Project Officer SCH/STH 244 views0 applications

Title: Project Officer SCH/STH

Location: Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Burkina Faso, Cote Di ’Ivoire, and Mali

Contract: 2 year fixed term contract

Salary: Local Terms and Conditions apply

Sightsavers deworming programme focuses on the control of schistosomiasis (SCH) and soil transmitted helminths (STH) in 6 countries in West and Central Africa. Over the past 6 years we have fundraised over $35million for our deworming programme with the programme delivering around 10 million SCH/STH treatments to school aged children each year

About the role

Working from within the NTD Operations Oncho/LF, SCH/STH Delivery Team with both the NTD Operations Trachoma delivery and NTD Technical Hub teams, the SCH/STH Implementation Officer will provide day to day technical assistance to Sightsavers country office teams and ministries of health (MOH) to plan and implement deworming programmes (SCH/STH) across the current deworming project portfolio, as well as supporting scoping/intervention design in potential new areas of operation.

The project Officer SCH/STH will be based within a Sightsavers office within the Africa region and will be expected to undertake national and international travel, of up to twelve weeks per year.

Main Responsibilities

• Provide direct technical assistance to both Sightsavers country teams and MOH NTD coordination teams on the delivery, monitoring, and evaluation of deworming interventions on time within approved budgets, including the use of all relevant MOH, WHO, and Sightsavers technical guidelines, manuals, management and programme implementation tools and protocols, within minimum standards.
• Provide technical assistance to ministries of health and Sightsavers country teams to implement high quality planning, treatment and support activities for Schistosomiasis and Soil transmitted helminths related interventions from design to evaluation.
• Assist in the development of strategies for the design and implementation of disease specific assessments (DSAs) and coverage evaluation surveys (CES) for schistosomiasis and soil transmitted helminths MDA interventions.
• Support ministries of health and Sightsavers country teams to coordinate the design and implementation of components related to SCH/STH programming including capacity building of relevant stakeholders from field level to policy formulation.
• Work with ministries of health and relevant Sightsavers technical staff to adapt and disseminate global guidelines, tools and procedures that will support smooth delivery of SCH/STH interventions.
• Undertake both technical supervisory and training visits during the planning and implementation of MDA, surveys, mapping, QSAT and disease specific assessment for SCH/STH.
• Maintain alignment of learning, documentation, planning, management, monitoring, and reporting systems with both the NTD Directorate and wider Sightsavers organisational systems and processes.
• Assist both the Sightsavers country teams and MOH NTD coordination teams in operationalising all required SCH/STH technical guidance.
• Assist both the Sightsavers country teams and MOH NTD coordination teams in operationalising outcomes of research, such as snail control and female genital schistosomiasis.
• Assist the Global Technical Lead (SCH/STH) with technical input to enhance the annual country planning, management, and monitoring mechanisms as required to reach the required minimum standards, including tracking of county progress towards control and where relevant, elimination milestones.
• Assist both Sightsavers country teams and MOH with programme delivery within agreed standards as established by the Global Technical Lead (SCH/STH) of SCH/STH survey and mapping protocols.
• Assist Sightsavers country office and MOH to monitor WASH/NTD coordination.

The main accountabilities are not meant to be an exhaustive list of tasks. The need for flexibility is required and the job holder is expected to carry out any other related duties that are within the employee’s skills and abilities whenever reasonably instructed.

Required skills, knowledge and experience

Essential

• Educated at least to graduate degree level (or equivluent) in public health or similar.
• A high degree of competence in issues related to the control of SCH/STH control in the context of sub-Saharan Africa.
• Demonstrable experience and competence of both SCH/STH control and wider NTD programming within the public health sector.
• Monitoring frameworks for NTDs; SCH/STH preferred.
• Ability to facilitate group-training sessions and build capacity.
• A successful track record of working on multiple country projects.
• An understanding of and commitment to equity, gender, and social inclusion.
• Fluent written and verbal communication in English.

Preferred

• Written and verbal communication in French and/or Portuguese.

Closing date: 16 October 2022

Next Steps

We anticipate that interviews will take place from the week commencing 24 October 2022.

To apply for this exciting new opportunity, please complete an application via our recruitment portal. We are particularly interested in learning of your motivations for applying.

As an equal opportunity employer, we actively encourage applications from all sections of the community. Sightsavers is a Disability Confident Leader and qualified people living with a disability are particularly encouraged to apply.