Technical Advisor for Orphans and Vulnerable Children and PEPFAR Program Manager
Washington, DC
MicroSystems Automation Group (MSAG) is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business headquartered in Falls Church, VA. Since our beginning in 1987, we have provided technology solutions for Government and Commercial clients. Our company has a GREAT corporate culture and we committed to our clients and employees.
Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Health Diplomacy (S/GAC) is responsible for implementing the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) – the U.S. Government initiative launched in 2003 focused on saving and improving the lives of those suffering from HIV/AIDS around the world. PEPFAR is focused on achieving an AIDS-free generation and is the largest commitment made by any nation to combat a single disease globally, operating in nearly 60 countries through bilateral and regional programs. Additional information about S/GAC and PEPFAR is available at www.pepfar.gov.
Under the direction of the S/GAC Deputy Coordinator for Program Quality, the incumbent serves as Technical Advisor for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC)/ PEPFAR Program Manager (PPM) in the Program Quality unit of the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Health Diplomacy (S/GAC). The Program Quality team provides technical expertise for the implementation of programs to provide diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of HIV in PEPFAR programs throughout the world. Activities include development of technical considerations, review and input to country operational plans, participation in technical meetings with normative bodies, and technical assistance both remotely and in the field. To facilitate this work, the Program Quality team engages colleagues across S/GAC’s Management and Budget, Country Impact, Country Operations, Multilateral, and other teams and with technical advisors at other PEPFAR agencies.
The Technical Advisor for Orphans and Vulnerable Children/ PEPFAR Program Manager position integrates diplomacy and a data use function to support the goals of PEPFAR at the Department of State. The incumbent will support the Sr. OVC Technical Advisor to plan, assess and monitor the design and quality of OVC programs. In this role, they will maintain an in-depth technical understanding of the evidence base and of state-of-the-art programming for children made vulnerable by AIDS including children orphaned, children living with HIV, children whose caregivers are HIV positive, and children at risk of HIV.
The incumbent will also have comprehensive responsibility for at least one country as the PEPFAR Program Manager and will work with PEPFAR headquarters staff to advance collective monitoring and progress to program impact for the HIV/AIDS response, and data utilization at multiple levels, including contributions implemented through Global Fund and UNAIDS mechanisms to achieve epidemic control with partner countries. PEPFAR is a data-driven program, and the incumbent will be expected to have the overall knowledge of the country’s epidemiology and be responsible for the various data streams which entails reviewing trends in performance, program quality, expenditure results, and data quality issues for improved results. At S/GAC, the incumbent will work across office functions supporting the PEPFAR Chair, who oversees all PEPFAR activity within a given country from headquarters, and the PEPFAR Coordinator who coordinates the PEPFAR team at the U.S. Embassy in country.
Major Duties and Responsibilities:
The Technical Advisor for OVC/PEPFAR Program Manager provides support to field programs bringing together expertise from USG agencies to provide appropriate technical assistance to the field in issues surrounding orphans and vulnerable children.
Advances state of the art models and programs for OVC for use in-country. Advances the concept of “wrap-around” or socio-economic programs to assure the needs of AIDS and non-AIDS affected children are addressed.
Coordinates with program quality and gender technical teams, particularly in the areas of case management, adolescent prevention, pediatric HIV treatment and socio-economic support, to assure strong linkages between technical areas.
Coordinates with other sectors, such as education, food and economic security as related to orphans and vulnerable children programming within the context of PEPFAR.
The Technical Advisor for OVC/PEPFAR Program Manager will serve a critical diplomatic function working with the team in-country, partner governments, civil society, and other stakeholders; responsibilities include serving as the primary communication channel for the country team with S/GAC and help raise the level of engagement between PEPFAR technical staff in their interaction with the Global Fund country team, and UNAIDS staff, to further advance complementary of programming.
Serves as the primary S/GAC country expert, developing and maintaining intimate knowledge of HIV/AIDS epidemiology, program implementation, and performance for a single country; monitors and evaluates Country Operations Planning (COP) implementation (targets and outcomes); analyzes Panorama dashboards to identify trends in performance, program quality, expenditure and data quality issues and performs quarterly analysis on performance against targets, expenditures; reviews IM work plans and budget for alignment with COP strategic direction; reviews and processes Operational Plan Updates; reviews Table 6 progress; in conjunction with Country Chair and Program Quality; develops interim- and long-term goals for systems investment; routine (2-3 times a year) visits to country for program understanding and action; informs the S/GAC Chair and other Senior Leadership on country-specific progress/issues and collaborates with leadership to develop policy options to address gaps in program performance.
Maintains comprehensive understanding of all S/GAC guidance (PQ, OFPS, MER, ER, SIMS, etc.) and of tools used for COP development, execution and monitoring, including the FAST and the Datapack.
Works with the PEPFAR Country Coordinator and country team to translate PEPFAR policy and guidance, and back stops for the PEPFAR Country Coordinator as needed.
Liaises with the Program Results for Impact Monitoring and Epidemic Control (PRIME) team in S/GAC on monitoring and evaluation of orphans and vulnerable children’s activities.
Coordinate USG agencies to enable program success, liaise with multilateral agencies and stakeholders to leverage PEPFAR efforts and investments.
Other duties as assigned
Required Qualifications:
Master’s degree (or comparable professional experience) in social work or related social science preferred.
Three to five years’ professional experience designing and evaluating interventions with vulnerable children and families, preferably in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) settings.
Demonstrated knowledge and experience in data analysis.
Excellent communication and writing skills.
Ability to perform effectively in a fast paced, high work demand environment.
Demonstrated ability to work as a team player.
Foreign language skills desirable but not required.
Excellent computer skills in Excel, Word and Power Point.
Working knowledge of a statistical software platform such as SAS or Tableau is preferable.
Full-time employees are eligible for paid company benefits, paid time off, sick leave and federal /national holiday pay.
MSAG is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Disability and Veteran