Job and Career Info

The STA for Malaria will provide programmatic direction to CRS for all Malaria projects in particular those supported with resources from the Global Funds and the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI). The Senior Technical Advisor (STA) will: 1) provide strategic leadership and coordination for CRS’ malaria technical support and programming initiatives; 2) provide technical support to CRS headquarters departments, regional offices and country programs as needed; and, 3) represent CRS within and outside of the agency with regard to malaria.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Provide strategic leadership and coordination of technical support and programming initiatives:
a. Lead the development and implementation of agency-wide strategies, standards and priorities for malaria in collaboration with project, technical and in-country staff.
b. Develop CRS’ global strategy on malaria control in coordination with other managers.
c. Provide technical solutions and strategic guidance to country programs and regions in a wide range of complex issues related to malaria-specific activities for strategic planning, program design and development of monitoring and evaluation systems.
d. Support project design, develop strategies and write proposals associated with malaria prevention and treatment incorporating Integral Human Development (IHD) and partnership principles.

2. Provide malaria-specific technical support to headquarters personnel, regional staff and country programs:
a. Provide technical guidance to new and ongoing malaria programs; ensure that country-level malaria-specific technical assistance requirements are met in a timely manner and with the appropriate technical skills.
b. Stay abreast of emerging issues in technical area that can be incorporated into country, regional and global programming.
c. Develop guidance on malaria programming, based on best practices and lessons learned, internally and from the wider PVO and donor community.
d. Guide countries and regions on how to apply the agency’s IHD strategy and partnership principles to malaria programming.
e. Develop malaria training strategies for capacity building and agency learning.
f. Conduct global training and workshops in technical areas.
g. Write publications that highlight best practices and innovations in CRS programs.

3. Learning, Monitoring and Evaluation:
a. Visit country programs and regions to design, monitor and evaluate large or strategic projects with potential for scale-up; monitor and evaluate pilot projects, facilitate replication; assist in measuring program impact, identifying lessons learned.
b. Provide assistance in the development and application of strategies and tools for periodic evaluation of the impact of field program activities; provide strategic guidance for the documentation and dissemination of country program results.
c. Assist country programs with monitoring and evaluation, including helping countries to collect, analyze and present information on standard indicators and tools to assist with procurement planning and management to avoid potential stock outs.
d. Remain abreast of technical developments that may affect CRS; must have the most up to date information on malaria control.
e. Promote and disseminates information sharing, learning, and application of lessons learned across country programs and between regions as well as among peer agencies.
f. Liaise with other supply chain management projects (AIDSRelief) at CRS and with peer organizations to ensure that CRS is following international norms and best practices.

4. Represent CRS within and outside the agency with regard to malaria:
a. Identify and cultivate funding and partnering opportunities for malaria-related projects; assist the country/regional technical staff with developing growth/resource strategies for malaria.
b. Determine strategies for major donors including Global Fund, PMI and RBM.
c. Liaise with donors and external stakeholder in the malaria sector such as PMI, USAID, Global Fund, RBM, WHO etc as well as peer agencies and other partners.
d. Prepare background documents for discussions with these organizations and institutions; contribute to legislative briefs as necessary.
e. Represent CRS to donors at the highest levels in regard to malaria.
f. Lead the development of technical design in large/strategic proposals to respond to donor solicitations; review proposals to ensure that the technical design meets standards and is consistent with agency strategy.
g. Participates in in-country technical assistance assignments as appropriate.
h. Performs other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Supervises short-term hires and consultants.

Key Working Relationships:

Internal: Program Quality Support Department (PQSD) Health Team members and other PQSD Technical Advisors; Overseas Support Department, especially the Special Grant Support Unit; US Operations; Fundraising; Corporations and Foundations; Policy and Advocacy Department; Country Representatives and Regional Directors; Deputy Regional Directors for Program Quality; Health Regional Technical Advisors; Country Program and Regional Health/ technical staff and other CRS program staff in countries with malaria programming.

External: International Malaria networks; Malaria, Child Survival and Health advisors of other FBOs/PVOs/NGOs; partner organizations; The Global Fund for AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis; Rollback Malaria Initiative; USG agencies such as USAID and PMI; universities; CORE, health consultants; donors.

Physical Requirements/Environment:

Normal conditions for an office environment. Requires overseas travel to sometimes difficult
and challenging regions/countries. May travel up to 25% of the time.

Qualifications:

1. DrPH, MD, PhD, DNSc preferred, or Masters degree and equivalent experience, in Public Health or related field.
2. Eight to 15 years of relevant international working experience in an advisory or management role, preferably with five to seven years’ developing country field experience in designing and implementing ITN related, treatment and behavior change communication activities in malaria control programs.
3. Proven ability to provide technical assistance in multiple regions; previous relevant experience in a regional advisory role required which resulted in positive program results.
4. Proven ability to command respect within sector.
5. Experience in program monitoring including development of indicators, data collection tools and methodologies, data analysis, and data presentation.
6. Wide understanding and application of malaria principles, theories, and concepts as well as demonstrated knowledge of best practices; experience with malaria commodity selection, procurement, supply chain issues and use in developing countries.
7. Familiarity with the Global Fund’s objectives and priorities for malaria, as well as PMI and other donors.
8. Excellent analytical, written and oral communication skills in English; proven ability to design high-quality projects and successful grant proposals for external donor funding and have been published.
9. Demonstrated ability to transfer knowledge to diverse audiences through training, mentoring, and other formal and non-formal methods.
10. Proven ability to utilize the internet to research, communicate, and participate in knowledge-sharing networks; proven ability to use office productivity products currently in use at CRS.
11. Proven ability to present effectively at conferences, networks and through publications.
12. Demonstrated ability to introduce new concepts and ideas and to develop best practices and lessons learned.
13. Excellent interpersonal, diplomacy, and negotiating skills. Proven ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary and multicultural team, to influence change without direct authority, to work successfully in the field with people at all levels, and to manage conflict and move groups toward completion of an activity.
14. Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally approximately 1/3 of the time and serve the agency where needed.
15. Demonstrated ability to make sound decisions based on good judgment.
16. Excellent organizational and planning skills; self-motivated and able to work effectively under pressure.
17. Demonstrated ability to design curricula and facilitate learning opportunities for adults through training, mentoring, and other methods.
18. Fluency in English (FSI 5); functional ability in French, Spanish or Portuguese (FSI 3).
19. Demonstrated ability to think strategically and creatively.
20. Cultural sensitivity, patience and flexibility.
21. Demonstrated personal accountability and drive to serve others.
22. Ability to represent CRS’ organizational principles, including respect for Catholic Social Teaching.