Surveillance Technical Advisor

Job Posting Organization:
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Established to save, protect, and transform lives in need, CRS operates in more than 100 countries worldwide. The organization is committed to improving the lives of the poor and vulnerable, regardless of race, religion, or nationality. CRS engages in various programs, including emergency response, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding. The agency's work culture is collaborative and mission-driven, welcoming individuals from all faiths and secular traditions who share its values. CRS is dedicated to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation, and its talent acquisition procedures reflect this commitment. The organization prioritizes candidates who are citizens or permanent residents of the countries where it operates, ensuring a strong local presence and understanding of community needs.

Job Overview:
The Surveillance Technical Advisor will play a crucial role in the anticipated CDC-PEPFAR health systems strengthening project by providing expert guidance and hands-on support to government ministries, departments, and agencies in Nigeria. The primary focus will be on strengthening health systems through technical advisory on surveillance. This includes facilitating and coaching facility-based quality improvement teams, driving rapid learning cycles, and supporting the development and implementation of effective measurement strategies and change packages. The advisor will foster collaborative learning environments that advance high-quality health outcomes within Nigeria’s health sector, ensuring that surveillance systems are robust, efficient, and aligned with both global standards and national priorities for disease detection and reporting. The role requires a strategic mindset to guide the development and implementation of national surveillance strategies, ensuring that they are user-friendly and scalable to meet local needs.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic leadership and expert advisory support for surveillance systems, ensuring alignment with global standards and national priorities.
• Guide the development and implementation of national surveillance strategies, guidelines, and SOPs.
• Advise on the design and improvement of surveillance platforms and workflows, recommending scalable solutions tailored to local needs.
• Ensure the integration of EMRs, lab data, and other sources while maintaining data security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security and interoperability.
• Strengthen Event-Based and Case-Based Surveillance by supporting the implementation of systems for real-time reporting of cases and events, including HIV/TB case surveillance.
• Develop workflows for timely notification, investigation, and response to surveillance data.
• Build capacity for surveillance at all levels by developing and delivering training for health workers, surveillance officers, and data managers.
• Provide mentorship and supportive supervision to ensure sustainability of surveillance efforts.
• Establish mechanisms for data validation, completeness checks, and routine audits to ensure data quality and timeliness. 1
• Promote the integration of surveillance data into dashboards for rapid decision-making. 1
• Engage with stakeholders, including government, donors, and implementing partners, to harmonize surveillance efforts and align indicators and reporting timelines. 1
• Monitor and evaluate the performance of surveillance systems, documenting lessons learned and best practices for scale-up and continuous improvement.

Required Qualifications:

• Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), web conferencing applications, information and budget management systems, and knowledge-sharing networks.
• Strong understanding of technical principles and concepts in surveillance and related disciplines to ensure a proper cross-sectoral approach.
• Experience in project design and proposal development, including writing content for proposals.
• Knowledge of capacity-strengthening best practices and experience with program monitoring and evaluation.
• Strong networking and relationship management skills, with the ability to influence and gain buy-in from diverse stakeholders.
• Excellent strategic, analytical, problem-solving, and systems thinking skills, with the capacity to see the big picture and make sound judgments.
• Strong technical writing skills and experience in presentation, facilitation, training, mentoring, and coaching.
• Proactive, resourceful, and results-oriented approach to work.

Educational Background:

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health, Epidemiology, Health Informatics, Biostatistics, or a related field is required.
• A Master’s Degree in Public Health, Epidemiology, Health Informatics, Biostatistics, or related health data sciences is preferred and considered an advantage.

Experience:

• A minimum of eight to ten (8-10) years of relevant work experience with progressive responsibilities, ideally with an international NGO.
• At least 5 years of relevant field-based experience in surveillance, with a strong understanding of technical principles and concepts in HIV/AIDS programming and surveillance.

Languages:

• Proficiency in English is mandatory.
• Knowledge of local languages may be considered an advantage, enhancing communication with local stakeholders and communities.

Additional Notes:

• The position may require travel up to 50%.
• Supervisory responsibilities are included in this role.
• CRS offers a comprehensive benefits package for U.S.-based staff, including medical, dental, life insurance, vision, and a generous retirement savings plan.
• Benefits packages for successful candidates employed outside the U.S. are based on the country of employment.
• The anticipated duration of the assignment for expatriates is informed by a term limit based on the job type and level, as well as the agency's needs.
• CRS is committed to safeguarding program participants, community members, staff, and volunteers from all forms of exploitation and abuse, and the successful candidate is expected to adhere to CRS's Code of Conduct.