USAID Development Assistance Specialist (Community Care) Full-Time

INTRODUCTION

The Development Assistance Specialist (Community Care Advisor ) is one of two Community Care Advisors who are responsible for providing technical leadership, guidance and analysis for the Mission to plan, implement, monitor, coordinate the Mission’s HIV/AIDS community care and treatment activities for all sub-populations (children, youth, adults (males & females), & pregnant and lactating women). The Community Care Advisor 2’s primary focus is ensuring that USG community care and treatment adherence and HIV viral load suppression goals are implemented in accordance with WHO and PEPFAR guidelines. The Advisor’s counterpart (Community Care Advisor 1) within her/is team will focus on ensuring that USG community care and treatment retention and treatment uptake goals are implemented in accordance with WHO and PEPFAR guidelines.

In support of the HIV/AIDS community care and treatment activities for all sub-populations in Mozambique, the Community Care Advisor 2 will carry out a range of responsibilities related to the design, implementation, coordination, and evaluation of a broad range of agency-funded activities with a focus on the community aspects of HIV service delivery and demand. The Community Care Advisor 2 will be the strategic leader and expert for USAID HIV treatment community based treatment adherence and viral load suppression activities, strategies and implementation monitoring. The Community Care Advisor 2 will focus on community and individual level barriers to HIV treatment adherence, creating an enabling environment, civil society engagement & capacity building for HIV community level service delivery, community level service delivery quality improvement efforts, HIV stigma reduction and behavior change activities as they relate to HIV treatment adherence, viral load suppression and health seeking behaviors for all sub-populations.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Education

A US-equivalent university degree in public health, nursing, social work, behavioral science, social sciences or a closely related field is required.

Prior Work Experience

• Minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience in HIV programming (design, implementation and management), of which at least three (3) years have been in a developing country context.
• Experience working in Mozambique and/or other parts of sub-Saharan Africa, particularly on HIV/AIDS care and treatment and/or community-based programming for HIV treatment adherence and viral load suppression.

Language Proficiency

Level IV English(fluent) spoken and written required. Level IV Portuguese (spoken and written) is also required.

Job Knowledge

Must have sound knowledge of HIV/AIDS care and treatment needs, community-based health service delivery, HIV/AIDS counseling and testing, and service delivery HIV treatment, as well as an understanding of the overall HIV/AIDS prevention, retention care and treatment contexts in sub-Saharan Africa; and an excellent understanding of Mozambican social, cultural and political contexts.

Skills and Abilities

The incumbent will have specialized knowledge and demonstrated expertise in the areas of HIV/AIDS prevention, including:

• Technical knowledge of the behavioral aspects of HIV treatment adherence and viral load suppression, including strategies to improve use of services, retention, and appropriate care;
• Understanding of community-based approaches to provide critical health services;
• Understanding of service delivery aspects and community based structures to strengthen HIV treatment, adherence and care;
• Understanding of the role and principles of HIV/AIDS treatment and care, with particular attention to linkages between HIV diagnosis and referrals to community and clinical resources;
• Understanding of the programmatic considerations for HIV treatment adherence of various sub-populations including differences among rural and urban populations, gender and age.