JOBS AT USAID/LESOTHO

USAID/Southern Africa, an equal opportunity employer, seeks applicants for the above position. All South African citizens and South African permanent residence permit holders. The Youth and Prevention Specialist will serve as a key staff member within the USAID Health Office and the overall PEPFAR program in South Africa. Specifically, the Youth and Prevention Specialist will be responsible for the following: Overseeing prevention, focusing on youth and prevention delivery activities aimed at achieving epidemic control; Providing technical support and leadership to USAID grantees and contractors and the South African government; Coordinating with other U.S. government agencies, the South African government, development partners, and the private sector.

Description

Reference No.:                                674-18-1005

Position / Salary Range:                Project Management Specialist - Youth and Prevention

                 FSN-10:  R 458,541.00  - R 641,955.00 (Full Performance Level)

                 FSN-09: R 326,107.00 - R 456,600.00 (Trainee Level)

    Additional benefits include miscellaneous allowance, education allowance, medical and pension fund subsidy.

Open To:                                      All South African citizens and South African permanent residence permit holders

Location:                                     USAID/Southern Africa

                                                     Health Office (HO)

                                                     Pretoria, South Africa

Opening:                                     November 17, 2017

Closing:                                      December 01, 2017

Work Hours:                               Full-Time; 40 hours/week

USAID/Southern Africa, an equal opportunity employer, seeks applicants for the above position.

Basic Function of Position:

The USAID/South Africa (SA) Health Office (HO) manages one of the largest President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) programs in the world as well as Tuberculosis (TB) activities. In order to achieve an AIDS-free generation, USAID supports clinical and community-based health services (e.g., HIV Testing Services [HTS]; HIV prevention for Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW), Key Populations (KP) and other priority populations; Orphans and Vulnerable Children [OVC] services; Gender-Based Violence (GBV) services, Mobile Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision [VMMC]; Community Care and Distribution of ARVs, TB Prevention and Diagnosis, and Demand Creation).  The Youth and Prevention Specialist will serve as a key staff member within the USAID Health Office and the overall PEPFAR program in South Africa. Specifically, the Youth and Prevention Specialist will be responsible for the following:

• Overseeing prevention, focusing on youth and  prevention delivery activities aimed at achieving epidemic control;
• Providing technical support and leadership to USAID grantees and contractors and the South African government;
• Coordinating with other U.S. government agencies, the South African government, development partners, and the private sector.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

The Youth and Prevention Specialist is a critical member of the Health Office team and will play an important role in ensuring the effective and efficient use of the PEPFAR investment. The HO leadership will be looking to the Youth and Prevention Specialist to add value in the following roles and responsibilities: 

1.  Program/Project Management (40%):
   • Act as the Alternate Contracting Officer's Representative and/or Agreement Officer's Representative and activity manager for contracts and/or agreements in the USAID/Southern Africa health portfolio, including management of budgets as well as administrative, financial, and technical management and oversight of contracts and agreements.
   • Act as Alternate AOR/COR on awards with budgets ranging from between $1,6 million  to  $20 million.
   • Participate in the strategic design and procurement of Youth (include adolescent girls and boys) and (include migrants and mobile populations) prevention health service delivery programs and activities.
   • Manage and support the implementation of HIV prevention interventions that leverage technology and innovation to advance an AIDS-free generation.
   • Work with prevention implementing partners (between 10-15 implementing partners) to establish innovative partnerships and linkages with multilateral and bilateral donors, foundations, and/or corporations to strengthen programmatic linkages.
   • Oversee compliance of USAID/South Africa health and HIV programs as per annual PEPFAR program guidance with the South African Government and U.S. Government policies and guidelines.
   • Participate and lead the extensive Site Improvement though Monitoring System (SIMS) visits to facility and community sites ensuring appropriate coordination with partners, local counterparts and structures, documentation, and analysis of findings.
   • The Youth  Prevention Specialist is expected to undertake regular travel and site visits of implementing partners and maintain regular communication with implementing partners to ensure that partners have feasible, results-oriented, gender-sensitive work and sound management and financial plans in place; that activity implementation is proceeding in accordance with the approved Country Operational Plan; that planned inputs and outputs are clearly identified and produced on schedule; that funding advances are requested, provided, expended and liquidated in accordance with financial plans and USAID procedures; that pipelines are reviewed with grantees at least quarterly; that timely audits are carried out in accordance with the agreement and any audit recommendations closed; that completed activities are promptly closed out; and that the terms and conditions of activity agreements are complied with.
   • The incumbent is responsible for assisting implementing partners to troubleshoot implementation problems and develop approaches to resolve those problems, and for bringing major management and politically sensitive issues to the attention of the Team Leader.
   • The Youth and Prevention Specialist is a member of the interagency PEPFAR team and maintains regular ties with key staff in other offices of USAID, the US Embassy, the Peace Corps and the Centers for Disease Control. The incumbent will also work with African continent counterparts to share best practices in HIV Prevention.

