Public Health Surveillance Senior Technical Advisor

Please submit Cover Letter and CV to Jeremy at jeo56@georgetown.edu

The Georgetown University Center for Global Health Practice and Impact (CGHPI) serves countries to sustainably improve health outcomes through the generation and translation of scientific evidence into policy and practice.

To achieve this mission, we catalyze the uptake, spread, and implementation of innovations; triangulate data from different sources and tailor visualization of the information for each audience; design and implement integrated service delivery models; support communities of practice to inform policy and practice through efficient data use and horizontal and vertical collaboration; disseminate best practices and evidence globally through open source learning networks; build global, collaborative, multi-disciplinary, and inter-professional networks; undertake research that is informed by local needs; and invest in local leadership to own, provide oversight, and sustain implemented interventions. The Center operates in more than 7 countries and domestically within the United States and continues to expand. To advance its mission and align with growth plans, the Center seeks a Public Health Surveillance Senior Technical Advisor (PHS-STA) based in Cameroon (Yaoundé) to support the Cameroon Public Health Emergency Operations Center

Position Title: Public Health Surveillance Senior Technical Advisor

Reports To: GGHC CGHPI Technical Director

Location of Work: Yaoundé Cameroon

Number of positions: 1

Job Purpose

Position Summary: The PHS-STA will promote, coordinate, and implement technical assistance activities directed toward the surveillance, prevention, control, and elimination of public health events that are technically sound and appropriate for the context in which they are implemented (COVID-19). The PHS-STA will strive to achieve a sustainable impact on health by providing normative guidance while furthering the implementation of evidence-based surveillance interventions and fostering alliances that strengthen country surveillance capacity, improve its effectiveness, and facilitate decision-making processes through improved information coverage, analysis, and quality at all levels. The PHS-STA will provide advanced technical advice and hands-on implementation, including training and mentorship in support of PHEOC operationalizing the country’s national public health surveillance system. The PHS-STA will support the development/revision of guidelines and standards for surveillance. The PHS-STA will provide expertise in the development/update of national public health surveillance policies and strategic plans, operationalizing national public health surveillance infrastructure optimization, and developing core capacities of the country’s public health surveillance workforce. The PHS-STA will play a critical role in the extension of the current sentinel surveillance sites, and provision of scientific evidence to prevent and control infectious diseases for the context in which they are implemented (COVID-19). The PHS-STA will be a member of the Georgetown University Center for Global Health Practice and Impact (GU CGHPI)’s Health Protection Practice & Strategic Information Practice and will contribute to the Center’s other initiatives regionally and globally.

Collaborates with: GU CHPHI Technical Advisory Team assigned to C19RM, the PHEOC Operations Director, Incident Manager at PHEOC, other PHEOC Unit Leads, and other CGHPI HQ Teams.

External Collaborations: CDC Cameroon, The Global Fund, and other stakeholders involved in Public Health Surveillance.

Essential Functions

The PHS STA will work with the Public Health Emergency Operations Center to perform the following functions:

  1. Provide technical assistance to PHEOC on implementing public health surveillance programs and initiatives including, but not limited to, sentinel surveillance of emerging and re-emerging diseases.
  2. Promote collaboration between the PHEOC and other pertinent sectors to strengthen the capacity to monitor surveillance activity progress and the impact of public health interventions.
  3. Provide technical assistance to PHEOC to develop standards, guidelines, and procedures for a surveillance operation and evaluation of surveillance activities while optimizing the use of the country’s public health surveillance systems and related infrastructure.
  4. Provide expertise in the application of epidemiological, survey, and surveillance concepts, principles, and methods for the planning, programming, administration, and evaluation of disease surveillance, prevention, and control programs.
  5. Collaborate and support in preparation for the assessment of the Resilience of Cameroon’s system to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  6. Provide technical assistance for developing and managing surveillance information systems to ensure surveillance data is available for monitoring and reporting.
  7. Provide expertise in the analysis, systematization, and dissemination of scientific and evidence-based technical information and knowledge to support the development of public health surveillance policies and regulations for disease prevention, control, and elimination.
  8. Support technical cooperation with the PHEOC to collaborate with Unit Directors and other sectors in implementing the International Health Regulations (IHR), including the activities of alert, preparedness, and response to epidemics and crises, and public health emergencies.
  9. Participate in obtaining extra-budgetary funds by assisting PHEOC in preparing surveillance project proposals for the appropriate national, bilateral, and international financial agencies for surveillance research and capacity building while collaborating in the implementation, monitoring, and reporting of those projects if successful.
  10. Perform other functions as may be required

