Senior Technical Advisor - Global Health Security & Surveillance

Job title : Senior Technical Advisor – Global Health Security & Surveillance

Summary

• As the Lead consortium implementing a programme focused on Global Health Security, disease surveillance, outbreak preparedness and response, and sustainable health-system transition, we are seeking a highly experienced Senior Technical Advisor – Global Health Security & Surveillance.

The Role

• The Senior Technical Advisor will serve as the organization's principal technical focal point and point of contact within the consortium for Global Health Security and surveillance-related activities.
• The position will provide strategic and technical leadership to ensure effective coordination between the organisation, consortium partners, government institutions and other stakeholders.
• The STA will support the design, implementation, monitoring and continuous improvement of interventions that strengthen infectious disease detection, surveillance, preparedness and outbreak response, while promoting integration of human and animal health systems through a One Health approach.
• The STA will also contribute to the transition of donor-supported interventions toward sustainable, country-owned systems, with particular attention to subnational surveillance, laboratory networks, sample transportation, Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs), rapid response teams and diagnostic capacity.

Key Responsibilities
Consortium Technical Coordination:

• Serve as the organization's primary technical representative and point of contact for the consortium.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with consortium members, government counterparts and relevant technical stakeholders.
• Represent the organisation in consortium technical meetings, working groups, coordination platforms and programme review sessions.
• Coordinate the organization's technical contributions to consortium workplans, deliverables, reports and learning activities.
• Promote harmonisation of approaches, tools, standards and implementation strategies across consortium partners.
• Identify implementation challenges and facilitate timely technical solutions with consortium members.
• Ensure effective communication and information flow between the organisation, consortium leadership and implementing partners.

Global Health Security and Outbreak Preparedness:

• Provide technical leadership for activities supporting country readiness for infectious disease outbreak detection, preparedness and response.
• Support government coordination platforms for joint programme supervision, strategic planning and outbreak preparedness.
• Strengthen systems for timely detection, notification, investigation and response to infectious disease threats.
• Support the strengthening of subnational Emergency Operations Centers and rapid response team capacity.
• Promote evidence-based approaches to preparedness for high-priority infectious disease threats, including cholera, measles and zoonotic diseases.

Integrated Disease Surveillance and One Health:

• Provide technical guidance for strengthening integrated disease surveillance systems at national and subnational levels.
• Support implementation of integrated surveillance and outbreak response approaches consistent with the One Health framework.
• Facilitate collaboration among human health, animal health and other relevant sectors.
• Strengthen linkages between surveillance structures, laboratories, rapid response teams and emergency operations centers.
• Support capacity building of district/provincial surveillance teams and other frontline personnel.

Laboratory Systems and Diagnostic Networks:

• Provide technical support to strengthen subnational laboratory systems and diagnostic networks.
• Support development and strengthening of sample collection, referral and transportation systems, including appropriate cold-chain arrangements.
• Strengthen referral pathways between district and provincial laboratories.
• Support improvements in specialized diagnostic capacity, including genomic sequencing, TB culture and drug susceptibility testing where applicable.
• Promote quality assurance, biosafety and appropriate laboratory standards within supported facilities and networks.
• Identify laboratory-system bottlenecks and work with consortium partners and government stakeholders to develop practical solutions.

Emergency Operations Centers and Rapid Response:

• Support the establishment, operationalization and strengthening of subnational EOCs.
• Strengthen district-level outbreak preparedness and response mechanisms, particularly in high-risk areas.
• Support development and testing of outbreak response plans, SOPs, coordination mechanisms and escalation pathways.
• Strengthen the capacity of Rapid Response Teams through training, mentorship, simulation exercises and supportive supervision.
• Promote timely linkage of surveillance alerts to investigation, laboratory confirmation and response.

Infection Prevention and Control:

• Provide technical support to strengthen Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures across supported levels of the health system.
• Support assessment of IPC capacity, identification of gaps and implementation of improvement plans.
• Promote integration of IPC into routine service delivery and outbreak preparedness activities.
• Support capacity building and mentorship of healthcare workers on appropriate IPC practices.

Community and Health-Service Linkages:

• Support approaches that strengthen community engagement in disease surveillance and outbreak preparedness.
• Contribute technical support to interventions addressing PMTCT coverage and engagement of pregnant women and communities.
• Promote linkages between community-based surveillance structures and formal health-system surveillance mechanisms.
• Support strategies that improve early identification, referral and follow-up of priority health threats.

