Job Description
About QED
The QED Group, LLC, is a full-service international consulting firm committed to solving complex global challenges through innovative solutions. We are determined to provide all our clients with best-value services so they increase their efficiency, learning capacity, and accountability to the public in an ever more complex and interconnected world.
About the Program
An Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Specialist is needed under the International Technical, Operational, and Professional Support Services Project to serve as a member of the Ebola Response and Recovery team in the CDC Sierra Leone country office and provide support to emergent Ebola response needs in other Ebola affected/high risk countries. This position will run from September 2015 through September 2016 and will be based in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Objectives of the program include:
- Provide technical advice, training, and operational support as needed to improve IPC capacity of the MoH and the CDC Country Office in response to Ebola Viral Disease (EVD).
- Assist host country and other stakeholders with developing and implementing practices and policies to improve prevention, investigation, monitoring and reporting of the spread of diseases in healthcare facilities. The job includes education of healthcare workers regarding infection control protocols and policies.
- Work with MoH and key technical partners to promote the implementation of an IPC monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plan, and provide on-going technical support for IPC data collection and analysis. The IPC Specialist will be responsible for monitoring the implementation of CDC funded IPC activities in the field by conducting regular site visits.
- Work closely with CDC funded Government partners, including the MoH and the regional public health institutes to implement projects supporting the development of IPC infrastructures.
Responsibilities
- Provides expert IPC technical leadership to CDC, MoH, and in-country partner organizations. The duties described in this service position encompass advanced professional capacity building to improve prevention, investigation, monitoring and reporting of the spread of diseases in healthcare facilities.
- Participate with the CDC Country Office to provide overall expert technical support to Ebola response and recovery activities.
- Assess the current capacity for IPC in the CDC Country Office and identify the areas that need improvement.
- Responsible for providing technical advice and assistance to CDC technical staff and directors and/or senior level officials of various collaborating departments and their staff (i.e., hospital directors, doctors, physicians, nurses, social workers, provincial health officers, etc.). Primary areas include the design and implementation of IPC guidelines, trainings, and monitoring systems essential to ensure adequate implementation of IPC activities.
- Interacts regularly with all mid-level and senior CDC staff to provide technical support for IPC-related projects, as well as to provide valuable information needed for improvement of program implementation.
- Address inappropriate or inconsistencies in IPC program interventions implemented at the country, district, or facility level; finding relevant solutions and training staff to follow new procedures; s/he analyzes issues to see if there is a pattern and recommending solutions to partners or leadership depending on challenge.
- Assist CDC Country Office in the development of strategic plans for IPC capacity strengthening.
- Provide Technical Assistance and support to the MOH to:
- Develop and implement IPC guidelines
- Conduct trainings for MoH and in-country partners on IPC policies and practices;
- Assist with development of standard operating procedures and reporting mechanisms for the MoH;
- Develop systems for the analysis, interpretation, and use of IPC surveillance data for public health policy making;
- Conduct assessment of healthcare facilities to monitor implementation of IPC policies and practices;
- Collaborate closely with WHO, USAID and other technical partners that are also working in support of IPC capacity building in the Ministry of Health.
- Provide assistance and advisory support for ad hoc activities, including those related to Public Affairs and high-level political visits.
- Other duties may include coordinating and facilitating meetings sponsored by CDC Country Office, writing progress reports, and providing support to other CDC grantees in the implementation of IPC programs.
- Provide Ebola response support for emergent issues and prevention in bordering affected/high risk West Africa countries including Liberia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Mali.
Minimum Qualifications and/or Certifications
- Bachelor's degree in Medical Sciences or related sciences, OR nursing degree with a minimum of five years progressively responsible work in nursing or public health.
- At least two years of experience working with MoH, public health systems, and/or NGOs.
- International experience outside of the United States.
- Thorough knowledge of EVD and other infectious diseases.
- Knowledge of EVD-related counseling, infection prevention and control, and public health surveillance and information systems.
- Knowledge of computers, including Windows, word processing, and e-mail.
- Knowledge of host country specific health delivery systems.
- Working knowledge of the objectives and operations of the USG, or the program activities of other international donor organizations.
- In-depth specialist knowledge of USG public health programs, strategies, methods, processes and techniques used to plan, develop, implement and evaluate results of public health disease programs
- Good working knowledge of overall administrative requirements, budgeting and fiscal management in support of contracts/cooperative agreements/grants/purchase requisitions.
Preferred
- The incumbent must possess a detailed knowledge of infection control measures in resource limited environments.
- Experience in preparing and facilitating trainings for in -service public health workforce development initiatives.
- Experience in coordinating multi-agency public health programs at regional, national, sub national, local levels.
- Individual will require competent data entry skills to be able to capture information from partners into required templates, forms etc. – this will be required for field base reporting and for data monitoring and reporting purposes.
Application Instructions:
- To apply for this position you must complete entire application process: Submit your CV (resume), the USAID Biodata form and the EEO form provided with the job description.
- Please click the “Apply Now” link and follow the application instructions below.
1. Submit your current resume and cover letter.
2. Complete and submit the attached 1420 biodata sheet.
3. Complete and submit the attached Voluntary Self-ID Form.
Applications submitted by other means will not be considered. Please note only finalists will be contacted. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.
Accessibility Notice: If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process due to a physical or mental disability, please send an email to: Recruitment@QEDGroupLLC.com. Reasonable accommodation requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
The QED Group, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. EEO/M/F/D
