. may be obtained by contacting the Human Resources Office.
• Thank you for your application and your interest in working at the U.S. Mission in Abuja, Nigeria.