Consultant for Harm Reduction and Drug Health Programme

Job Posting Organization:
The consultancy is being offered in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) in Fiji, which is dedicated to improving health outcomes and ensuring access to health services for all citizens. The MHMS focuses on various health initiatives, including sexual and reproductive health, HIV prevention, and harm reduction strategies. The organization aims to strengthen the health system and enhance the capacity of health services to respond effectively to emerging health challenges. The MHMS operates within the framework of national health policies and collaborates with various stakeholders, including community organizations, law enforcement, and international health agencies, to implement comprehensive health programs.

Job Overview:
The consultant will play a pivotal role in supporting the MHMS through the Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) & HIV Unit, specifically focusing on the National HIV Outbreak and Cluster Response Taskforce (N-HOCRT) and the Harm Reduction Technical Working Group (TWG). The primary objective is to design, operationalize, and institutionalize a comprehensive national harm-reduction and drug-health program in Fiji. This includes providing senior technical leadership, systems guidance, and targeted capacity building to establish and scale up Needle and Syringe Programmes (NSPs) and related drug-health services. The consultant will be responsible for developing enabling policy, legal, and operational frameworks, coordinating multi-sector partnerships, and ensuring that all interventions are evidence-based and aligned with WHO guidance. Additionally, the consultant will mentor the National Harm Reduction and Drug Health Programme Officer to strengthen national leadership and technical expertise, ensuring sustainable management of harm-reduction services beyond the consultancy period.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The consultant will have a comprehensive set of duties and responsibilities, including:

• Supporting the MHMS to finalize the policy and legal foundations for harm-reduction implementation, including the development of a National NSP Policy aligned with WHO guidance.
• Conducting legal and operational pathway analysis to outline approvals and protections for clients and service providers.
• Developing national operational guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for NSP implementation across various settings.
• Facilitating stakeholder consultations with law enforcement and justice sectors to ensure integration within the broader rehabilitation framework.
• Designing an integrated harm reduction and rehabilitation service model that incorporates NSPs as part of a multi-tiered approach.
• Building technical and managerial capacity across the health system, focusing on competency-based training for harm reduction and rehabilitation linkages.
• Enhancing multi-sector coordination and community engagement to build trust across justice, social protection, and community systems.
• Establishing a unified monitoring and evaluation framework for NSPs linked to Fiji’s drug rehabilitation and public health systems.
• Mentoring and capacitating the National Harm Reduction and Drug Health Programme Officer to assume full technical and operational leadership of harm-reduction programming.

Required Qualifications:
The position requires a range of qualifications, including:

• Essential: A Bachelor's degree in public health, medicine, epidemiology, nursing, science, or a related field.
• Desirable: Postgraduate qualifications in one of the above fields.
• Essential: A minimum of 7 years’ experience in harm-reduction, rehabilitation linkages, and integrated HIV/STI/TB programming, including NSP design and implementation.
• Proven expertise in policy development and enabling legal frameworks for drug-health services.
• Experience working with government and civil-society partners in low-resource settings, with strong coordination and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed, gender-sensitive, and inclusive care approaches.
• Strong analytical, facilitation, and communication abilities.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes:

• Essential: A Bachelor's degree in public health, medicine, epidemiology, nursing, science, or a related field.
• Desirable: Postgraduate qualifications in one of the above fields, which would enhance the candidate's expertise and ability to contribute effectively to the consultancy.

Experience:
The level of experience needed for this position is significant, with a minimum of 7 years’ experience in harm-reduction, rehabilitation linkages, and integrated HIV/STI/TB programming. Candidates should have proven expertise in policy development and enabling legal frameworks for drug-health services, as well as experience working with government and civil-society partners in low-resource settings. Strong coordination, technical writing, and stakeholder engagement skills are essential, along with the ability to train, mentor, and supervise others in the field.

Languages:
The mandatory language requirement for this position is expert knowledge of English, which is essential for effective communication and documentation. Additional language skills may be beneficial but are not specified as mandatory.

Additional Notes:
The consultancy will be based in Fiji for a duration of eleven months, starting from February 1, 2026, to December 31, 202

• The selected consultant will be expected to provide a medical certificate of fitness for work. Remuneration is set at Band level B, with a daily wage rate ranging from USD 350 to 49
• Living expenses will be provided based on the daily subsistence allowance for Suva, Fiji. The consultant will work under the supervision of the Public Health Specialist at WHO and the Acting Team Coordinator for Pacific Health security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">Security and Communicable Diseases.