Position: Lead – Centre of Excellence (CoE)
Type of Employment: Employee, Full-Time
Reporting to: Programme Coordinator – TB Department
Location: Home based, anywhere in the world
Duration: Fixed-Term 2 years
Travel: 40% travel
Salary: Based on experience and location

Organisation background:

The Union is a global membership, technical and scientific organisation. We were established in 1920 and are led by people who are committed to our vision, mission and values. Our members are organisations and individuals from all parts of the world. We are made up of government and non-government agencies, charities, donors and funders, professional groups, patient groups and civil society organisations. We bring together clinicians, managers, policy makers, front-line workers and implementers, scientists, patients and survivors, advocates and civil society.

The Union’s Vision: A healthier world for all, free of tuberculosis and lung disease

The Union’s Mission: The Union strives to end suffering due to tuberculosis and lung disease by advancing better prevention and care. We seek to achieve this by the generation, dissemination and implementation of knowledge into policy and practice. We aim to ensure that no-one is left behind, people are treated equally and we have a focus on vulnerable and marginalised populations and communities.

The Union’s Values:

• Quality: we deliver our services and products to the highest possible standards.
• Transparency: we are open and direct in our dealings.
• Accountability: we are responsible stewards of resources, deliver on our commitments, and are accountable to our stakeholders.
• Respect: we recognise people’s intrinsic value and have due regard for the welfare, beliefs, perceptions, customs and cultural heritage of those we deal with.
• Independence: we seek to pursue our mission free from interference by conflicts of interest.

 The Union’s activities

In collaboration with national Ministries of Health and international partners, it develops, promotes and evaluates effective strategies for tuberculosis control in low- and middle-income countries. The Union provides technical assistance to national tuberculosis control programs, leads various research projects, conducts international and national courses in several languages, organizes world conferences, publishes several guides and two peer-reviewed scientific journals (« The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease » and « Public Health Action »). In addition to tuberculosis, The Union is also involved in tobacco control and non-communicable diseases. For more information, visit www.theunion.org.

Child and adolescent TB has been a special area of interest for The Union for well over a decade. Collaborative activities in the African region have included the development of clinical manuals for healthcare workers, such as The Union’s Desk Guide and CXR Atlas, regional Training of Trainers on child TB held in Malawi and South Africa and the implementation of various innovative interventions. In 2019, in collaboration with the Global TB Branch – US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Centre for Excellence for Child and Adolescent Tuberculosis (COE) was set up. The COE is a virtual platform to share best practices and technical knowledge to solve common challenges for child and adolescent TB service provision. The representatives from the National Tuberculosis Programmes (NTPs) of the nine founding member countries, that is, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe formed the COE. In 2023, Cameroon, Lesotho and Rwanda joined as additional member countries.

Specifically, the COE will support member countries to:

• Promote south-to-south learning through sharing and dissemination of best practices and lessons learned for child and adolescent TB care and prevention through webinars, trainings, in-person COE meetings as well as conference symposia and workshops.
• Re-vitalise (national) child and adolescent TB working groups, as well as ensure appropriate technical representation, including clinicians, researchers, civil society, implementing partners and other relevant stakeholders.
• Integrate child and adolescent TB into national priorities, such as national strategic plans for TB care and prevention and child health services, Global Fund applications and other relevant national strategic documents.

Job Summary: 

This position is a technical position with experience in child and adolescent TB and lung health. This position will lead the current and future activities of the COE. This position will work closely with the Principal Investigator and the Project Officer of The Union-CDC Cooperative Agreement, US CDC-Global TB Branch and COE Point of Contact, COE member countries. and other key stakeholders.   S/he will conceptualise in an innovative manner the geographical and technical scope of the future COE activities and ensures the strategic vision of the COE.  This position will interact with other colleagues in the TB Department (Programme Coordinator TB Department) as well as with other Union’s departments and Management Units (Communications, Membership, Conference, Training and Education and Publications).

