Location: Harare
Reporting to: Associate, Access Programs
Supervision: N/A
Overview
Founded
in 2002 by President William J. Clinton, the Clinton Health Access
Initiative (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to
strengthening integrated health systems around the world and expanding
access to care and treatment for HIV/AIDS, malaria and other illnesses.
Based on the premise that business oriented strategy can facilitate
solutions to global health challenges, CHAI acts as a catalyst to
mobilize new resources and optimize the impact of these resources to
save lives, via improved organization of commodity markets and more
effective local management. By working in association with governments
and other NGO partners, CHAI is focused on large scale impact and, to
date, CHAI has secured lower pricing agreements for treatment options in
more than 70 countries. In addition, CHAI's teams are working
side-by-side with over 30 governments to tackle many of the largest
barriers to effective treatment and care.
In
December 2013, Zimbabwe adopted VL testing as the preferred approach to
diagnose and monitor ART treatment failure and poor adherence.
Previously, the country had primarily on clinical and immunological
criteria for assessing HIV treatment response due to limited access to
VL testing. However, studies have shown that clinical and immunological
criteria used to define treatment failure have low sensitivity and a low
positive predictive value. In response, the Government of Zimbabwe has
committed to building capacity and phasing in VL testing in a systematic
manner to ensure equity and access to VL testing services for people
living with HIV (PLHIV) and receiving ART.
Job Description
The
Lab Systems Analyst (from here on “Analyst”) will support CHAI
Zimbabwe’s Laboratory Programme in coordinating the national efforts to
scale up viral load testing. The Analyst will primarily focus on
conducting specific analysis, developing workplans and supporting the
government to mobilize resources dedicated to viral load. Although
initial competencies required for this work will be technical and
analytical, the Analyst must be geared to quickly broaden their capacity
within a collaborative team environment. It will be important to
demonstrate and apply both quantitative and qualitative skills while
also showcasing the ability to understand the big picture of this and
other projects that fall under CHAI’s Laboratory Programme. The Analyst
will be required to develop and communicate strategic level ideas,
articulate how these ideas can lead to impact, be able to break these
strategies down to the required activities and conduct the analytics to
support the work.
The
Analyst will be a key member of the CHAI Zimbabwe Laboratory Team and
is expected to provide analytical support, program planning and
implementation rigor to CHAI’s engagement in the scale-up of Viral Load
in Zimbabwe. The position will also require travel to meet and establish
credibility with key stakeholders particularly the Ministry of Health
and Child Care and key funding and implementing partners within the
Laboratory space.
The
position requires a highly motivated individual with outstanding
analytical grounding and strong problem solving abilities. The Analyst
will be a highly motivated individual with outstanding credentials,
analytical ability, and strong communication skills. They must be able
to function independently and flexibly and have a strong commitment to
excellence. CHAI places great value on personal qualities including
resourcefulness, responsibility, tenacity, independence, energy, and
work ethic.
Responsibilities:
- Work with the CHAI country and global teams and other key partners to adapt and/or develop strategic and implementation plans to strengthen laboratory diagnostic services in Zimbabwe.
- Map the national HIV testing landscape and key national priorities
- Identify evidence and data based system strengthening priorities,
- Assess the need and scope for scale up of new technologies
- Provide assistance in the development and implementation of National HIV Viral Load plans, including logical technology selection decisions, algorithms, policy guidelines, strategic and operational planning for sample and results transportation, costing etc.
- Provide assistance in advocacy for introduction of new HIV Viral Load testing technologies with the MOHCC and other key partners and subsequently obtain government buy-in, including requisite formal approvals for new technology evaluations
- Provide assistance in the design of evaluation protocols and implementation of a select number of operational pilots to develop evidence on the impact and cost-effectiveness of POC technologies; and support strategic deployment and rapid uptake in the country
- Develop work plans and budgetary projections for their respective area of work and execute plans within approved budgets
- Conduct research and subsequently assist in the design, set up, and implementation of EQA programs for selected POC tests and monitor program performance and participation in collaboration with the MOH.
- Assist in the creation of effective and sustainable training programs, quality assurance programs and data management systems to support accelerated roll-out of new HIV testing technologies.
- Assist in the development of technical guidelines, formats, checklists and other requisite monitoring tools in collaboration with MOHCC and other key partners
- Provide timely, concise and thorough written progress and review reports for donors, management and staff
- Work with other CHAI Zimbabwe teams and MOHCC departments to maximize on internal experiences and expertise in the design, roll out and monitoring of programs.
- Represent CHAI in a number of technical working groups, speaking adequately to the work that we do
- Serve as a resource to the MOHCC for quantification, forecasting, planning and resource mobilization needs for diagnostics and drugs.
- Develop and maintain key relationships with external stakeholders and key players in the diagnostic space to ensure productive working relationships that build on CHAI’s reputation
- Support other activities as directed by supervisors and management.
- Integrate EID and Viral Load Testing
- Prepare guidance documents to help rationalize viral load and EID testing networks
- Facilitate the integration of EID and VL sample, collection, processing and transportation systems.
- Facilitate selection of testing platforms that handle both EID and VL
- Facilitate laboratory EID and VL workflow optimization
- Facilitate training of laboratory technicians to test both EID and VL
- Facilitate modification of EID database and SMS printers to handle viral load test results
Qualifications:
- Minimum educational requirement: Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Mathematics, Science, Business or a related quantitative discipline
- Minimum experience: 1 years work experience in consulting, research or related
- Strong analytical (quantitative and qualitative) and communication (written and verbal) skills
- High level of technical proficiency with MS Excel, MS PowerPoint and MS Word
- Able to adapt to fast-paced and changing environments, both internally and externally
- Ability to travel at short notice and on a regular basis
- Experience in composing high-quality briefs, proposals, technical reports, guidelines, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) is desirable
- Experience in conceiving, planning and executing programs or projects with verifiable results and little external support