GGH Cameroon Section/Context / Required competencies

Core values

  • Commitment: Actively contributes to achieving organizational goals
  • Diversity: Respects others and values their diverse perspectives and contributions
  • Integrity: Acts in a manner consistent with the Organization’s core values and organizational principles
  • Accountability: Takes responsibility for own actions and delegated work

Core competencies

  • Communication: Actively works to achieve clear and transparent communication with colleagues and with stakeholders of the Organization
  • Collaboration: Works effectively with others on common goals and fosters a positive, trust-based working environment
  • Planning: Works towards the achievement of goals in a structured and measured manner
  • Analysis and decision-making: Analyses available information, draws well-founded conclusions and takes appropriate decisions
  • Initiative-taking: Proposes and initiates new ideas, activities, and projects
  • Flexibility: Response positively and effectively to changing circumstances

Managerial competencies (for positions with managerial responsibilities)

  • Leadership: Provides a clear sense of direction, builds trust, and creates an enabling environment
  • Strategic thinking: Identifies goals that advance the organizational agenda and develops plans for achieving them

Managing performance: Helps to maximize team performance by providing active feedback and skill development opportunities

Essential Qualifications / Experience Requirements:

  • Education: A university degree in Medical Sciences (MBBS / B.Pharm.), Behavioural / Social Sciences, Public Health, Demography, Biostatistics, Statistics, or any health-related relevant field and must have attained a master’s degree in Public Health specializing in Epidemiology. A Ph.D. in Epidemiology will be an added advantage.
  • Experience: At least 5 years of providing technical assistance to the National Public health Surveillance Unit preferably in sub-Sahara Africa.
  • Knowledge: Comfortable with a team approach to programming and the ability to manage several major activities simultaneously.
  • Proficiency in word processing, Microsoft Office, and statistical analysis packages such as STATA, SPSS, SAT, etc.
  • Abilities: Strategic and analytical thinking skills with the ability to solve problems, make decisions, manage multiple tasks and prioritize, determine activities and projects towards measurable goals, and standard setting in collaboration with other team members.
  • Interpersonal/Individual Competencies: the ability to work with other team members, flexibility, decisiveness, and personal integrity
  • Experience with quantitative and qualitative public health survey methodologies will be an added advantage.
  • Proven training and mentorship experience
  • Verifiable record and experience in disease surveillance
  • Travel: Willingness to travel within Cameroon

Instructions for Submitting Applications:

1.    All applications should be submitted electronically to:

TIDECameroon@georgetown.edu
2.    Please mention in the subject line of the email the position for which you are applying


3.    Applications should include 3 references that are familiar with the applicant’s work experience preferably in the last 3-5 years. References should include contact information including daytime phone and e-mail address.


4.    All applications should include a cover letter that details one’s suitability for the job highlighting key functional areas’ expected qualifications and experiences.


5.    Candidates should attach a 3-page CV/Resume that highlights one’s key achievements in areas relevant to the job.


6.    Job-related stated qualifications and experience are the basic minimum requirements that each applicant must meet to be considered for an interview.


7.    All applicants should include daytime phone contact information.


8.    Deadline for application is 20th February 2023, Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.


Georgetown University Center for Global Health Practice and Impact through its local entity Georgetown Global Health Cameroon is an equal opportunity employer and encourages all qualified persons to apply regardless of gender, ethnicity, or any other status variable.