Public Health Specialist, Influenza Epidemiologist at U.S. Embassy South Africa

Duties

• The job holder serves as a Senior Public Health Specialist supporting Influenza Program activities and is responsible for planning, formulating, analyzing, evaluating, and/or implementing policies for CDC’s public health programs for influenza, and respiratory pathogen surveillance, prevention, and control activities.
• This job holder will provide comprehensive public health disease and surveillance advice, research and assistance directed to the development and readiness to detect, respond, and manage outbreaks of avian/human influenza and other emerging infectious diseases in South Africa and the region.
• The job holder will work with partners to establish surveillance to monitor the circulation and impact of respiratory pathogens and improve laboratory support for surveillance and outbreak response.
• The position holder will also be involved in partner contact that includes senior and mid-level officials at the ministry of health and a wide variety of implementing partners.
• The Epidemiologist serves as a locally employed staff person for the US CDC South African Influenza Program.
• The position is based in U.S. Embassy Pretoria, South Africa, and reports to the Influenza Program Director.

Qualifications and Evaluations

Requirements:

EXPERIENCE: Three years of mid-to-senior level public health experience in developing, implementing, and evaluating public health programs or other relevant public health programs that involve coordination with an international agency or implementing partner is required.

Education Requirements:

• Doctoral level degree (Doctor of Public Health (DrPH), Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or host country equivalent degree in medicine, public health, or epidemiology is required.

Evaluations:

LANGUAGE: Fluent in speaking, reading and writing in English, which may include the ability to translate (this may be tested). 

SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Strong oral and written communications skills are required.
• Ability to lead project teams and workgroups and to develop effective working relationships with national and international working partners is required. 
• The incumbent will be expected to exercise considerable ingenuity and tack in applying guidelines to unique and different settings, as the work is highly complex.
• Incumbent will be required to develop innovative methods to collect data more effectively and efficiently using new technology. 
• Training and experience with MS Office and working knowledge and application of statistical analysis software such as SAS, STATA or R is required.