DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Under the general supervision of the Director of the Department of Communicable Diseases Prevention, Control and Elimination (CDE), and the direct supervision of the Unit Chief, HIV, Hepatitis, Tuberculosis, and Sexually Transmitted Infections (CDE/HT), the incumbent is responsible for, but not necessarily limited to, the assigned duties:

1. Advise and collaborate in the regional implementation of the Global Health Sector Strategies on HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections, in particular in the area of HIV treatment and care, including all elements of the continuum of care;
2. Provide technical guidance and monitoring for the expansion and sustainability of HIV treatment and care, strategic uses of antiretrovirals (i.e. PrEP, PEP), supporting integrated models of care, models to improve linkage and retention, and models including community provision of services, towards the achievement of Universal Access targets;
3. Provide technical advice to Ministries of Health and partners in the implementation and monitoring of the WHO Consolidated Guidelines for strategic use of Antiretrovirals (ARV) for HIV prevention and Treatment;
4. Advise and provide technical guidance on matters related to HIV Drug Resistance; support the implementation of the WHO strategy for prevention, monitoring and surveillance of HIV Drug Resistance, with emphasis on programmatic components, and through the strengthening of a Latin American Network for HIV Drug Resistance;
5. Provide advice and address technical and programmatic matters related to HIV co-infections, including Tuberculosis, Viral Hepatitis(VH) and Fungal Infections and chronic diseases, among others, especially on aspects related to diagnosis, treatment and management of cases, collaborating across programs and with other units and departments;
6. Contribute to the PAHO Disease elimination Initiative supporting the integration of the response to communicable diseases in the first level of care and promoting work with communities and civil society to advance progress towards regional goals and targets;
7. Promote access to diagnostics and medicines related to HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), through PAHO’s Strategic Fund in collaboration and strategic liaison with Medicines and Technology (MT);
8. Contribute to the monitoring and evaluation of all elements included in the cascade of HIV care and treatment, and measure progress towards regional goals and targets;
9. Manage the resources assigned for the effective implementation of the biennial work plan and projects, including the development, day-to-day operation, monitoring and evaluation of specific workplans in close collaboration with all Units involved at regional, sub-regional and country level;
10. Support and expand partnerships with the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS. Relief (PEPFAR), Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), United States Agency for International Development (USAID)and other US Agencies, United Nations Program on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), The Horizontal Technical Cooperation Group of Latin America and the Caribbean on HIV/AIDS and STD (GCTH), foundations, civil society and NGOs, bilateral governments with specific interests on HIV Care and Treatment, and others;
11. Provide technical oversight and strategic guidance to short term consultants and other staff assigned to specific technical areas for effective implementation of PAHO’s technical cooperation to expand and sustain care and treatment for HIV/STI, including HIV Drug Resistance, and health systems strengthening;
12. Represent PAHO in consultations organized by WHO and/or other partners on technical and programmatic areas relevant to care and treatment of HIV, HIV Drug Resistance, as well as strategic use of ARVs and HIV co-infections;
13. Participate in team-based project development and execution of the program of work and the preparation of the biennial work plan(BWP) and related budgets and work plans, and progress reports, periodic analytical reports to donors, and briefing books;
14. Contribute to the design, development, and publication of reports, country specific, regional, and or global;
15. Facilitate and support processes at country, sub-regional and regional level for strengthening the capacity of an integrated HIV response;
16. Contribute to the development, review and update of biennial programs and budgets (BWP), semiannual work plans (PTS) and periodic evaluations for assigned projects;
17. Contribute to the efforts of the Organization in resource mobilization through the development and submission of innovative proposals to funding agencies;
18. Perform other duties as necessary.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

Essential: A university degree in a health-related profession and a master’s degree in public health, or related field, from a recognized institution.

In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position.  PAHO, only considers official degrees obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. PAHO will also use the databases of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation http://www.chea.org and College Navigator, found on the website of the National Centre for Educational Statistics, https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator to support the validation process.

Experience:

Essential: Nine years of combined national and international experience in policy formulation, organization of service delivery systems for HIV and STI, application of public health principles and the health promotion approach and resource mobilization. Of these, at least five years of experience in direct care and treatment of persons living with HIV/AIDS and STI, incorporating gender and human rights approaches to health care delivery for HIV.

