ABOUT FHI 360:
FHI 360 is a nonprofit organization that mobilizes research, resources and relationships so that people everywhere can access the opportunities they need to lead full, healthy lives. Our staff of more than 2,000 experts work in over 50 countries around the world.
PROJECT OVERVIEW:
The Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpiC) project is a global health initiative funded by the U.S. Department of State, running from 2019 to 2027. In the Philippines, EpiC has two workplans each with its own technical scope and budget, one focused on achieving HIV epidemic control and one focused on strengthening global health security (GHS). The role outlined in this job description supports EpiCโs GHS workplan.
EpiCโs GHS workplan aims to strengthen national, subnational, and local capacities for the prevention, detection, and response to public health emergencies, including pandemic preparedness. Support is delivered across multiple technical areas, including Zoonotic Diseases, Biosafety and Biosecurity, National Laboratory Systems, Surveillance, Public Health Emergency Management, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), and Evidence-Based Public Health Messaging. All activities and sub-activities under each technical area are aligned with and informed by national priorities and strategies, including the National Action Plan for Health Security (2025โ2030), the National Framework of the Philippine Health Laboratory System (PHLS), and the National Laboratory Strategic Plan (NLSP) 2025โ2030.
JOB SUMMARY:
The Deputy Director, Global Health Security, will lead the implementation of the EpiC Philippines GHS workplan and oversee the delivery of technical support to the Government of the Philippines at both national and subnational levels. This support will strengthen preparedness, enable rapid detection, and ensure timely response to infectious disease threats. All activities will align with national regulations, guidelines, and standards, as well as relevant international frameworks.
The role provides strategic technical and operational leadership in designing, coordinating, and executing all GHS activities. The Deputy Director, GHS will oversee cross-functional teams working in surveillance, laboratory systems, biosafety and biosecurity (BSBS), infection prevention and control (IPC), and evidence-based public health messaging and community engagement (EMCE), ensuring coherence, integration, and rigor across all workstreams.
Key responsibilities include guiding the planning and delivery of GHS activities with timeliness and quality - ensuring that EpiC GHS objectives are achieved and measurable capacity is built among government counterparts to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats. S/he will ensure coordination, maintain operational excellence, and ensure high quality deliverables in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Agriculture (DA), Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Ministry of Health (MOH), local government units (LGUs) and U.S. government (USG) agencies. This role will work closely with the Project Director overseeing the full EpiC portfolio, who holds ultimate accountability for overall project management and performance.
Accountabilities:
Serves as technical and operational lead for designing, coordinating, and executing all EpiC Philippines GHS workplan activities, and serves as key point of contact for relevant topics at the country level.
Provides technical direction in the development and implementation of country annual workplans, budgets, and staffing, ensuring alignment with project objectives, USG and Philippine Government priorities, and relevant international frameworks and tools (e.g., Global International Health Regulations Framework).
Contributes to EpiCโs strategic planning processes by providing technical inputs aligned with the Philippineโs GHS priorities, health system strengthening efforts, and relevant international frameworks and tools.
Ensures strong technical integration across surveillance, laboratory systems, BSBS, IPC, and EMCE, and zoonoses to promote โsignal-to-actionโ readiness.
Oversees functional readiness and deployment of rapid response teams, ensuring technical cohesion across epidemiology, laboratory, IPC, and EMCE functions.
Delivers subject matter expertise in one or more of EpiC Philippinesโs priority technical areas, including zoonotic diseases, BSBS, national laboratory systems, surveillance, frontline outbreak response and public health emergency management, IPCE, and EMCE.
Leads efforts to build the technical capacity of Philippine Government counterparts at national and sub-national levels.
Identifies and promotes innovative approaches and technologies to strengthen the prevention, detection, and response to infectious disease outbreaks.
Develops and maintains strategic relationships with key stakeholders, including local government agencies (DOH, DA-BAI, RITM, DICT, BARMM MOH, LGUs), U.S. Department of State, implementing partners, and civil society organizations, in consultation with the EpiC Philippines Project Director.
Leads or supports high-level consultations, technical working groups, and interagency coordination platforms related to GHS.
Represents EpiC at the national and subnational meetings, in consultation with the EpiC Philippines Project Director.
Collaborates and coordinates with regional- and HQ-based technical team to ensure consistency, compliance and quality across project activities.
Works closely with EpiC Philippines Project Director and Enterprise Services team (finance, operations and human resources) to maintain smooth operations.
Ensures timely and responsive support to client requests and needs on technical matters.
Ensures that activities are implemented as planned and within budget, and high-quality technical deliverables are developed and submitted on schedule.