1. Project Development - (20%):

• Leading the design of special studies and evaluations related to the youth and prevention portfolio.

• Identifying and documenting technically sound, cost-effective, and practical approaches to youth and HIV prevention programs consistent with South African and OGAC policies and priorities. 
• Participating in the preparation of design and other pre-obligation documentation; assisting in the preparation of the annual country operational plan (COP) for PEPFAR.
• Ensuring the integration of gender considerations into activity design; and reviewing and ranking proposals and recommending those worthy of funding to USAID and the USG PEPFAR leadership.   
• Ensuring that USAID supported youth HIV prevention programs are designed to help individuals avoid behaviors that place them at risk of HIV infection, including delaying sexual debut, abstinence, fidelity and monogamy, reduction of casual sexual partnering, reducing sexual violence and coercion, and where appropriate, use of condoms.
• Ensuring that USAID supported HIV prevention programs are designed to help the target group avoid risky behaviors, reducing sexual gender based violence and coercion, and use condoms and lubricants. 
• Supporting the establishment and implementation of culturally appropriate HIV/AIDS education and prevention programs that focus on helping youth avoid infection of HIV/AIDS, implemented through non-governmental organizations, including faith-based and community-based organizations, particularly those organizations that utilize both professionals and volunteers with appropriate skills, experience and community presence.  
• The Youth and Prevention Specialist will also assist with supporting and expanding the role(s) of non-governmental and faith-based organizations in providing HIV and AIDS related prevention services to most at risk populations and youth.
• The incumbent will also work with NGOs working with migrants and mobile populations to expand prevention program coverage that address the key drivers of epidemic.

C.  Monitoring and Reporting (20%):

• The incumbent will actively monitor the implementation and impact of project activities on the achievement of the Mission's health and PEPFAR objectives, which includes ensuring that: a result monitoring plan is in place for each activity; the plans link partners' inputs and outputs to USAID and PEPFAR results; objectively verifiable impact indicators, corresponding data sources, baselines and targets have been identified in the plan and are age and gender disaggregated as appropriate; the implementing partner systematically collects and reports correct performance monitoring data; the data is promptly communicated to the central data warehouse; The implementing partners receive monitoring technical assistance if required.  Additionally, the incumbent will assist the Prevention and Monitoring and Evaluation teams in: Data review and analysis and feeding back performance monitoring information into activity implementation and Determining when activity evaluations are necessary. 
• The incumbent will act as official USAID representative on inspection visits to project sites; conduct assessments of these visits and recommend authoritative solutions to problems where they exist, and possess skills in successfully negotiating with parties concerned to resolve issues.  The incumbent will provide regular reports on progress for all projects under his/her responsibility in preparation of the semi-annual Project Implementation Reports, the annual report to USAID/Washington and other reports as they arise.
• The incumbent will initiate and lead key mapping activities to ensure that youth and prevention activities and programs are geographically aligned and positioned in high HIV burden locations.

D. Strategic and Technical Leadership (20%)

• Act as a senior technical specialist and as a senior subject matter expert on issues of HIV prevention, including South African priorities; e.g. HIV prevention for AGYW, and other priority populations such as migrants and mobile groups.
• Coordinate closely with relevant program leads at national level working with health, education, social development and with PEPFAR provincial liaison officers in target provinces to ensure close technical direction of youth and prevention programs as per the guidance below.
• Coordinate USAID activities aligned with PEPFAR and SAG special initiatives (e.g., DREAMS, She Conquers focusing on adolescent girls and young women) at the provincial, district, sub-district, and ward levels as required.
• Implement strategies to leverage the capabilities of the public, private, and non-governmental organization (NGO) sectors to improve the South African health system.
• Implement strategies to improve community services within urban, peri-urban, rural, and informal contexts.
• Implement strategies to improve facility-community referral and linkage systems.

Represent USAID to external organizations and audiences at key professional meetings and conferences as assigned.

Applicability:

This position is open South African citizens and South African permanent resident permit holders.  USAID Southern Africa management will consider nepotism/conflict of interest, budget, need for continuity, and residency status in determining successful applications. Current USG employees on probationary status (i.e., within their first year of employment) are not eligible to apply.

Compensation:

The Project Management Specialist -Youth and Prevention will be compensated in accordance with the U.S. Mission to South Africa's Local Compensation Plan (LCP). The plan includes basic salary, miscellaneous allowance, pension fund and medical aid subsidy. Subject to qualification, compensation for dependents' education assistance is also available.  The successful candidate's salary level will be based on prior job-related experience and salary history.

To Apply:

All interested and eligible candidates should visit USAID.pnet.co.za to apply for this position. Applicants with P-net accounts can log-in from the above website to apply and first time users will be required to register on the site before they can apply.  For an application to be considered complete include a high quality cover letter, explaining why you are qualified for the position and a CV of no more than 4 pages.

