Technical Director

Jhpiego seeks a Technical Director to provide vision, leadership and direction to ensure the strategic, programmatic, technical, and financial integrity for an upcoming USAID Global Health Security (GHS) activity in Guatemala. The goal of the Activity is to build Guatemala’s capacities to prevent, detect and rapidly respond to new and emerging infectious diseases. The GHS activity will strengthen existing Guatemala’s One Health systems, entities, structures, all towards building a resilient, sustainable response to emerging infectious disease threats.

The Technical Director will operate under the leadership of the Chief of Party (COP) and with the senior management team and will oversee and ensure the technical and methodological soundness of all project activities. In collaboration with project team and partners, the position will support the design and implementation of programmatic strategies and approaches based on scientific evidence and best practices. Technical Director will also deputize for the COP in their absence.

This position is contingent upon award from USAID. All qualified professionals are strongly encouraged to apply.

• Provide leadership and strategic design and direction to ensure programmatic integrity and technical guidance to the project and local stakeholders, including in the following:
  • Event and indicator-based surveillance design, implementation, and evaluation
  • Strengthening of laboratory systems at national and subnational levels
  • Capacity building for detection, and response of emergency health and environmental threats
  • Coordination and collaboration for the successful implementation of the One Health approach
  • Design, development or strengthening of data systems and digital solutions that support a national and subnational emergency responses.
• Ensure the project is technically sound, evidence-based and responsive to the needs of national partners, stakeholders and donor
• Support implementation of activities/initiatives in alignment with global IHR standards to advance JEE scores
• Ensure high-quality technical approaches, define measures of success for technical areas, and monitor country quality gaps and trends and recommend strategies to resolve them in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health and Welfare (MSPAS) of Guatemala.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with USAID and the MSPAS, department offices, related Ministries (including those in the One Health space e.g. animal health/dairy, agriculture, environment), public health partners, member organizations and professional associations, private health care networks, local civil society organizations and local research institutions to maximize resources and avoid duplication of effort
• Provide mentoring and capacity building at the individual and organizational level, including with local partners in specific areas of expertise in at least one of the following areas: laboratory systems strengthening, surveillance systems, and/or emergency response in Guatemala.
• Ensure coordinated and quality provision of technical assistance to programs, including drawing upon global data and trends to identify strategic opportunities, identifying needed shifts in technical approaches and implementation and by identifying opportunities to fill critical knowledge gaps.  
• Improve capacity of local government health authorities to conduct evidence-based and epidemiological analysis of local health systems for decision-making to inform strategic and programmatic direction;
• Work with Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) staff to develop M&E frameworks and effectively track data/results;
• Learn from other USAID GHS focus country programs (implemented by Jhpiego and other entities) and integrate learnings into the Guatemala GHS activity, and develop a cadre of GHS champions and national technical experts
• Provide technical oversight to sub-partners to ensure they are able to deliver on project scope;
• Mentor, supervise and manage performance and provide timely feedback to technical and program staff;
• Lead the preparation, and timely submission of quality project reports to the donor
• Contribute to knowledge management, research and learning to advance Global Health Security strategies and approaches globally
• Represent Jhpiego and the project’s progress, achievements and lessons learned to donors, other key stakeholders, and through relevant technical advisory/working groups and professional forums, meetings, conferences
• Provide management leadership to all operational; aspects including administration; logistics; procurement; budgeting; finance and compliance; and property;
• Author/co-author abstracts, presentations, and articles for journals and conferences;
• Work with finance and project staff to develop and track project budgets;
• Coordinate efforts with the country team lead to ensure alignment with organizational strategy, mission and goals.

• Advanced degree in a relevant field such as public health; animal health; environmental science; health systems strengthening
• 9 to 10 years’ experience in a senior role managing large, complex, and integrated programs of similar scope, preferably in global health security in public and private facilities, local government institutions systems strengthening, developing and capacitating local organizations in Guatemala.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with government, donors, the private sector, various ministries, development partners, community organizations, research organizations, and academic institutions to advance the health objectives.
• Previous or recent experience working in Guatemala with intimate understanding of local health and government system and gaps and opportunities in the above-mentioned technical areas, and preferably with established relationships with relevant Guatemalan stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience leading and managing multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary teams to achieve project results in a fast-paced and complex environment.
• Previous experience working on USAID-funded projects, matched with an in-depth knowledge of USAID regulations, compliance and reporting requirements.
• Experience working with sub-/grantees, local and international and knowledge of capacity development approaches for locally-led development.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills and ability to translate data into action, and communicate results to wide ranging audiences.
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge in establishing project systems and overseeing project start-up and close-out
• Experience hiring and supervising personnel and ensuring they acquire the necessary training and skills to meet evolving project needs
• Excellent diplomacy skills and a proven ability to establish and maintain interpersonal and professional relationships with USAID, host-country counterparts and representatives from other key stakeholders such as NGOs and CSOs
• Excellent skills in facilitation, team building, and coordination
• Excellent verbal, written interpersonal and presentation skills in English and Spanish
• Ability to coach, mentor and develop technical capacity of technical staff
• Ability to travel nationally and internationally

• MD or medical clinically trained professional e.g. nursing, public health Demonstrated experience in the field of GHS preferred.