Overview

Tanzania Health Promotion Support (THPS) is an indigenous NGO established under nongovernmental organization act No 24 of 2002 in 2011. THPS works in partnership with the Ministries of Health Community Development Gender Elderly and Children (MoHCDGEC) and Presidents Office - Regional Administration and Local Governments (PORALG) and Ministry of Health in Zanzibar with a goal of ensuring accessible high-quality health care services to Tanzanians; through strengthening of health systems for quality health services. THPS is currently implementing projects in comprehensive HIV/AIDS Prevention, Care, Support and Treatment among general populations in Pwani and Kigoma regions; key and vulnerable populations across 25 district councils across 13 mainland Tanzania regions, Tuberculosis and Family Planning Activity in Kigoma, Rukwa, Songwe and Katavi regions, and Health laboratory services strengthening in all mainland regions and Zanzibar. Additionally, THPS implements research and evaluations across health programs to generate evidence that informs public health interventions.

THPS has been awarded a five years USAID Cooperative Agreement number

72062120CA00005 - USAID Police and Prison Activity, aimed at ensuring Health status of Tanzanians are improved through provision of appropriate interventions and sustainable delivery of health services to Police and Prison staffs, their families, and surrounding communities. The Activity will be implemented across 26 regions of Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar.THPS therefore is seeking competent, experienced, dynamic and qualified candidates to fill the positions listed below. 

Job Title: Community Linkage and Retention Technical Advisor (1 position)

Reports to: Technical Manager

Position Location: Dar es Salaam

Overall Job Summary

The Community Linkage and Retention Technical Advisor provides technical leadership and  oversight in the areas of HIV and TB program linkages, community-based care, and adherence support, for the USAID Police and Prison Activity in Tanzania. THPS aim to reduce new HIV infections and retain clients on ART through targeted HIV testing services and partner notification, linkage to treatment and prevention services, and support for adherence and viral suppression. As for TB, the goal is to retain TB diagnosed clients in treatment and facilitate identification of index cases related to those on treatment. The Community Linkage and retention Technical Advisor will provide oversight and guidance to ensure at least 95% of newly diagnosed HIV-positive clients are linked to and enrolled in treatment; 100% of TB diagnosed are initiated on TB treatment; track both HIV positive and TB clients lost to followup and re-engage them in clinical care for ART and TB and adherence services respectively, and support for viral suppression for the PLHIV, and facilitate strong facility-community collaboration. 

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Provide technical leadership in developing and adapting strategies and interventions to improve existing linkage and ART retention services to facilitate high quality HIV linkage, ART adherence, and viral suppression services in the community and facilities based on proven, innovative strategies, and best practices.
• Provide technical leadership to improved adherence to TB treatment among TB cases, facilitate nutritional support where needed; and coordinate index case tracing of all TB cases.
• Liaise with technical team to ensure all activities and strategies implemented at facility level for community linkages and ART and TB DOT retention comply and adhere to MoHCDGEC policies, guidelines, Standards and Procedures
• Liaise with THPS central, zonal, R/CHMT and facility to strengthen community-facility linkage and retention strategies in all supported sites.
• Provide technical oversight to THPS zonal teams to ensure high quality of linkage services and ART and TB- case treatment retention mechanisms are effectively implemented across all supported sites.
• Liaise with SI team to design and support timely and responsive implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting for community linkage and ART Retention services in all regions of support.
• Provide mentorship and coaching to Zonal THPS teams, district teams and facility staffs to ensure implementation of linkage and ART and TB treatment retention service delivery with fidelity.
• Actively participate in identification, training and support supervision of the Regional, district and respective Health Facility Teams

Qualifications, Experience and Skills

• Degree in Social Sciences and Nursing, postgraduate training in Public or Community Development
• Master in Public Health is an added advantage
• Strong experience and understanding of integrated linkage and ART retention programs including HIV prevention, care and treatment services
• Strong understanding of engaging with facility and community stakeholders, and experience in strategy development and planning
• Demonstrated experience providing capacity building assistance at individual and organizational levels
• Demonstrated Skilled and experience in at least two or more of the following technical areas: HIV care and treatment, HIV testing and counseling, quality improvement for HIV programs; monitoring and evaluation for HIV programs.
• Extensive experience of implementing Community-Based Programs
• Knowledge of the current developments, focus, targets, and best practices in the field of Linkage and ART retention in HIV and AIDS, globally and in Tanzania;
• Good communication skills; diplomatic and culturally sensitive; ability to work independently minimal supervision;
• Excellent diplomacy skills and a proven ability to establish and maintain interpersonal and professional relationships with key stakeholders
• Excellent command of Swahili and English languages, in written and oral communication
• Experience in basic computer applications such as MS Word, Excel, and Powerpoint

How to apply:

Interested applicants should send their application cover letter one-page maximum and CV four pages’ maximum to recruitment@thps.or.tz by (10^th November 2020) with a subject line of ‘USAID Police and Prisons Activity’. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. Please do not attach any certificates when submitting online.  

THPS is an equal opportunity employer; women, people living with HIV/AIDS and people living with disability are encouraged to apply.