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 “Collaborative Surveillance” (CS). According to WHO, CS is the “…systematic 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.” 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 “contributing to pandemic preparedness and response” 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:
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:
3. Support C19RM grant implementation and reprogramming, as well as next cycle grant design and implementation:
Subject to change by the Executive Director at any time at their sole discretion.
Qualifications
Essential:
Experience
Essential:
Desirable:
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:
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Job Posting End Date18 February 2025