Senior Program Officer, Paediatric HIV Testing and Treatment

Overview:

The Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) works in partnership with country governments, partners, and other major stakeholders to identify the key obstacles to access and scale-up essential health services, and to develop and implement sustainable strategies to overcome them.  In Swaziland, CHAI has been working in partnership with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and other stakeholders to address Swaziland’s public health priority areas since 2007.

Current work of CHAI Swaziland includes increasing access to and uptake of HIV services, implementing an Immediate Access to ART for All demonstration project, improving access to high-quality and affordable medicines, malaria elimination, and sustainable health financing. CHAI’s work in Swaziland started with the management of a donation of paediatric HIV commodities, and continues to include a focus on the testing and treatment of paediatric HIV through multiple program areas.  With the support of Life Ball, CHAI Swaziland will expand current work on paediatrics to support the MOH to implement new national Paediatric HIV testing, treatment, and retention guidelines.

CHAI requires a highly motivated individual with strong project management skills and exceptional diplomacy and interpersonal skills for the position of Senior Program Officer (SPO), Paediatric HIV Testing and Treatment. Reporting to the Program Manager, the SPO will be responsible for supporting the MOH to implement new pediatric HIV guidelines, with a focus on expanding HIV testing for infants and young children and ensuring linkage to care. The SPO will work closely with multiple programs within the MOH to support integration of services and innovative ways to scale up testing and treatment.

Responsibilities:

The Senior Program Officer’s key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Work with the MOH to address key gaps in Paediatric HIV testing, treatment, and support, with a focus on scaling up HIV testing for infants and children and linkage to care, including:
• Implementing the revised infant and young child testing algorithm, including routine testing for all infants at 9 months and 18 months
• Developing supporting tools and materials for implementation of the testing algorithm, including job aids, revised data collection tools, and training materials.
• Developing new strategies for expanded case finding of HIV in children and adolescents outside of the PMTCT cascade
• Working with other implementing partners and the M&E unit of the MOH to identify ways to better link mother and baby pairs at all service points.
• Provide high quality technical support to the MOH, including the Swaziland National AIDS Program, the Sexual and Reproductive Health Unit, and the Expanded Program for Immunization.
• Collaborate closely on a daily basis with other implementing partners to provide coordinated support to the MOH.

• Additional ad-hoc tasks as needed to ensure the success of the project. 

Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree plus 3 or more years of professional experience in a project management position

• Excellent communication skills in English, both written and oral
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational and problem solving skills
• Strong analytical ability, including analysis of operational research results
• Strong work ethic with a commitment to excellence
• High level of proficiency in computer applications including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

• Exceptional diplomacy and interpersonal skills
• Ability to build strong professional relationships with a range of stakeholders in a challenging, multi-cultural environment

• Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, set priorities, and work independently and flexibly

Advantages:

• Experience living and/or working in developing countries

• Experience working with health facilities and/or the national health system in Swaziland

• Familiarity with global health issues
• Competency in siSwati/Zulu

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