Background

The Malawi Government through the Ministry of Health established Public Health Institute of Malawi (PHIM) in 2013, as a Centre of Excellence in Public Health. Its primary role is to provide leadership in disease surveillance, research, prevention, and control through generating evidence that informs policy and advances practices in public health service delivery. PHIM is dedicated to strengthening the nation’s capacity to respond to a broad spectrum of public health challenges. This includes addressing emerging communicable and non-communicable diseases.

PHIM with technical and financial support from the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) is implementing a five (5) year project, entitled “Building and Strengthening Public Health Systems for HIV and Public Health Surveillance, Response, and Control in Malawi” under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through a Cooperative Agreement (CoAg). The project aims to enhance national HIV surveillance and response and strengthen the public health infrastructure and capacity to respond to public health threats and events, including infectious disease outbreaks, pandemics, and other public health emergencies among people living with HIV.

To achieve the objectives of the Cooperative Agreement, PHIM seeks to hire a highly qualified and experienced person for the following position:

Position

Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) Resident Advisor

Location: Public Health Institute of Malawi (PHIM), Lilongwe

Reporting to: Deputy Director, Epidemiology and Surveillance, PHIM

Terms of Employment: One (1) year Contract (Renewable)

SUMMARY OF JOB

The RA plays an important leading role in the development and implementation of an FETP, especially in the early years. The RA is responsible for facilitating development/adaptation and implementation of the curriculum, maintaining the scientific excellence of the program, consulting on epidemiologic methods, evaluating the performance of the residents, accompanying them on outbreak investigations, providing technical support to field supervisors, and serving on technical committees to improve surveillance systems.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Technical Support (35%)

• Collaborate with PHIM leadership, CDC, and other partners in Malawi to develop an implementation plan for the Intermediate Field Epidemiology Training Program for surveillance officers and other public health professionals in Malawi.
• Assist PHIM to develop adequate and timely field investigations in response to acute public health problems such as epidemic outbreaks, clusters of disease cases, and case investigations.
• Participate in disease surveillance and outbreak investigation and response activities of the MoH/PHIM together with the trained public health officers.
• Develop, manage and monitor quarterly and annual budget and expenditure and evaluate them against planned activities, deliverables and target.
• Support PHIM in the organization of steering and technical committees to guide and validate FETP implementation of Frontline and Intermediate, as well as make incremental progress towards institutionalization and sustainability of One FETP in Malawi.
• Coordinate the organization and facilitation of all stakeholders and dissemination meetings in the country.
• Support the development and maintenance of an updated database for all the FETP alumni in the country.
• Provide quarterly and other periodic reports to highlight activities and achievements, cohort implementation data and document best practices and lessons learned.
• Regularly update partners at CDC, MoH/PHIM and local stakeholders in Malawi as appropriate and necessary for decision making, information sharing and communication.
• Support the effort to increase the visibility of FETP through advocacy, marketing strategies, and communication with partners inside and outside of Malawi.
• Build capacity and mentor FETP staff at PHIM to strengthen quality of implementation of Frontline and Intermediate FETP.
• Any other duties assigned by implementing partner (I-TECH/PHIM) to ensure seamless implementation of FETP.

2. Training and Instructional Design (35%)

• Review and adapt the existing intermediate FETP curriculum as may be required in consultation with CDC, PHIM, the Ministry of Health and other local partners in Malawi.
• Participate in the process of identifying and selecting participants for the intermediate FETP.
• Work with partners to identify experienced epidemiologists/public health professionals in Malawi and organize training of trainers and mentors’ workshops to build their capacity to serve as trainers and mentors for the Intermediate FETP participants in Malawi.
• Support coordination with PHIM, MoH, CDC and other identified partners to ensure availability of all the required logistics for the didactic and field trainings of selected participants are in place.
• Together with PHIM, MoH, CDC, and other technical partners teach the planned Intermediate field epidemiology trainings for selected public health workers in Malawi.
• Provide guidance to the national mentors and FETP trainees at intermediate level, in the design and implementation of applied epidemiological projects to fulfil the requirements of the training.
• Provide scientific and technical guidance to trainees.
• Evaluate trainees’ learning and deliverables.

3. Mentorship, Supportive Supervision and Dissemination (30%)

• Provide supportive training, mentorship and coaching for MoH/PHIM supervisors and mentors for Frontline and Intermediate FETP trainees.
• Assist national mentors and FETP fellows of intermediate level in the design and implementation of applied epidemiological research projects.
• Provide technical guidance to trainees in preparing presentations for national dissemination of their findings and recommendations of course projects from field attachments.
• Facilitate coordination of FETP graduates network and development of abstract by trainees for every cohort and possible publication in journals and conferences.
• Coordinate with PHIM, MOH and other training institutions to integrate content of Frontline and Intermediate field epidemiology training into in-service curriculum for appropriate MOH staff.

