Strategic Information and Health Informatics Director

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

Background

Strategic Information & Health Informatics Director – Zambia be working at large on a project supporting the Zambian Ministry of Health (MOH) to achieve and sustain gains made in HIV prevention by supporting direct service delivery (DSD) in four CDC-supported provinces for comprehensive, quality, integrated HIV prevention services targeting key populations (KP) and adolescents and young persons (AYP). DSD support includes, but is not limited to, HIV testing services (HTS); linkage of HIV-positive KP/AYP to community and facility treatment services, retention and viral load (VL) suppression and other support; linkage of HIV-negative KP and AYP to biomedical and non-biomedical HIV prevention services including but not limited to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response, STI screening and treatment, and harm reduction programs.

Purpose of the Position

The Strategic Information & Health Informatics Director – Zambia will provide advanced technical advice and hands-on implementation, including training and mentorship in support and operationalizing public health programs in Zambia. S/he will support the development of guidelines and standards for health informatics and will provide expertise in the development/update of its policies and strategic plans. S/he will provide technical support to ensure that country informatics projects function effectively and meet requirements while coordinating the system analysis, data systems integration, design of informatics projects, interacting with developers in the field, and assisting with business development activities. S/he will provide technical expertise in software development, software project management, strategic information, eHealth, mHealth, and software modeling for projects across health protection programmatic and thematic areas. This person will support the Zambia team to develop, roll out, and maintain a country-wide information system. This position reports to the Country Director – in Zambia.

Specific Responsibilities (included but not limited to)
In your role as Health Systems Strengthening Lead – Zambia, you will:

Provide technical input into the design, planning, and delivery of projects, particularly software development projects
Work with the GU CGHPI counterparts to oversee the development and implementation of various informatics projects, including activities such as strategizing informatics approach, requirement analysis, stakeholder engagement, capacity building, and quality assurance of software products and tools developed
Devise and recommend methods and procedures to improve organizational efficiency and effectiveness, inclusive of developing and maintaining SOPs for processes within the organization
Formulate new technology partnerships and collaborations, strengthening relationships for country ownership of projects
Serve as a key advisor to the Zambia team, external partners, donors, and the Ministry of Health to identify new opportunities, approaches, and strategies to improve surveillance and public health campaigns through the application of new digital tools, improvements to existing information systems, and/or systems integrations

Develop and document coherent and technology-appropriate software and hardware specifications for meeting user requirements in the country for user workflows, data collection forms, dashboards, systems integrations, and other platform components as needed, in line with programmatic objectives and data use needs
Provide technical assistance in the creation and management of detailed health informatics (HI) and IT project plans, including governance structures, timelines, product management processes, and communication mechanisms to progressively design, develop, and test systems and mobile tools; pro-actively ensure HI projects are progressing and aligned with end goals
Provide expertise in solving HI and IT technical challenges to meet objectives, including management of developers, challenges in technical design and architecture, and integrations
Test developer outputs and provide regular feedback on bugs and functionality to ensure solutions are being developed according to specifications
Assist in the configuration of data collection, management, and reporting tools as needed, including user-friendly dashboards
Develop system roll-out plans and support system installation and device set-up ahead of implementation
Assist with capacity building for staff by developing manuals, SOPs, and training materials in the use of information technology
Assist to cultivate a culture of data use by monitoring and strengthening the quality of data inputs, refining analytical outputs, and developing context-appropriate strategies to strengthen the usage and analysis of data
Work actively and closely with teams to design and implement M&E plans to routinely assess the performance of digital solutions as part of broader program M&E plans
Provide technical support for design, content development, and field implementation for electronic information systems. This function will include providing technical leadership for the hard coding of software applications and assisting other members of the programming team in developing actual logic statements for the coding of both surveillance and M & E indicators and software business rules where necessary and checking that all software development is done according to already established standards and procedures
Ensure that the software and database tools developed meet the intended reporting and data output requirements for both internal and external uses
Provide technical assistance for developing and implementing a systematic data analysis process of data outputs from the electronic information systems
Perform backup and recovery of all databases. Manage database users and appropriate measures to ensure the security and confidentiality of program data
Perform other functions as may be required
Guide, lead, mentor, and support related program staff
Manage related stakeholder relationships
Perform any other duties that may be assigned

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field. A Master’s degree in a relevant field (information systems, computer science, medical engineering, etc.) will be highly considered in the final selection of a successful candidate

Experience & Skills

Minimum 5 years of programming experience
Broad experience designing, programming, and implementing large information systems including data systems design and interoperability solutions
Ability to provide in-depth evaluation and analysis of unique complex technological issues.
Familiarity with broad surveillance data ecosystems in a country
Knowledge of OpenMRS, DHIS2, and IPMS will be an added advantage
Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
Excellent organization and time management skills
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Ability to exercise discretion and independent judgment in the performance of duties.
Experience with version control tools, like GIT, GitHub, SVN
Must work well in both a team environment sole contributor
Comprehend and communicate solution workflows and interactions with integrated systems (including but not limited to client devices 3rd party software)
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Advise on best practice approaches
Knowledge of SOAP Web Services
Knowledge of RESTful API
At least 3 years of experience in software development and Linux environment
At least 5 years of experience working on the African continent, preferably in Zambia
Extensive knowledge and experience working with the government of Zambia are a plus
Proven ability to establish strong working relationships with a variety of stakeholders including government representatives, non-profit associations, donors, media, academic and research institutes, and other stakeholders
Fluent in written and spoken English

Personal Qualities & Behavioral Competencies

Stakeholder centered mindset
Strong sense of introspection, self-awareness, and ability to foster positive working relationships and work collaboratively across the organization to optimize the client experience
Solutions-focused, open-minded, creative, and innovative whilst being extremely decisive, action and results-oriented
High adaptability and ability to endure failure, learn rapidly from it, get back on track, and meet targets
Socially and culturally respectful, aware, adaptable, and adept at finding acceptable and productive ways forward through complex constellations of stakeholders, interests, and agendas
Strong sense of maturity, discernment, and able to maintain confidentiality when required