Summary
Date Posted: Sunday, March 12, 2023 , Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:

Reports To: Technical Director for Global Informatics
Liaise With: HIS Team
Grade: Mid-level management
Location: Kampala – Uganda

Background
Established in 2016, the Global Programs for Research and Training, based in Kampala and Nairobi, is a Non-Governmental Organization to represent the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) East Africa projects. UCSF’s Global Strategic Information (GSI) has worked closely with CDC/PEPFAR for over 8 years with a focus on strategic information (SI) and development of associated Health Information Systems (HIS). Additionally, GSI has more than 10 years’ experience working on HIS in over 15 countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and eastern Europe, providing high-level strategic thinking, technical assistance (TA) in the development of all levels of HIS systems, data presentation and interpretation, and local capacity building. UCSF works closely with multiple stakeholders including MOHs, various funders, institutions of higher education, and implementing partners (IP).
Currently, UCSF is a partner for CDC-funded development and implementation of an OpenMRS HIV Reference Implementation (OHRI). The program seeks to create a system of global support with buy-in from six selected countries (Uganda, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Haiti and Rwanda) for OHRI and has a focus on driving data exchange and interoperability across the HIS systems to improve efficiencies for providing patient care, improving program monitoring and leveraging analytics for data driven decision making.
We will be working with University of Nairobi and Makerere University to help manage developers, collaborate in a community of practice, and ultimately build capacity in more junior developers.

Job Summary
The Makerere University School of Public Health-Monitoring and Evaluation Technical Support (MakSPH-METS) Program is a five-year (2020-2025) CDC-funded Cooperative Agreement. The MakSPH-METS program emerged out of the growing recognition of the importance of evidence-based decision making for an AIDS Free Generation in Uganda. The overall purpose of the Program is to establish coordinated and effective national and district systems for the management of strategic information for a robust HIV response.
The Disease Surveillance Data Specialist will primarily be responsible for supporting programs to ensure the quality of in-country HIS datasets (public/programmatic/survey) is suitable for purposes of supporting the outcomes of HIV Case Based Surveillance and inform integrated public health responses informed by this data. The Disease Surveillance Data Specialist will lead surveillance and data activities for various HIS work streams, including but not limited to HIV Case Based Surveillance and Global Health Security (which includes epidemic and pandemic threats). The Disease Surveillance Data Specialist will be required to provide technical guidance on data analysis and visualization for HIV and other related diseases using their epidemiology experience. The incumbent will report to the Director of GHI and will work closely with Programmatic and Technical Makerere University School of Public Health staff, UCSF employees, CDC and Implementing partners to support CBS efforts in country.

Duties and Responsibilities
1. Documentation
Creation of documentation and a solid understanding of use cases, guidelines, and data flows (from source to analysis and use) for HIV Case Base Surveillance. Reviewing and editing of documentation for the purpose of determining fitness for purpose.

2. Communication and Coordination
Coordinate with project staff and stakeholders to schedule and prepare work sessions, meetings, and workshops. Collaborate with MoH, METS, UCSF, CDC and Implementing Partners in the implementation of Case Based Surveillance.

3. Data analysis and data quality reviews
• Coordinate with program staff at MoH, METS, UCSF, CDC and IPs to conduct data quality assessments.
• Analyze data to assess trends and identify data quality issues.
• Develop strategies to address data quality issues and promote data use.

4. Operationalization of HIV Case Based Surveillance
• Work with MoH, METS and UCSF staff to design, document and develop sustainable HIV Case Based Surveillance systems.
• Work with project staff to communicate CBS progress and challenges to stakeholders in a timely manner.

5. Other duties
• Openness to new tasks throughout the project period.
• Available to respond to unexpected programmatic and other needs that may arise.
• Work with HIS business analysts and developers to design software solutions by studying information needs; systems flow, data usage, and work processes while adhering to the software development lifecycle.
• Managing and juggling multiple deadlines and priorities, while also successfully setting scopes of work and tasks for main development teams.
• Liaising with high level leadership from CDC/PEPFAR/MOH/NGOs to set priorities, agendas, and scopes of work.
• Support the development of an integrations and interoperability between OHRI and other systems such as LIS and CBS.
• Work with HIS business analysts, developers, and IT support staff to support the piloting, rollout and maintenance of HIS systems in public health facilities.
• Work with HIS business analysts and developers to investigate, analyze and make recommendations to management regarding technology improvements, upgrades and modifications.
• Work with HIS business analysts and project managers to analyze user needs and software requirements to determine feasibility of design within time and cost constraints.
• Develop and direct software system testing and validation procedures, programming and documentation.
• Work with HIS business analysts and developers to prepare reference materials for end and technical users by writing operating instructions, flowcharts, layouts, diagrams, charts, code comments and clear code.
• Undertake such other tasks within the scope of the role as directed by leadership from time to time.
• Develop OHRI program workflows from data collection forms, clinical dashboards with decision support summaries, monitoring and clinical reports.

Required knowledge, skills, and abilities (minimum)
1. At least five years of working experience in PEPFAR related settings
2. Demonstrable experience working with data at a public health level beyond an M&E function (this is a critical requirement, applications with only PEPFAR reporting experience will likely be rejected)
3. Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
4. Demonstrable experience with leading or conducting data quality management activities
5. Demonstrated good communication and interpersonal skills
6. Ability to coordinate with multiple partners in various countries to carry out duties as assigned
7. Knowledge of data use, data management, data security, data quality and public disclosure
8. Experience with one or more of the following are considered advantages:
• Clinical care & treatment programs
• (Bio) statistics
• Data science
• Implementation science
• Global Health Security
9. Statistical and analytical skills with critical thinking abilities
10. Ability to problem solve in complex, multi-sectoral environments involving multiple aspects of health information systems
11. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills
12. Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills
13. Ability to work professionally and collaborative in a multi-cultural, distributed, internationally based team setting
14. Good computer/computer literacy skills
15. Experience with working in the health sector and background in programmatic and/or data analysis are a plus

Qualifications and Experience
1. A Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree in public health or Epidemiology
2. At least five years of working experience (after graduation) in health care field: Epidemiology, Disease Surveillance and Public Health Response

About the position
Duration: April 1, 2023 – September 29, 2023 (with possibility of extension – 5 year Cooperative Agreement, renewable annually subject to availability of funds)


Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 60

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Job application procedure

Candidates must submit their CV in English, accompanied by a letter of application, to the email info.Uganda@ucglobalprograms.org  by March 25, 2023, indicating the title of the position in the “subject” of the email and in the cover letter.
Only electronic CV’s will be accepted.


All Jobs

QUICK ALERT SUBSCRIPTION