Failure to comply with these instructions may result in your application being considered “non-responsive” and eliminated from further consideration.

Only short-listed candidates will be acknowledged.

Point of Contact:

Penny Mamabolo, Telelphone (012) 452-2058

Seja Matlakala, Telephone: (012) 452-2358

Gugu Madokwe, Telephone: (012) 452- 2225

Lavinia Denation, Telephone: (012) 452- 2054

The U.S. Mission in South Africa provides opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status or sexual orientation.  The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) also strives to ensure equal employment opportunity in all personnel operations.

The EEO complaint procedure is not available to individuals who believe they have been denied equal opportunity based upon marital status or political affiliation.  Individuals with such complaints should avail themselves of the appropriate grievance procedures, remedies for prohibited personnel practices, and/or courts for relief.

Profile

Required Qualifications:

1. Education: Bachelor's Degree in public health, social work, behavioral sciences or similar social science-related field.
2. Prior Work Experience:  Minimum three (3) years relevant work experience. Relevant work experience in program/project management, working with South African government, non-governmental organizations, and working with international donors is required. The candidate must demonstrate experience setting program targets, developing work plans, and monitoring program performance.
3. Post Entry Training:  The incumbent will be required to undergo USAID training in Programing Foreign Assistance, Project Design and Management, and maintain a COR/AOR certification (in order to execute alternate COR/AOR and activity management responsibilities) as well as attend specific additional PEPFAR training in DHIS2, DATIM, and Site Improvement though Monitoring System(SIMS).
4. Language Proficiency (List both English and one host country language(s) proficiency requirements by level and specialization (sp/read): Level IV English proficiency/The applicant must read, write and speak fluent English and at least one local language.
5. Job Knowledge: Advanced understanding of PEPFAR (annual C Adherence Guidelines, Referral Policies). Knowledge of the roles of community cadres (e.g., Community Health Workers, Community Caregivers, Youth and Child Care Workers). Knowledge of HIV epidemiology (HSRC Prevalence Surveys) and community services (e.g., HTS, HIV prevention for AGYW, KPs and other priority populations; OVC services; GBV services; Mobile VMMC; Community Care and Distribution of ARVs; TB Prevention and Diagnosis; and Demand Creation).Country Operational Plan guidance) and the role of USAID in PEPFAR's implementation. Knowledge of South African government priorities (e.g.,  Policies and Strategies focusing on Adolescent Health, HIV, STI and TB policies focusing on adolescents in schools, Comprehensive Sexuality Education, the National Strategic Plan on HIV, STI and TB.
6. Skills and Abilities: The ability to operate independently with limited direct supervision of day-to-day activities is required. Strong analytic and quantitative skills. Strong computer software skills. Strong interpersonal communication and excellent oral presentation and writing skills. Ability to work within diverse teams. Strong diplomacy and negotiation skills. Ability to travel is required.

 How the Selection will be made:

The successful candidate will be selected based upon the following:

1. a preliminary review of the applicant's submitted package (which includes the cover letter and CV) to establish that minimum educational, work experience and English writing fluency requirements are met;
2. Assessments to include English writing skills, and Microsoft Office proficiency that might include any of the following: Word, Excel, PowerPoint; and any technical skill test that might be deemed appropriate; 
3. a personal face to face interview; and
4. reference checks.

• USAID/SA's Human Resources Section will perform the preliminary review (Step 1 above) to eliminate those applications that do not meet the minimum educational and written English language requirements before forwarding the rest to the Technical Office or Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) for further review and assessment. 
• The Technical Evaluation Committee will review each of the forwarded applications against the established evaluation criteria to develop a shortlist of applicants to be tested and possibly interviewed.  Applicants will be contacted for testing (Step 2) and interviews.  Based on the results of the tests, however, an applicant otherwise identified for interview could be dropped from the interview list.
• Following the interview (Step 3) during which the applicant will be evaluated against the established criteria, the TEC will make a preliminary determination of candidates to be considered for employment and forward that list to HR. The TEC will conduct and document reference checks. (Step 4) prior to advising the TEC of the results of these checks. Please note that references may be solicited from current as well as former supervisors in addition to the references you provide in your application package. References will only be solicited for those interviewed applicants who are being considered for ranking. 
• Based on this final input, the TEC will make its final decision on which candidates to rank order, prepare a selection memo for the review and approval of the Contracting Officer, after which an offer of employment will be made to the successful candidate. Unsuccessful candidates who were interviewed will be contacted and advised of their non-selection. 
• As positive medical and security clearances are a condition of employment, the selected candidate will undergo stringent investigation prior to employment with USAID/SA.

USAID/SA reserves the right to hire an applicant who does not meet the required experience level at a trainee level. However, an applicant who does not meet the minimum educational and English language requirements cannot be hired at either a trainee or full performance level.

We offer

FSN-09: R 326,107.00 R 456,600.00 (Trainee Level)- FSN-10: R 458,541.00 R 641,955.00 (Full Performance Level)