SKILLS:

PAHO Competencies:

• Overall attitude at work: Maintains integrity and takes a clear ethical approach and stance; demonstrates commitment to the Organization’s mandate and promotes the values of the Organization in daily work and behavior; is accountable for work carried out in line with own role and responsibilities; is respectful towards, and trusted by, colleagues and counterparts.
• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences: Relate well to diversity in others and capitalize on such diversity – Treats all people with dignity and respect. Relates well to people with different cultures, gender, orientations, backgrounds and/or positions; examines own behavior to avoid stereotypical responses; considers issues from the perspective of others and values their diversity.
• Teamwork: Collaborate and cooperate with others – Works collaboratively with team members and counterparts to achieve and build rapport; helps others when asked; accepts joint responsibility for the team’s successes and shortcomings.
• Communication: Write effectively/Share knowledge – Writes down ideas in a clear, structured, logical and credible way; drafts and supports the development of guidelines, policies and procedures. Shares relevant information openly and ensures that the shared information is understood; considers knowledge sharing as a constructive working method and demonstrates awareness of the Organization.
• Producing Results: Work efficiently and independently/Deliver quality results – Monitors own and others’ work in a systematic and effective way, ensuring required resources and outputs. Aligns projects with Organization’s mission and objectives. Consistently solves own and team’s problems effectively as needed. Proactively engages in projects and initiatives, accepting demanding goals, in line with Organizational Strategies and Program of Work. Demonstrates accountability for work of team and sets an example, while explicitly articulating lessons learnt for own and team’s benefit.
• Ensuring effective use of resources: Strategize and set clear objectives/Monitor progress and use resources well – Sets specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely objectives for own team and/or the Organization; systematically analyses and anticipates priority projects for own team and allocates necessary resources to achieve them; identifies the cross-Organizational resources needed for large- scale projects in line with key Organizational objectives. Anticipates foreseeable changes and adapts own and team’s projects in the face of unforeseen circumstances and/ or challenges; creates measures and criteria to monitor progress of overall projects against key Organizational objectives; creates cost-effective solutions for the Organization.
• Building and promoting partnerships across the Organization and beyond: Develop networks and partnerships and encourage collaboration – Builds and negotiates strategic partnerships and alliances with a wide range of key stakeholders to ensure Organizational results and success. Creates innovative opportunities for promoting synergies inside and outside the Organization to improve Organizational success.

Technical Expertise:

– In-depth knowledge of the determinants of the HIV/AIDS/STI epidemic; health service development and delivery; HIV/AIDSand other STIs and their effects on individuals and societies.

– Knowledge and skills in project planning, management and evaluation, including resource mobilization and grant management.

– Strong public health and strategic thinking background showing resourcefulness, initiative, leadership qualities, skills to dealswith difficult situations and sensitive areas; demonstrated ability to identify, assess, analyze, synthesize and providerecommendation on key political and technical issues.

– Expertise in care and treatment of persons living with HIV/AIDS, organization and monitoring of health systems and services.

– In-depth knowledge of HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination and how this impacts access to health services, includingstakeholders in the health sector environment.

– Strong professional oral and writing skills, including the development of reports, oral presentations, and technical/persuasivedocuments for consideration at the highest levels of the Organization.

– Theoretical knowledge about key populations and their social, ethnographic and epidemiological profile in the region.

– Technical skills and ability to organize and develop training activities for diverse populations.

– Strong interpersonal skills, diplomacy and tact to effectively communicate with senior level officials, multiple stakeholders andprofessionals from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds.

– Strong professional oral and writing skills, including the development of reports, oral presentations, and technical/persuasivedocuments for consideration at the highest levels of the Organization.

Languages:

Very good knowledge of English or Spanish with working knowledge of the other language. Knowledge of French and/or Portuguese would be an asset.

IT Skills:

Demonstrated ability to effectively use current technology and software, spreadsheets and presentations, as well as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and management information systems. Other IT skills and knowledge of software programs such as Microsoft Excel, Outlook, OneDrive, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint, and Word are considered essential.