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Position Title: Project Specialist, EpiC Kazakhstan

Reports to: EpiC CAR Technical Advisor

EpiC Central Asia Region Project Description:

Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpiC) is a five-year global project funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). EpiC is dedicated to achieving and maintaining HIV epidemic control and the project provides strategic technical assistance (TA) and direct service delivery (DSD) to break through barriers to 95-95-95 and promote self-reliant management of national HIV programs by improving HIV case-finding, prevention, and treatment programming. In 2020, FHI 360 through EpiC launched a new multi-year project in Central Asia which has been implemented in Tajikistan, Kyrgyz Republic, and Kazakhstan. Building on the successes to date in the three countries, EpiC is focusing on expanding HIV case finding in the community, and treatment initiation, adherence, and retention support for people living with HIV (PLHIV), with a focus on select key population (KP) groups. While EpiC will take a regional approach in the overarching management of the Central Asia project, each country will have its own respective targets, priority focus areas and expected deliverables. EpiC in Kazakhstan implements its activities targeted key population and provide technical support to improve HIV case-finding, treatment initiation, and viral load suppression among key population in Eastern Kazakhstan and Pavlodar Regions.

Position summary

The EpiC Kazakhstan Project Specialist will provide management, technical and general coordination support for an assigned local implementing partner subrecipient in Project sites: East Kazakhstan and Pavlodar regions. The Project Specialists will report to the EpiC CAR Technical Advisor

and directly manage a local civil society organizations (CSOs) to implement interventions improving access to quality HIV prevention, care and treatment services among Project clients. S/he will provide day-to-day oversight, coordination, capacity development and program monitoring. Responsibilities will include coordinating local subrecipient workplan and budget development in partnership with project leadership, ensuring that assigned partners are implementing technical strategies in line with EpiC technical guidance, are putting strategies in place to meet annual targets on time and within budget, monitoring partner subawards, tracking partner program deliverables, coordinating field visits and partner progress meetings; and coordinating technical assistance and capacity building support for the partner. The Project Specialist will work with technical, grants and finance staff to ensure smooth operation of these functions. S/he will also support documentation of program best practices, success stories and lessons learned. The position will be based in Ust-Kamenogorsk, Pavlodar or in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Suitably qualified candidates openly living with HIV and/or who are representative of key populations affected by HIV are actively encouraged to apply.

Position Responsibilities:

• Support local partner workplan development and provide ongoing monitoring of activity progress against the workplan throughout the life of project;
• Coordinate program planning, design, review and the monitoring of project activities with the assigned local partner;
• Build capacities of local implementing partner through online and offline/on-job trainings, workshops on various technical strategies in line with EpiC technical guidance;
• Conduct supportive supervision activities for field teams of local implementing partner to analyze and discuss project progress, successes and challenges and take timely course correction actions;
• Coordinate the planning of technical assistance for local implementing partner in finance, M&E and technical issues, as needed;
• Monitor and address field-based programmatic issues in a timely manner, and keep senior project management apprised of activity progress;
• Ensuring that assigned partner is implementing technical strategies in line with EpiC technical guidance;
• Provide support in strengthening a system of reporting on program progress against stated objectives, program deliverables, and monitoring and evaluation frameworks;
• Liaise with technical, grants and finance team to develop, plan and manage sub agreements with local partners;
• Oversee the development and management of subrecipient monitoring and capacity building plans;
• Coordinate and monitor local partner subrecipient activities and progress against agreed-upon deliverables, subaward terms and conditions and targets and take corrective action where needed;
• Assists with the preparation of project deliverables and documents program activities and deliverables for assigned portfolio or country programs;
• Contribute to the development of program reports and success stories;
• Work with finance team to monitor local partner expenditures, ensure overall alignment with work plan budget and advise on any necessary adjustments;
• Represents FHI 360 and the project in professional and public settings, and makes presentations at professional meetings and fora, if needed;
• Performs other duties as assigned.

  Minimum Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree or its international equivalent in public health, international development, management, or a related field;
  • Minimum of two to five years of experience in public health program management for multi-year international health and HIV sector development projects; experience working on key population (KP) programs;
  • Experience working on international-donor funded projects, preferably USAID and/or PEPFAR funding;
  • Experience managing projects subrecipients and providing technical and managerial guidance, ability to set realistic priorities, and plan for the successful implementation of programs;
  • Demonstrated experience working independently with initiative to manage high volume work flow, being responsive to partners and project leadership, and troubleshooting issues;
  • Ability to work well with others and to develop and maintain compatibility among project partners, staff, sub-partners, consultants, and recipients of assistance;
  • Sensitivity to cultural differences and understanding of the political and ethical issues surrounding people living with HIV/AIDS and KP;
  • Knowledge of PEPFAR programming and reporting preferred;
  • English, Russian and Kazakh language fluency required.

    Travel Requirements:

    • 10-15%, mostly within the Kazakhstan

      The position is open to Kazakhstan residents and will be based in Almaty or in Ust-Kamenogorsk or Pavlodar, Kazakhstan.

      This job description 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.

      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.

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      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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