Sustainability and Transition to Country Ownership:

• Provide technical leadership to support the transition of donor-supported programmes toward sustainable, country-owned systems.
• Work with government counterparts to strengthen institutional ownership, capacity and accountability.
• Support development of transition and sustainability plans for surveillance, laboratory, EOC and outbreak response functions.
• Identify opportunities for integration of programme-supported systems into existing government structures and financing mechanisms.
• Promote approaches that reduce dependence on parallel donor-supported systems.

Capacity Building and Technical Assistance:

• Conduct capacity and systems assessments and translate findings into practical technical assistance plans.
• Develop or contribute to development of training materials, SOPs, guidelines, job aids and other technical products.
• Facilitate training, mentorship, coaching and supportive supervision for government and implementing-partner personnel.
• Promote institutionalization of skills and knowledge within government structures.
• Document lessons learned, promising practices and innovations for programme improvement and scale-up.

Monitoring, Learning and Reporting:

• Contribute to development and implementation of programme indicators and technical performance frameworks.
• Monitor progress against technical deliverables, milestones and agreed consortium commitments.
• Analyze surveillance, laboratory, outbreak preparedness and response data to identify performance gaps and opportunities for improvement.
• Prepare high-quality technical reports, presentations, briefs and success stories.
• Contribute to donor reports, consortium reporting and programme review meetings.
• Support documentation and dissemination of lessons learned and evidence generated by the programme.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Master's Degree or higher in Public Health, Epidemiology, Global Health, Health Systems Management, Infectious Disease, One Health, Laboratory Sciences, Veterinary Public Health or a closely related discipline.
• Medical, veterinary, laboratory science or other relevant clinical/public-health professional qualification will be an advantage.
• At least 8–10 years of progressively responsible experience in public health, global health security, disease surveillance, outbreak preparedness/response or health systems strengthening.
• Demonstrated experience working with government health institutions and multi-partner/consortium programmes.
• Strong technical experience in one or more of the following areas:
  • Integrated disease surveillance and response;
  • Global Health Security;
  • One Health;
  • Outbreak preparedness and response;
  • Emergency Operations Centers;
  • Rapid Response Teams;
  • Laboratory systems and diagnostic networks;
  • Infection Prevention and Control;
  • Health-system strengthening and transition.
• Experience working at subnational/district/provincial level is highly desirable.
• Experience supporting donor-funded health programmes and working within complex consortium arrangements.
• Demonstrated experience in technical assistance, capacity building, mentorship and institutional strengthening.
• Experience in programme planning, implementation monitoring and technical reporting.
• Strong understanding of government health systems and stakeholder coordination mechanisms.

Core Competencies
The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Strategic technical leadership
• Excellent consortium and stakeholder coordination skills
• Strong understanding of Global Health Security principles
• Expertise in surveillance and outbreak preparedness/response
• Ability to work effectively across human, animal and environmental health sectors
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
• Excellent communication, facilitation and presentation skills
• Strong report-writing and technical documentation skills
• Ability to translate technical evidence into practical programme interventions
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-management skills
• Ability to work collaboratively in a multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary consortium
• Commitment to country ownership, sustainability and health-system strengthening
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deliver high-quality outputs within deadlines

Key Working Relationships
The Senior Technical Advisor will work closely with:

• Consortium technical leads and partner organisations
• Federal and subnational Ministries/Departments/Agencies of Health
• Public health and disease surveillance institutions
• Emergency Operations Centers
• Rapid Response Teams
• Public health and veterinary laboratories
• Human and animal health authorities
• Local government/district health teams
• Community and civil society organizations
• Donors and other technical partners.

Key Deliverables
The STA will be expected to contribute to or lead delivery of:

• Consortium technical workplans and implementation plans.
• Global Health Security and surveillance technical strategies.
• Subnational surveillance strengthening plans.
• Laboratory and sample transportation strengthening plans.
• EOC and Rapid Response Team capacity-strengthening plans.
• One Health coordination and implementation approaches.
• IPC improvement and capacity-building plans.
• Technical training and mentorship packages.
• Transition and sustainability plans supporting country ownership.
• Technical progress reports, presentations and programme briefs.
• Documentation of lessons learned, innovations and best practices.
• Other technical deliverables required under the consortium Scope of Work.

What We Offer

• An opportunity to provide strategic leadership on a high-impact Global Health Security programme.
• Collaboration with government institutions, leading consortium partners and technical stakeholders.
• Opportunities to influence sustainable national and subnational health-system capacity.
• A professional environment focused on learning, innovation and measurable public health impact.
• Competitive remuneration and benefits commensurate with qualifications and experience.