Vacancies at the Management Sciences for Health (MSH)

The Management Sciences for Health (MSH), a global health nonprofit organization, uses proven approaches developed over 40 years to help leaders, health managers, and communities in developing nations build stronger health systems for greater health impact. We work to save lives by closing the gap between knowledge and action in public health. Since its founding in 1971, MSH has worked in over 150 countries with policy makers, health professionals, and health care consumers to improve the quality, availability and affordability of health services. We are recruiting to fill the position below: Job Title: Senior Technical Advisor, TB, PSM Job ID: 13-9529 Location: Abuja Group/Office: HPG Grade: N/A Dept/Unit: GEN (General) Project/Program: A362 - Nigeria Challenge TB Reports To: Senior Technical Advisor, TB Overview

• The Senior Technical Advisor (STA) is responsible for providing direct technical assistance to national TB programs/MoH aimed at ensuring universal access to TB medicines through strengthening pharmaceutical systems1, supply chain2 management, management information systems, pharmaceutical services3, and providing technical leadership to donors and Global TB initiatives, such as the Global Fund (GF) and the Global Drug Facility (GDF).
• S/he supports Challenge TB and country programs portfolios and in-country teams in the development and implementation of technical activities ensuring their adequate contribution to Challenge TB results.
• S/he is the primary liaison between Challenge TB and the USAID Country Missions, Government counterparts, stakeholders, and partners involved with pharmaceutical management activities and/or implementing related programs in the countries and region. S/he supports measurement and documentation of portfolio results.

• Identify and map key stakeholders and their contributions in the country’s TB medicines supply system, including both domestic and international.
• Establish communication with the NTP, MOH, key stakeholders, and inform of the activity purpose, vision, methodology, and desired outcomes.
• In conjunction with the local counterparts, collect data and maintain evidence of the countries’ TB medicines supply practices, such as related to: TB recording and reporting (data pertaining to supply management); inventory management;  rocurement processes and lead-times (including MOH, GDF, TGF, etc); forecasting; quantification; supply planning; data flows and data collection tools; data quality assurance; early warning mechanisms for preventing stock-outs/wastage.
• Identify feasible interventions option aimed at strengthening the TB medicines supply system and improving access to TB medicines, discuss with stakeholders, develop a strengthening plan and have it endorsed by NTP and relevant stakeholders.
• Collect country data and forecast first and second line TB medicine requirements with NTP and key partner and document assumptions and get consensus from key  takeholders to finalize forecasting or quantification.
• Generate quarterly activity reports from QuanTB to inform NTP and other key in country partners about TB medicine status and proposed solutions.
• Work collaboratively and leverage funds with partners as needed to achieve desired outcomes.
• Introduce and support implementation of Quan TB as an Early Warning tool building on the existing country’s platforms, gain acceptance, develop capacity building plan with NTP and ensure Early Warning System (EWS) reports are produced in the GDF-QuanTB format).
• Collaborate with NTP and key partners to develop SOPs for Quan TB as EWS; identify and train key users.
• Under the leadership of the NTP, establish a coordination routine with the WHO , USAID, GDF Regional Supply Officers (RSOs), TGF and other partners to report country EWS data on the quarterly basis, communicate potential TB medicines problems and work closely with key persons to address problems.
• Establish a mechanism to monitor the TB medicines supply lead times(GDF, GF and MOH lead times) and communicate the performance to NTPs and partners involved in the supply system; immediately report noncompliance with the lead times to NTPs and partners.

• Graduate degree in a Health-related field; Physician or Pharmacist qualification preferred.
• Specialized training and/or experience relating to pharmaceutical systems, management information systems, supply chain management or pharmaceutical services.
• Experience with programs supported by bilateral agencies such as USAID and international agencies such as the Global Fund, the Global Drug Facility.
• Ability to write lucid technical reports and documents in English is required.
• Competence in use of word processing programs required, and experience with spreadsheets and database applications strongly preferred.
• Ability to use NTBLCP such as QuanTB & e-TB manager will be an added advantage.
• Relevant experience in the implementation of international and country TB  revention, care, and treatment programs, strengthening of National TB programs, and experience with management of medicines supply and information systems for TB including pharmacovigiliance.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously; excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively in a team spirit.
• Ability and availability to travel in-country and internationally 30% of time or more.

• The success of the CaTSS project depends largely on accurate, complete and timely reporting of achievements to PEPFAR/USAID. Achievement of set targets is of utmost importance.
• Hence, the objective of the M&E Specialist position is to provide technical leadership in the roll-out of CaTSS M&E plan in the states integrating it with other health systems and generating strategic data for program management, reporting and documentation of best practices.

• Provide technical input in the development of an integrated State CaTSS project plan in collaboration with the Directors, Advisors and State Teams.
• Take lead in building the capacity of health units’ M&E staff and relevant health and community workers in collection, summarization, analysis and presentation of M&E data.
• Manage the roll-out of the project M&E data quality assurance system including quarterly data quality audits.
• Assist the STL to coordinate the establishment/strengthening of one state M&E system that informs policy and practice.
• Take lead in the implementation of CaTSS state M&E plan and reporting formats for PEPFAR indicators and targets in collaboration with the State Team, Advisors and Directors
• Establish system for flow of information from service-delivery points to the CaTSS central data base and ensure timely M&E technical support to all implementing health facilities.
• Ensure state-of-the art database management practice at the state.
• Analyze M&E data on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis and flag action areas to the project management.
• Work with LCaTSS management to document and publish best practices.

• Supervision: Works independently and reports to the State Team Leader.
• Decision Making: Working within project strategy and policy guidelines, makes decisions with regards to work responsibilities and is accountable for them.
• Responsibility over data or information: Has access to information within project, and is responsible for program data generation and management.
• Responsibility over assets: Overall responsibility assigned assets in the program.
• Responsibility over Staff: None

• Spearheading the roll-out of CaTSS M&E plan in line with PEPFAR and national reporting requirements
• Member of the State Project Management Team that is responsible for overall project performance

• Postgraduate Degree in Statistics, Epidemiology or related field with focus on monitoring and evaluation and/or Biostatistics.
• Excellent inter-personal, multi-cultural and team building skills.
• Strong computer skills particularly in spreadsheets, database and statistical applications.
• Significant experience working in HIV/AIDS programs in Nigeria.
• Familiarity with PEPFAR reporting systems highly desirable, particularly for HIV Counseling and Testing, prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission, ART, palliative care, and OVC desirable
• Excellent writing skills, oral and written communication skills and fluency in English
• At least 4 years hand-on-experience in monitoring and evaluation with very good analytical, presentation, communication and reporting skills.
• Significant experience in developing monitoring plans and/or management information systems 4 years of which spent working with NGOs in an African setting.