Global Health Technical Professionals (GHTP) is a US Agency for International Development (USAID) program that offers early- to mid-career global health professionals the opportunity to advance their careers supporting the USAID Bureau for Global Health and its implementing partners. GHTP is helping USAID improve global health outcomes in communities around the world by building a new generation of global health technical professionals who reflect the diversity of the American people.
Overview
The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is a United States governmental initiative to address the global HIV/AIDS epidemic and help save the lives of those suffering from the disease. Launched by U.S. President George W. Bush in 2003, PEPFAR has provided more than $80 billion in cumulative funding for HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention, and research since its inception, making it the largest global health program focused on a single disease in history. PEPFAR is implemented by a combination of U.S. government agencies in over 50 countries and overseen by the Global AIDS Coordinator at the U.S. Department of State. It is widely credited with having helped save millions of lives, primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored, and Safe (DREAMS) Initiative is a global, public-private partnership between the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Girl Effect, Johnson & Johnson, ViiV Healthcare, and Gilead. The program seeks to reduce new HIV infections in adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), between 10 and 24 years old, across 10 sub-Saharan African countries. DREAMS is designed to meet the complex needs of AGYW by helping them become more Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored, and Safe.
Globally, AGYW are the most vulnerable to new HIV infections, unplanned pregnancy, and sexual violence. In Southern Africa, they account for 74% of new HIV infections among adolescents. In Zambia, HIV prevalence among young people, ages 15-24 years, is 7 percent (8 percent women; 5 percent men). And among urban youth, the prevalence is more than twice as high as their rural counterparts (9 percent women; 4 percent men). Additionally, 20.3 percent of young Zambian women (ages 15-24) report having experienced sexual abuse during childhood and 2 out of 5 report physical violence by an intimate partner.
In Zambia, PEPFAR invests over $16 million per year in the DREAMS initiative. DREAMS is implemented as an interagency effort through United States Agency for International Development, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Peace Corps.
Working across 8 districts, DREAMS Zambia targets the most vulnerable AGYW in 40 health facility catchment zones. Operating in urban settings only, DREAMS provides beneficiaries with safe, confidential spaces to access a package of services tailored to their individual needs. These services include mentor-led safe spaces, gender-based violence care and support, HIV testing and counseling, family planning, pre-exposure prophylaxis, school scholarships, and economic strengthening. In addition, DREAMS works with sexual partners, parents, schools, and communities to strengthen the supportive networks necessary for young women to thrive.
Global Health Technical Professionals (GHTP) is a USAID program that offers early- to mid-career global health professionals the opportunity to advance their careers supporting the USAID Bureau for Global Health and its implementing partners. GHTP is helping USAID improve global health outcomes in communities around the world by building a new generation of global health technical professionals who reflect the diversity of the American people.
Job Requirements
The Dreams Coordinator will be based at the PEPFAR office in Lusaka, Zambia. This position will work with the USG interagency DREAMS team, as well as liaising with the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) at national, provincial, and district levels and Global Fund AGYW program.
The DREAMS Coordinator will primarily focus on providing coordination to the interagency DREAMS team in strengthening the implementation of the DREAMS Initiative in Zambia. This includes liaising with, the interagency USG DREAMS team, and the relevant GRZ line ministries and multi-sectoral HIV Task Forces for the successful implementation of the DREAMS programs.
The DREAMS Coordinator will work closely with and receive technical guidance from the Deputy PEPFAR Country Coordinator who will serve as his/her Point of Contact (POC).
Responsibilities
In collaboration with the USG interagency team, the DREAMS Coordinator will be responsible for:
- Coordinating the interagency DREAMS teams
- Serving as the DREAMS primary point of contact for OGAC
- Convening, coordinating and notating regular DREAMS team meetings
- Providing technical support on the drafting of all DREAMS reporting requirements for OGAC
- Supporting the annual targets setting for all DREAMS layers
- Providing technical support on the coordination of DREAMS saturation/expansion analysis
- Coordinating DREAMS budgeting discussions for the annual Country Operational Plan
- Representing PEPFAR Zambia on national AGYW, prevention and other appropriate working groups
- Serving as the primary point of contact for collaborating with the Global Fund (GF) on AGYW programming including providing technical expertise to guide GF investments in AGYW
- Drafting and delivering DREAMS presentations along with relevant TWGs for internal and external audiences
- Participating in other interagency working groups as appropriate to the scope of work.
- Participating in professional continuing education, skills training and professional meetings to enhance relevant technical skills and career development.
- Complete and execute an Individual Learning and Training Plan and Annual Work Plan.
Qualifications
- Master’s degree and 5 years or Bachelor’s degree and 7 years or higher in public health, social and/or behavioral science, or a related social science field, with specific emphasis on community-level health promotion and/or education.
- Demonstrated experience in the management of HIV programs, preferably focused on prevention, with at least three to five (3-5) years’ experience in an international or resource challenged setting.
- Demonstrated knowledge of evidence-based and structural HIV prevention, care and support interventions for priority populations especially AGYW and linkage to services.
- Experience in multi-sectorial coordination including working with civil society organizations and host country governments.
- Experience in building capacity for priority populations especially including AGYW and health care providers in improving health and use of participatory methodologies for planning and implementing local-level activities.
- Excellent interpersonal, training, facilitation, team building and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent written and oral presentation skills.
- Ability to work in a complex environment with multiple tasks and competing priorities.
- This position is based in Lusaka, Zambia.
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally 10-25%.
- US citizenship or US permanent residency required.
More Information
- Job City Lusaka
