Position Summary:

ICAP at Columbia University seeks experienced and qualified experts to serve as Project Director (PD) for several proposed CDC-funded projects related to improving and protecting global health security through developing capacities of government health ministries, institutions, and local partners; strengthening health information and surveillance systems; and promoting initiatives that support International Health Regulations (IHR) core competencies. ICAP is recruiting five PDs who will provide strategic leadership, oversee the design, planning, and implementation of project activities, and lead a team of experts to successfully implement the CDC-funded projects. Each PD will ensure that project activities are effectively supported in the technical, programmatic, financial, and administrative domains. 

The PD positions will lead projects based in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania. The positions are subject to a successful funding application and final approval by the CDC. 

Major Accountabilities: 

• Provides strategic as well as technical, operational, financial, and administrative leadership to ensure the achievement of CDC-funded project goals and objectives. 
• Leads local efforts to improve the prevention of avoidable epidemics, including naturally occurring outbreaks and intentional or accidental releases. 
• Oversees activities aiming to improve the local ability to rapidly detect threats early, including detecting characterizing, and reporting emerging biological threats. 
• Ensures that the program strategy is technically sound and evidenced-based and that processes, approaches, and tools are aligned with the overall goal as well as with donor and key stakeholder requirements. 
• Ensures that surveillance-related activities are in accordance with IHR and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) guidelines. 
• In collaboration with laboratory specialists, strengthens national laboratory systems safely and accurately detecting epidemic-prone diseases from both known and unknown threats nationwide. 
• Provides technical assistance and support to strengthen the multidisciplinary local workforce for prevention, detection, and response activities through supporting capacity building, training, mentoring, and supportive supervision initiatives. 
• Leads efforts to improve the management and effective coordination of the response to outbreaks and emergencies utilizing coordinated multisectoral responses across all levels. 
• Establishes, manages, and develops technical, operational, and administrative staff and teams, including identifying and defining their counterparts within relevant government health ministries and partners. 
• Oversees all activities, outputs, and outcomes related to project management and administration, including reporting, financial transactions, execution of project plans, and project performance monitoring and evaluation 
• Acts as the project representative and serves as the contact person with USG and other key stakeholders in local and international fora. 
• Establishes and ensures a smooth relationship and flow of communication with government partners and other stakeholders to improve the interconnected global network that can respond rapidly and effectively to biological threats of international concern. 
• Increases the visibility of the project through representation at high-level visits with donors and other stakeholders. 
• Leads the production and dissemination of relevant project findings and analysis, reports, publications, and other communications. 

Education: Advanced degree in public health, public administration, or related fields. 

Experience, Skills, and Minimum Qualifications: 

• At least 10 years of experience leading or directing large-scale multi-million dollar, multi- country international health or development projects in resource-limited contexts related to any or all of the following areas: global health security, global health programs through health systems strengthening, integrated health service delivery, capacity building, strategic health information system strengthening, surveillance, emergency response. 
• Demonstrated understanding of the Global Health Security Agenda Joint External Evaluation (JEE) indicators, outbreak investigation, and response. 
• Proven capabilities in strategic and operational planning, managing a diverse team of technical and support staff as well as budgeting, managing, designing, implementing, and evaluating. 
• Extensive knowledge and understanding of the country context in general and public health situation, in particular, is required. 
• Demonstrated diplomatic and communication skills to liaise and advocate with governments, donors, thought leaders, and other key stakeholders and implementing agencies. 
• Demonstrated experience in facilitating the dissemination and use of population-based and/or facility-based data in developing countries 
• Demonstrated competence working within CDC or similar regulations and procedures 
• Proven experience in establishing working relationships and collaborating with the U.S. government, other bilateral and/or multilateral donor agencies, and with host-country governments 
• Proven ability to write technical reports and program documents and deliver presentations. 
• Willingness to travel regionally/locally or overseas up to 40% of the time. 
• Written and spoken English proficiency.