Project Director /Principal Investigator

Jhpiego seeks a Principal Investigator/Project Director (PI/PD) based in Gauteng for an upcoming CDC/PEPFAR-funded project to prevent and control epidemics/pandemics among patients at risk or infected with HIV and/or HIV/TB in South Africa. Specifically, the project will enhance infection prevention and control (IPC) capacity at national, provincial, and district levels, and among HIV and TB programme implementing partners. The PI/PD will be responsible for providing leadership and overall strategic direction, and ensuring the technical and programmatic integrity of the project, working in close collaboration with the Department of Health (DOH), CDC, and other PEPFAR implementing partners delivering HIV/AIDS/TB services. S/he will provide leadership in managing relationships with DOH counterparts, development of annual workplans and budgets, and ensuring project activities align with project, DOH and CDC/PEPFAR, and strategies, the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), and normative recommendations. The PI/PD represents Jhpiego to donors and partners, supervises the Technical Director, Sr. Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Advisor, Senior Finance Officer, and other senior project staff as required, and reports to the Jhpiego Country Director.

This position is based in Gauteng, South Africa and is contingent upon award from CDC. South African nationals are strongly encouraged to apply.

• Provide strategic leadership to establish and pursue an evidence-based, result-oriented technical assistance strategy to protect gains in the HIV/TB response and ensure continuity of services, in alignment with DOH, CDC/PEPFAR and GHSA programmes.
• Oversee the Technical Director/Manager (TD/TM), Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Advisor, Senior Finance Officer, and other senior project staff as applicable, ensuring implementation at the highest standard
• Develop and maintain relationships with HIV/TB implementing partners, GHSA implementing partners, and DOH at national, provincial, and district levels to enable cooperative and collaborative work towards achievement of project strategies and activities
• Engage collaborators in private sector and civil society to inform design and implementation of interventions and assure support for preparedness and response measures
• Ensure technical assistance interventions are based on the latest evidence- and best-practices and aligned with project, DOH, CDC/PEPFAR goals and technical priorities
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of IPC science, normative guidance, and epidemiology, transmission, and pathogenesis of present and emerging health threats (e.g., antimicrobial resistance, Ebola virus, SARS-CoV-2)
• Direct the development of enhanced IPC guidelines and policies for outbreak preparedness and response in HIV and TB service settings
• Provide strategic leadership to the annual work planning process in close collaboration with DOH, CDC/PEPFAR, project team, and other relevant stakeholders
• Guide the development of an M&E framework captures technical assistance outcomes for the project, and that consolidates and verifies project results in line with DOH and CDC/PEPFAR reporting requirements
• Oversee project team based in Gauteng province, as well as other locations as needed
• Ensure project staff understand their role on the project team and organize support from technical, programmatic and administrative teams required to fulfill their role successfully
• Recruit, hire, mentor, support, supervise and manage a team of highly qualified staff and align their efforts in concert with project goals to ensure rapid and sustainable results
• Participate in relevant advisory and/or working groups with counterparts and partner institutions
• Represent Jhpiego and project in public and professional circles through meetings, conferences, and presentations
• Write and/or review technical and project management components of materials and publications
• Ensure resources for program implementation are available on time to allow for seamless program implementation and reimbursement for goods/services performed
• Work with finance and project staff to develop and track project budgets
• Work closely with Jhpiego home office staff in Baltimore and Washington, DC to ensure effective, timely and coordinated project implementation that also aligns with Jhpiego guidance, quality standards, and technical and program priorities
• Ensure technical compliance with DOH and CDC/PEPFAR rules and regulations
• ### Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in public health, infectious disease, laboratory science, health administration, or other relevant advanced degree; doctoral degree, clinical degree, or other terminal degree is desirable

• 10+ years project management experience for large, multi-year international health sector development programs (approximately $5-10M per year) that have implemented successful activities in IPC and/or HIV/AIDS/TB,

• Exceptional diplomacy skills with a track record of maintaining strong relationships and unifying stakeholders towards common goals

• Agility and professionalism during high-stress situations, and the ability to drive multiple parallel processes to fruition

• Demonstrated strong technical and programmatic knowledge and experience in the following areas:

  • Managing and mentoring multidisciplinary teams
  • Developing technical resources (training curricula, technical reference materials, standard operating procedures)
  • Emergency and/or outbreak preparedness and response
  • Epidemiology
  • IPC in resource-limited health settings
  • Designing and implementing quality management frameworks
  • Adult learning and mentorship strategies, group facilitation
  • Building capacity of organizations

• Direct experience with, or understanding of, facility/hospital management and administration as it relates to implementation of IPC protocols

• Documented experience in supporting governments to adopt policies based upon evidence

• Demonstrated capabilities in institutional capacity-building

• Experience working effectively with the government of South Africa and relevant local institutions involved in outbreak preparedness and response, e.g., National Institute for Communicable Diseases, National Health Laboratory Service.

• Ability to describe DOH and PEPFAR HIV/TB program data collection and reporting requirements, to critically analyze program data and use program data to inform future directions

• In-depth knowledge of and experience with PEPFAR programs, regulations, compliance and reporting

• Significant networking and partnership building skills, including ability to communicate and build mutually beneficial relationships with leaders in health and development fields

• In-depth understanding of integrative and multi-sectorial approaches to project management and implementation

• Demonstrated capabilities in institutional capacity-building and experience working effectively with the GoSA

• Experience in coordinating and collaborating with a broad set of stakeholders, including communities, multilateral and international donors, and local and international NGOs

• Experience working in South Africa, with intimate understanding of the local health system and solid relationships at government agencies

• Enthusiasm for supporting national systems and building capacity to achieve sustainable transition of service delivery activities at the end of the project period

• Excellent administrative management, program, organizational, and financial management skills

• Expertise in research to practice—identifying best practices and adapting them to project realities

• As the primary face of the project to the Donor and Other Partners, the ability to present and communicate the project to all stakeholders for easy understanding

• Ability to work independently with minimum supervision

• Strong decision-making skills.

• A strong team player with ability to work with a very diverse group of people in a multi-national environment.

• Proficiency in word processing and spreadsheet software programs (Microsoft Office)

• Fluent in written and spoken English; fluency in at least one South Africa’s official non-English languages preferred.

• Excellent facilitation, oral and written communications skills

• Ability to travel nationally up to 40% of the time

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