Ensures technical activities are designed to support EpiCโs monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) activities, utilizes data to refine activity implementation, and contributes to and oversees reports on progress through quarterly, annual, and other required reporting requirements.
Oversees the full lifecycle of subawards and assesses sub awardeeโs performance on technical activities and directs adjustments, as needed.
Identifies implementation risks, proposes mitigation strategies, and troubleshoots bottlenecks in collaboration with country project team and headquarters (HQ) staff.
Supports performance management and professional development of direct reports through ongoing feedback, coaching, and career growth support.
Promotes a culture of learning, documentation, and continuous improvement across all technical clusters.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Applied Knowledge & Skills:
Comprehensive knowledge of GHS concepts and capabilities and subject matter expertise in one or more of the GHS domains (prevention, detection and response).
Familiarity with the 7-1-7 timeliness approach to inform rapid quality improvement of early detection and early response functions is preferred.
Demonstrated leadership of multi-component, multi-partner public health projectsโpreferably in surveillance, laboratory systems, emergency management, BSBS, or outbreak response.
Familiarity with the existing International Health Regulations Monitoring and Evaluation (2005) framework tools, including the Joint External Evaluation, National Action Plan for Health Security and Action Review processes is preferred.
Excellent and demonstrated organizational and problem-solving skills.
Excellent and demonstrated project management and technical skills.
Ability to influence, motivate, negotiate and work well with others.
Ability to exercise judgment within generally defined practices and policies in selecting methods and techniques for obtaining solutions.
Proven ability to ensure that budgets, schedules, and performance requirements are met.
Demonstrated leadership experience in guiding teams of senior subject matter experts.
Excellent oral, written communication, and analytical communication skills in English; and working proficiency in Filipino/Tagalog preferred.
Supervision Given/Received:
Provides direct supervision to a team of Technical Advisors.
Leads and directs staff to achieve strategic project goals, ensuring alignment with USG priorities.
Coordinates with country based technical, administration and finance staff as well as regional and HQ based backstops to design and implement project activities within allocated resources.
Education:
Masterโs degree in infectious diseases, epidemiology, public health, or a related GHS field such as diagnostics, or its international equivalent.
Project Management (PM) certification preferred.
Experience:
12+ years of relevant technical/project management experience in public health practice, infectious diseases, and or global health security fields (including 8+ years of leadership, strong business acumen and/or line management experience).
Demonstrated supervisory experience managing teams of technical advisors and subject matter specialists.
Prior work experience with international non-governmental organizations preferred.
Extensive experience working within the Philippineโs public health and health care systems, including engagement at national and subnational levels.
Experience engaging and collaborating with national governments, multilateral organizations, and donors.
Demonstrated working knowledge of global health security and social service information systems, and monitoring and evaluation processes for performance-based reporting.
Prior experience working on U.S. Government-funded projects preferred.
Prior work experience in the Philippines or similar complex operating environments highly preferred.
Strong preference for Filipino nationals or those currently based in the Philippines though candidates outside of the Philippines may be considered.
Typical Physical Demands:
Typical office environment.
Ability to spend long hours looking at computer screen and doing repetitive work on a keyboard.
Ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time.
Ability to lift/move up to 5 lbs.
Technology to be Used:
Personal Computer/Laptop, Microsoft applications (i.e., Office 365, SharePoint, Skype/Zoom/Teams), cell phone/mobile technology, and standard office equipment.
Travel Requirements:
25-50% mainly in country travel
This job posting summarizes the main duties of the job. It neither prescribes nor restricts the exact tasks that may be assigned to carry out these duties. This document should not be construed in any way to represent a contract of employment. Management reserves the right to review and revise this document at any time.
FHI 360 is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer whereby we do not engage in practices that discriminate against any person employed or seeking employment based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law.
Our values and commitments to safeguarding: FHI 360 is committed to preventing any type of abuse, exploitation and harassment in our work environments and programs, including sexual abuse, exploitation and harassment. FHI 360 takes steps to safeguard the welfare of everyone who engages with our organization and programs and requires that all personnel, including staff members and volunteers, share this commitment and sign our code of conduct. All offers of employment will be subject to appropriate screening checks, including reference, criminal record and terrorism finance checks. FHI 360 also participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (MDS), facilitated by the Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response. In line with the MDS, we will request information from job applicantsโ previous employers about any substantiated findings of sexual abuse, exploitation and/or harassment during the applicantโs tenure with previous employers. By applying, job applicants confirm their understanding of these recruitment procedures and consent to these screening checks.
FHI 360 will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws.
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