Senior Specialist, Surveillance - GL E - Defined duration until April 2027
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Global Fund increased investments in integrated disease surveillance systems based on country demand through the COVID-19 response mechanism. In the 7th grant cycle, the Global Fund included a new intervention category for epidemic-prone disease surveillance for the first time. This intervention focused primarily on early warning surveillance linked to the International Health Regulations (IHR) and joint external evaluation (JEE) frameworks. However, the largest integrated disease surveillance investment was made in 2023 during the extension of C19RM in 2024 and 2025.
In 2023 WHO launched the Health Emergencies Preparedness and Response (HEPR) framework which includes the five core subsystems, including โCollaborative Surveillanceโ (CS). According to WHO, CS is the โโฆsystematic strengthening of capacity and collaboration among diverse stakeholders, both within and beyond the health sector, with the ultimate goal of enhancing public health intelligence and improving evidence for decision-making.โ Fundamentally, CS is the first surveillance framework which deliberately seeks to jointly address integrated, vertical (e.g. HIV, Tuberculosis (TB), and malaria) and specialized (e.g. laboratory-based) surveillance systems while reflecting the cross-sectoral nature of essential surveillance data sources.
The Global Fund is committed to building upon these unprecedented surveillance investments in the next (8th) grant cycle, in support of the evolving strategic objective on โcontributing to pandemic preparedness and responseโ in the current Strategy. To do so, the Global Fund has ensured that its surveillance programming is progressive, leveraging the substantial health systems investments made during prior and current grant cycles in support of HIV, TB, and malaria programs. These foundational investments include 1. data systems (both hardware and software), 2. human resources (including ITC/data management, digital health/HMIS, analytic/data hubs, epidemiologic, facility and community health care workers, and policy), and 3. governance (intra- and cross-sectoral planning & coordination, resource mobilization).
The pandemic preparedness and response (PPR) team within RSSH-PPR is responsible for epidemiologic disease surveillance, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) & infection prevention and control (IPC), medical oxygen/case management, and core PPR domains such as emergency response management and monitoring, field epidemiology training and One Health approaches. As a member of the team the Senior Specialist provides technical leadership, coordination and support for the design and implementation of Global Fund collaborative surveillance investments. Working closely with GMD Country Teams (CTs) and operational units, they provide strategic and technical guidance on how the Global Fund should support holistic surveillance system strengthening, harnessing cross-cutting investments in epidemiologic surveillance, laboratory systems, and human resource systems investments, in particular. This includes leveraging integrated, vertical (HTM) and specialized platforms and systems resources such as digital architecture, workforce strengthening, and governance to optimize short-term performance and medium- and long-term resilience and sustainability.
In addition to GMD, the Senior Specialist works in close collaboration with the RSSH & PPR and Technical Advice and Partnerships (TAP) disease teams, other Departments, including e.g., Community, Rights and Gender, Program Monitoring Department (PMD)/ Monitoring, Evaluation and Country Analysis (MECA), Supply Operations, C19RM Secretariat, Risk Department, etc.
This role will make an important contribution to the Global Fund's objective to maximize gender equality. The post holder will work in collaboration with the Community, Rights and Gender Department to ensure meaningful integration of gender equality dimensions across the scope of work.
Key Responsibilities
1. Lead and coordinate design of the Global Fund technical approach and priorities for collaborative surveillance:
- Advise on global guidance and practices for collaborative surveillance;
- Lead the update of surveillance maturity model, related to collaborative surveillance (or linkage with HIV, TB, and malaria surveillance);
- Work with Senior Advisor COVID-19 Response and PPR sub-team lead, other Senior Specialists and Specialists, including from other RSSH & PPR teams, to design and evolve the technical approaches for collaborative surveillance;
- Organize and lead relevant technical consultations with key partners;
- Lead other team members to develop the technical guidance for collaborative surveillance;
- Contribute to the RSSH-PPR grant application materials, sections on collaborative surveillance, including Modular Framework, Information Note, technical briefs, and performance framework.
2. Map, analyze the collaborative surveillance system investment progress, results, and lessons for overall monitoring and in order to support effective implementation in select countries:
- Map Global Fund investments related to surveillance by working with RSSH-PPR and disease teams in TAP, MECA, and respective country teams;
- Lead the review of progress, results, impact, and lessons learned of the surveillance investments including periodic updates to Management Executive Committee;
- Closely monitor and support the in-country implementation by working with country teams, other technical teams, implementation and technical partners;
- Summarize and share the lessons and good practices, including those with in-country and global partners.
3. Support C19RM grant implementation and reprogramming, as well as next cycle grant design and implementation:
- Provide to countries and Global Fund country teams expert guidance and problem solving support on collaborative surveillance investments;
- Based on outcomes of responsibilities above, propose areas of improvement in collaborative surveillance related activities and priorities;
- Identify areas in collaborative surveillance with proposals for reprogramming & re-investment and Grant Cycle 8 design;
Subject to change by the Executive Director at any time at their sole discretion.
Qualifications
Essential:
- Advanced university degree in epidemiology or other public health-related field with strong background in communicable disease surveillance; and/or
- Medical degree with advanced training in applied epidemiology focused on early warning surveillance, outbreak detection and response, i.e. Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP), Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS), etc.
Experience
Essential:
- Strong track record of professional and practical experience in planning, implementation, technical support, and monitoring and oversight of communicable disease surveillance systems and programs
- Strong track record of practical experience in disease surveillance and/or monitoring & evaluation of public health programs, including country experience.
- Proven experience with communicable disease surveillance and particularly epidemic-prone diseases with global pandemic potential.
- Proven high performance in health communication and coordination within an organization and with partners.
- Strong organization skills and project management.
- Demonstrated proficiency at public health diplomacy.
Desirable:
- A minimum of 8-10 years of professional and practical experience in communicable disease surveillance, monitoring & evaluation of public health programs, including in-country experience.
- Proven ability in analyses, report and presentation development, and project management.
Competencies
Languages
An excellent knowledge of English and preferably a good working knowledge of French. Knowledge of other languages would be an asset.
Functional Competencies:
- Global Public Health โ Mastery level
- Country Context โ Mastery Level
- Business โ Mastery Level
- Geopolitical Awareness โ Mastery Level
- Multicultural Understanding โ Mastery Level
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Job Posting End Date18 February 2025