Tuberculosis Specialist - Public Health

Job Description

An exciting opportunity exists for a Tuberculosis (TB) Specialist to join our TB Elimination and Implementation Science team, based in Daru, Papua New Guinea.

You will work with the RID-TB team to design and implement an effective model of care for case-finding and preventative therapy of DS-TB and DR-TB at the facility and community level in Daru and support South Fly District and the Western Province in decentralisation of TB services. You will be responsible for capacity building of provincial TB team staff to deliver high quality patient-centred care for DS-TB and DR-TB.

You will work with facility and community-based staff and partners including medical officers, health extension officers (HEOs), case managers, nurses, community health workers (CHWs), treatment supporters and laboratory staff. The position will support the implementation of protocols, procedures and conduct training and on-the-job mentoring.

In this role, you will:

• Provide day-to-day clinical mentoring of TB medical staff responsible for inpatient, ambulatory and outreach care
• Facilitate practical training sessions for medical staff on topics, agreed upon with the Provincial TB physician tools
• Oversight and supervision of public health team activities, including community based case finding and scale up preventative therapy
• Support development and implementation of clinical, diagnostic & case management systems, tools and protocols for patient monitoring, follow-up and retention including outreach services
• Lead the on-the-ground management of health information and data systems with support from the International Health and Development Specialist
• Provide technical support to medical officers and HEOS on implementation issues associated with establishing the model of care
• Liaise directly with relevant program staff, in both PNG and Melbourne
• Manage HR issues of clinical team with the support and guidance of management staff and HR as needed

Refer to the attached position description for full details. This is a full-time contract ending in December 2023 with possibility of extension.

Let’s talk about you

The following are essential criteria:

• Registration as a qualified Medical doctor
• A qualification in epidemiology/public health/research related field
• A medical doctor with over 5 years of clinical experience, preferably in infectious diseases or similar
• Highly adaptable, ability to work in unstable hardship setting
• Experience in protocol or guideline design, report writing or publications
• Proven interest and experience in team management, capacity development / training of local staff in a resource- constrained setting
• Experience in research, managing database systems, ideally within a health/TB program
• Understating of basic epidemiology and statistics
• Fluency in English and demonstrated high level communication skills
• Demonstrated cultural competency

The following experience is preferable but not essential:

• Field experience in the clinical and programmatic management of TB/DR-TB in a resource constrained setting
• Experience with project monitoring and evaluation processes
• Experience with data analysis, coding, and health information systems, ideally with a health/TB program
• Previous work experience in resource-limited settings, preferably in PNG or the Pacific

About the Organization

We want you to have a successful and meaningful career at Burnet and are committed to providing a supportive workplace environment for all our people. You will be part of a collaborative culture where progressive leadership, innovation, respect, and excellence are valued. Join a team of talented individuals who are passionate about what they do – improving the health of vulnerable communities around the world. Hear from some of our talented staff about their career journeys at Burnet here!

We offer:

• A monthly accrued day off for full-time staff
• 14 weeks paid parental leave
• Flexible working arrangements
• Generous salary packaging
• Opportunities for career and professional development

Who are we?

Burnet Institute is a leading Australian, unaligned, not-for-profit, organisation that uniquely links medical research with practical action to achieve better health for disadvantaged communities and help solve devastating global health problems.

Burnet Institute brings together a highly diverse skill base, with more than 400 staff and students working across cutting-edge research and projects to address some of the most relevant global health issues. Institute-wide interdisciplinary health programs Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, Disease Elimination, Behaviours and Health Risks, and Health Security, are at the heart of our daily decision making. Harnessing our international and local field presence, our laboratories, and our mixed development and research cultures drives a greater focus on the most relevant health issues and achieves a greater impact as a result.

Whilst our headquarters is in Melbourne, Australia, we also have offices in Papua New Guinea and Myanmar, and are actively involved in research and public health programs throughout Australia, the Asia-Pacific region and Africa. Burnet is the only unaligned organisation in Australia that has dual accreditation with both the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

Bring your whole self to work

At Burnet, we foster a diverse and inclusive culture. We want our people to feel like they belong and are free to be themselves at work. We have an active Gender Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (GEDI) Council that works to promote and improve gender equity, diversity and inclusion across the Institute, by developing and implementing strategies informed by both national and international best practice and staff input. Burnet holds an Athena SWAN Institutional Bronze Award from Science in Gender Equity (SAGE).

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