Technical Advisor, Tobacco Control, Southern Africa Region 20 views0 applications

Vital Strategies is a global public health organization. Our programs strengthen public health systems and address the world’s leading causes of illness, injury and death. We currently work in more than 80 countries, supporting data-driven decision-making in government, advancing evidence-based public health policies, and mounting strategic communication campaigns. Vital Strategies’ priorities are driven by the greatest potential to improve and save lives. They include noncommunicable disease prevention, tobacco control, road safety, food policy, overdose prevention, environmental health, and data for health. Our programs are primarily concentrated in low- and middle-income countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific; the Overdose Prevention Program is our first initiative in the U.S. Please visit our website at www.vitalstrategies.org to find out more about our work.

Vital Strategies believes our programs are strengthened when they are developed and supported by individuals with diverse life experiences, whose understanding of social and cultural issues can help make our work and workforce more inclusive. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or creed, gender, national origin, ancestry, actual or perceived age, physical or mental disability, veteran or military status, marital status, sexual orientation or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal laws.

About the Role:

The recently launched Tobacco Control Accelerator Fund aims to help advance global tobacco control progress in several low- and middle- income countries. Under this fund Vital Strategies is providing grants and technical support to governments and non-governmental organizations in countries without any best-practice tobacco control measures in place or countries close to implementing all best-practice measures.

Vital Strategies is seeking a Technical Advisor, Tobacco Control, Southern Africa Region to play a critical role in advancing the work for the Tobacco Control Accelerator Fund in the region. This is a new role reporting to the Senior Regional Advisor, Southern Africa Region. The Technical Advisor will provide technical assistance to government agencies, key partners and grantees in the Southern Africa Region to advance best-practice tobacco control measures.

This is a full-time, remote role based in South Africa, with employment facilitated locally through an Employer of Record. We offer highly competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits. The salary range for this position is ZAR 942,500 to1,280,833. The candidate must have authorization to work legally in South Africa at the time of hire.

Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Planning –

· Provide input to the development of Vital Strategies’ work plans and overarching regional strategy.

Technical Assistance and Capacity Building –

· Government Support: Provide technical support to address the capacity-building needs of government agencies and specific Tobacco Control projects.

· Environmental Analysis: Support the Senior Regional Advisor in conducting detailed political and policy environment analyses and identifying new opportunities for intervention.

· Quality Assurance: Support the Senior Regional Advisor in reviewing technical resources produced by both grantees and internal teams to ensure alignment with international best practices (such as the WHO FCTC).

Grant & Project Management –

· Grant Management: Support the development and implementation of Vital Strategies grants with government and local CSO/NGO partners.

· Performance Monitoring: Track project progress against agreed-upon objectives and outcomes to ensure accountability.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting (MER) –

· Technical Reporting: Contribute to the monthly, quarterly, and annual progress reports to track initiative milestones.

· Brief Development: Support the creation of policy briefs and technical reports to summarize complex findings for decision-makers.

· Communication Flow: Participate in regular calls and attend meetings with the Bloomberg Initiative and other tobacco control stakeholders to maintain consistent reporting and operational alignment.

Qualifications:

Education and Degree –

· Bachelor’s degree

Skills and Abilities –

· Strong understanding of public health and related policy interventions, government relations, and policymaking

· Comprehensive project management skills, with the ability to make sound, informed judgements

· Strong interpersonal skills, with demonstrated ability to develop and maintain collaborative relationships with internal and external partners

· Ability to build strong, ongoing, impactful relationships across sectors and organizational levels that involve a diverse range of cultural, generational, ethnic, racial, educational, and social backgrounds

· Commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment.

· Deep understanding of government system and connections to government agencies in Southern Africa from previous work experience strongly preferred.

Language Requirements –

· Fluency in written and spoken English required.

Experience:

Required –

· Minimum of eight years of progressive professional experience in the public health sector

Preferred –

· Prior work experience in a government setting relevant to public policy or public health

· Prior experience working in tobacco control or NCDs

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:

· Ability to travel 20%