Senior Tuberculosis / HIV Advisor, DOS LEAP Global - South Sudan

ZemiTek LLC•Washington, DC

About The Position

The Senior TB/HIV Advisor will support in carrying out life-saving humanitarian assistance (LHA) service delivery in full alignment with Presidential Executive Order (EO) directives. TB and HIV in South Sudan form a critical, interlocking health crisis, with an estimated TB incidence of 227/100,000 population and an 11% HIV co-infection rate among TB patients as of 2023. The gravity of the situation is evident: in 2019, HIV and tuberculosis jointly accounted for a third of deaths among adults aged 15–49 years. The crisis is compounded by flooding, food insecurity, and conflict, which disrupt services, especially for displaced populations. Notable progress has been made in scaling up TB/HIV collaborative activities under the PEPFAR-supported programs, CDC and Global Fund partners like Cordaid. For example, services have expanded to over 183 facilities and the installation of 53 solar-powered GeneXpert machines has boosted diagnostic capabilities in select health centers. However, TB case identification in South Sudan is heavily hindered by armed conflict, displacement, severely damaged health infrastructure, and profound stigma. Only about 22% of health facilities have TB diagnostic services, creating a massive gap in access for the rural population, while a severe shortage of skilled health workers and limited TB/HIV service integration further exacerbate low detection rates. Low community awareness and widespread misunderstandings leads to stigma, causing patients to avoid screening, diagnosis and treatment. To address this crisis, the U.S. Department of State (DOS), through theLEAP mechanism, seeks to engage a TB/HIV Technical Advisor to provide high-level technical support to optimize TB case finding and TPT uptake across 6 DOS-supported states. This position will strengthen program coordination between the MOH and Global Fund/Cordaid to scale up TB/HIV integration and institutionalize data-driven mentorship for improved cascade performance and will work closely with the DOS-funded AHEC mechanism.

Requirements

Master’s degree or local equivalent from an accredited program in Public Health, International Development, Health, Social or Behavioral Sciences, Epidemiology, Biology, Infectious Disease, Medicine, Pharmacy, Immunization or relevant qualification required
A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in the field of public health programming in developing or middle-income countries, with a focus on immunization.
Minimum of six (6) years of experience managing large-scale TB and HIV projects with demonstrated financial and programmatic oversight.
Prior experience working with or for bilateral or multilateral donors/stakeholders such as the World Bank, the Global Fund, UN agencies, or national-level public sector projects and ensuring compliance with U.S. Government rules and regulations.
Demonstrated technical leadership, and problem-solving skills
Understanding of USG rules and regulations preferred.
Ability to work both independently and in a team environment to achieve consensus on policy, program and administrative matters.
Ability to work effectively with a broad range of South Sudan government and US Government personnel and partners and have demonstrated skills in donor coordination and collaboration.
Ability to work effectively in a team environment and communicate information to both health and non-health audiences, and achieve consensus on policy, project, research, and administrative matters.
Proven ability to communicate clearly and concisely in English – both orally and in writing is essential.
Excellent verbal communication skills, tact and diplomacy are required to establish and develop sustainable working relationships at the highest level and a high level of trust with public/private organizations.
Demonstrated experience in teaching/training and capacity building.
Experience working with the key stakeholders in TB and HIV programs, preferably the national stakeholders and international donors.
Knowledge of South Sudan’s public health system, TB and HIV policies, and relevant legislation.
Ability to travel domestically as required and work effectively in team environments with diverse stakeholders.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Nice To Haves

Medical degree preferred but not required (e.g., MBChB, MBBS, MD, or equivalent).

Responsibilities

Review current TB/HIV performance data (MER indicators: TX_TB, TB_PREV, TB_STAT, TB_ART) to identify performance gaps, site-level variations and high-impact opportunities.
Map the distribution and functionality status of GeneXpert machines including utilization rates, staff proficiency, data quality, connectivity, maintenance and integration with laboratory networks.
Develop a technical action plan outlining short-term interventions, mentorship needs and capacity-building priorities to address identified gaps.
Provide technical guidance on standardized TB screening algorithms and ensure integration with HIV testing and ART initiation workflows.
Support AHEC and MOH in data synchronization and routine QA/QC reviews.
Conduct joint supportive supervision and on-site mentorship to strengthen symptom screening, diagnostic linkage and documentation quality.
Strengthen provision and or referral to appropriate treatment services for all PLHIV diagnosed with TB.
Review existing TPT data flows and identify bottlenecks across initiation, follow-up and completion cascades.
Support AHEC to institutionalize monthly TPT monitoring dashboards to track progress and completion rates disaggregated by site, age and regimen.
Provide on-site mentorship on TPT commodity management, client counseling and adherence monitoring to reduce loss to follow-up.
Develop and disseminate TPT job aids, SOPs and data validation tools aligned with MOH guidelines.
Conduct targeted capacity building for IP TB/HIV focal persons, data officers and clinicians on PDX-CAD optimization, cascade management and data use for decision-making.
Facilitate quarterly TB/HIV performance review meetings with IPs and government counterparts to share lessons and best practices.
Provide technical inputs to national TB/HIV technical working group meetings and assist in updating TB/HIV integration protocols as needed.
Facilitate the complete and accurate reporting of TB/HIV data into registers and data reporting systems.
Produce monthly technical briefs summarizing key findings, challenges and best practices.
Contribute to quarterly program reports and document at least two case studies or success stories.
Present findings and recommendations to the DOS Health Team, MOH, Global Fund at coordination platforms.