Key Responsibilities

1. Develop a five-year strategic plan for the COE and translate it to annual action plans that are costed.
2. Lead fund raising and identification of funding sources for the COE.
3. Oversee coordination and collaboration between The Union, the US CDC-Global TB Branch and all relevant COE stakeholders, including the member countries and Advisory Committee members.
4. Oversee functioning and updating of the COE virtual platform and the COE Channel.
5. Oversee communication with other relevant Union departments, such as the Departments of Communications and Publications, to advance the visibility of the COE.
6. Lead and oversee efficient conduct of the COE activities, including COE webinars, workshops and meetings, particularly, the annual in-person meetings.
7. Oversee preparation of the COE activity reports to The Union and CDC on a regular and ad hoc basis.

1. Oversee and support the preparation of conference presentations, symposia, etc., and research papers for publication in peer-review journals.
2. Perform any other duties as required by the director of the Department of TB.

Qualifications and Skills

• Medical doctor. M Med (Paeds) or MPH would be an added advantage.
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant working experience in child and adolescent TB, ideally in a Sub-Saharan African setting or other low-or medium-resourced setting with a high burden of TB
• Proven record of leadership-level experience and qualities
• Ability to build and work with teams, including building teams that represent cultural inclusivity and equity
• Strong writing and communication skills
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office package
• Self-driven, innovative, laterally thinking leader
• Previous experience in research with public health programmes would be an advantage
• Knowledge of management of CDC/US-government and other donors’ and partners’ grants and project management would be an advantage
• Proficient in English, knowledge of French an advantage

• Strong organisational skills with the ability to multitask and prioritise effectively
• Strong external stakeholder management and teamwork skills
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Attention to detail and problem-solving skills
• Discretion and confidentiality

Additional Information

 The role will require flexibility with hours, especially attending meetings that can occur outside of standard business hours.

• The position often involves coordination with various departments and external agencies to ensure seamless execution of the work.

To apply

Please send your CV and a covering letter explaining how your skills and experience fit the position to:  career@theunion.org and tbdepartment@theunion.org

Interviews will be held remotely. Deadline for applications: October 31 2024, 12:00 (CET)

Expériences / Formation

Key Responsibilities

1. Develop a five-year strategic plan for the COE and translate it to annual action plans that are costed.
2. Lead fund raising and identification of funding sources for the COE.
3. Oversee coordination and collaboration between The Union, the US CDC-Global TB Branch and all relevant COE stakeholders, including the member countries and Advisory Committee members.
4. Oversee functioning and updating of the COE virtual platform and the COE Channel.
5. Oversee communication with other relevant Union departments, such as the Departments of Communications and Publications, to advance the visibility of the COE.
6. Lead and oversee efficient conduct of the COE activities, including COE webinars, workshops and meetings, particularly, the annual in-person meetings.
7. Oversee preparation of the COE activity reports to The Union and CDC on a regular and ad hoc basis.

1. Oversee and support the preparation of conference presentations, symposia, etc., and research papers for publication in peer-review journals.
2. Perform any other duties as required by the director of the Department of TB.

 

Qualifications and Skills

• Medical doctor. M Med (Paeds) or MPH would be an added advantage.
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant working experience in child and adolescent TB, ideally in a Sub-Saharan African setting or other low-or medium-resourced setting with a high burden of TB
• Proven record of leadership-level experience and qualities
• Ability to build and work with teams, including building teams that represent cultural inclusivity and equity
• Strong writing and communication skills
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office package
• Self-driven, innovative, laterally thinking leader
• Previous experience in research with public health programmes would be an advantage
• Knowledge of management of CDC/US-government and other donors’ and partners’ grants and project management would be an advantage
• Proficient in English, knowledge of French an advantage

• Strong organisational skills with the ability to multitask and prioritise effectively
• Strong external stakeholder management and teamwork skills
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Attention to detail and problem-solving skills
• Discretion and confidentiality

Salaire

Based on experience and location

Comment postuler

Please send your CV and a covering letter explaining how your skills and experience fit the position to:  career@theunion.org and tbdepartment@theunion.org

Interviews will be held remotely. Deadline for applications: October 31 2024, 12:00 (CET)