4. Conditions of Employment

• This full-time 100% position is based in Malawi. The RA requires up to 20% travel to areas that often lack adequate public health and safety infrastructure. Travelers must be prepared to follow the UW and US government recommended precautions and prophylaxis for travel safety and disease prevention.
• The RA may require participation in early morning and late evening telephone conference calls to accommodate time zone differences between Seattle and its country project sites.
• PHIM CDC CoAG operates within a grant-funded environment. Due to this, the total amount of this position’s FTE may fluctuate based on program funding and needs.
• Please note that this position is contingent on funding availability. The successful candidate will be notified of funding confirmation prior to formalizing the employment offer.

• Collaborate with PHIM leadership, CDC, and other partners in Malawi to develop an implementation plan for the Intermediate Field Epidemiology Training Program for surveillance officers and other public health professionals in Malawi.
• Assist PHIM to develop adequate and timely field investigations in response to acute public health problems such as epidemic outbreaks, clusters of disease cases, and case investigations.
• Participate in disease surveillance and outbreak investigation and response activities of the MoH/PHIM together with the trained public health officers.
• Develop, manage and monitor quarterly and annual budget and expenditure and evaluate them against planned activities, deliverables and target.
• Support PHIM in the organization of steering and technical committees to guide and validate FETP implementation of Frontline and Intermediate, as well as make incremental progress towards institutionalization and sustainability of One FETP in Malawi.
• Coordinate the organization and facilitation of all stakeholders and dissemination meetings in the country.
• Support the development and maintenance of an updated database for all the FETP alumni in the country.
• Provide quarterly and other periodic reports to highlight activities and achievements, cohort implementation data and document best practices and lessons learned.
• Regularly update partners at CDC, MoH/PHIM and local stakeholders in Malawi as appropriate and necessary for decision making, information sharing and communication.
• Support the effort to increase the visibility of FETP through advocacy, marketing strategies, and communication with partners inside and outside of Malawi.
• Build capacity and mentor FETP staff at PHIM to strengthen quality of implementation of Frontline and Intermediate FETP.
• Any other duties assigned by implementing partner (I-TECH/PHIM) to ensure seamless implementation of FETP.
• Review and adapt the existing intermediate FETP curriculum as may be required in consultation with CDC, PHIM, the Ministry of Health and other local partners in Malawi.
• Participate in the process of identifying and selecting participants for the intermediate FETP.
• Work with partners to identify experienced epidemiologists/public health professionals in Malawi and organize training of trainers and mentors’ workshops to build their capacity to serve as trainers and mentors for the Intermediate FETP participants in Malawi.
• Support coordination with PHIM, MoH, CDC and other identified partners to ensure availability of all the required logistics for the didactic and field trainings of selected participants are in place.
• Together with PHIM, MoH, CDC, and other technical partners teach the planned Intermediate field epidemiology trainings for selected public health workers in Malawi.
• Provide guidance to the national mentors and FETP trainees at intermediate level, in the design and implementation of applied epidemiological projects to fulfil the requirements of the training.
• Provide scientific and technical guidance to trainees.
• Evaluate trainees’ learning and deliverables.
• Provide supportive training, mentorship and coaching for MoH/PHIM supervisors and mentors for Frontline and Intermediate FETP trainees.
• Assist national mentors and FETP fellows of intermediate level in the design and implementation of applied epidemiological research projects.
• Provide technical guidance to trainees in preparing presentations for national dissemination of their findings and recommendations of course projects from field attachments.
• Facilitate coordination of FETP graduates network and development of abstract by trainees for every cohort and possible publication in journals and conferences.
• Coordinate with PHIM, MOH and other training institutions to integrate content of Frontline and Intermediate field epidemiology training into in-service curriculum for appropriate MOH staff.

• Epidemiology
• Public Health
• Biostatistics
• Disease surveillance
• Outbreak investigation
• Research
• Training
• Mentorship
• Budget management
• Communication
• Advocacy
• Marketing
• Data management
• Report writing

• Master’s Degree in Epidemiology, Public Health, Biostatistics or related field and/or any other relevant qualifications from an Advanced Field Epidemiology Training Program is required.
• At least 4 years of experience working in the field as a practicing field epidemiologist.