Catholic Relief Services, an International Non-Governmental Organization, is seeking qualified, experienced and highly motivated Senior Project Officer - HIV and Health - who will provide guidance to Project zonal teams and local implementing partners in community-based HIV care and treatments, ensuring effective linkage of children, adolescents, and parents or caregivers living with HIV to clinical and community-based services. You will also provide guidance in achieving the UNAIDS 95-95-95 objectives in support of CRS work serving HIV infected and affected OVC and their caregivers. You will support the provision of HIV and health services in line with the family-centered, strengths-based case management approach and ensure project participants receive quality direct services and referrals based on their needs to achieve resilience in the healthy domain. Your thorough and service-oriented approach will ensure that the project consistently applies best practices and constantly works towards improving the impact of its benefits to those we serve.
The position is based in Douala.
Primary Responsibilities:
· In coordination with the HIV & Health Specialist and the zonal teams, ensure the quality implementation of all HIV and health direct services for children, adolescents, parents or caregivers, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers (PBFM) living with HIV, as well as HIV exposed infants (HEI) and other targeted groups as outlined in the detailed implementation plan in line with CRS program quality principles and standards, donor requirements, and good practices.
· Support the scale up of community-based model for the engagement of community structures to improve case-finding for infants delivered outside of facilities.
· Work with partners to scale-up the use of age-specific HIV Risk screening tool for determining children and adolescents at risk of HIV and prioritizing them for HIV testing in community and facility settings.
· Work closely with zonal teams and partners to oversee the implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for achieving effective bi-directional referral and linkage between clinical and community-based HIV care and treatment. These SOPs include but not limited to case findings, referral and initiation of ART, community monitoring of ART and adherence counseling and support, determination of eligibility for viral load testing and referral for viral load testing and investigate reasons for unsuppressed viral load and treatment failure.
· Work closely with zonal teams, Program Officer – Case Management, Referral & Accountability, PEPFAR clinical partners and HIV treatment facilities to ensure an effective bi-directional referral of children and adolescent living with HIV, PBFM living with HIV, and HEI for, but not limited to, enrollment into the project and HIV related testing (HTS, VL testing, dug resistance testing, EID), opportunistic infection treatment, STI, treatment of severe acute malnutrition, and immunization.
· Support the zonal teams in the implementation of the HIV and health direct and referral services based on project participant needs as identified during individual assessments and documented in case plans.
· Support the zonal teams and local implementing partners in their efforts to collect and analyze HIV and health related project data per specified mechanisms and tools. Support local zonal MEAL team and partners to prepare reports per established reporting schedule.
· Strengthen the zonal teams on the provision of HIV and health services via training, mentoring, and coaching. Monitor capacity building and technical support activities to ensure effective impact.
· Ensure learning properly accompanies project activities throughout the project cycle. Support accountability through coordinating project evaluation activities and guiding partners in their efforts to reflect on project experiences. Analyze implementation challenges and report any inconsistencies and/or gaps to inform adjustments to plans and implementation schedules.
· Coordinate and oversee working relationships with all local project stakeholders and serve as the liaison between them and the project team to mobilize local actors and promote project activities and impact.
· Supervise and perform ad-hoc inspections of various processes and resources at project sites to ensure timely project activities implementation and adherence to established process standards and procedures. Ensure proper tracking of resource use for project activities through periodic budget reviews and follow-up with and assistance to implementing partner.
· Support and coordinate capacity building and technical support activities to ensure assigned project activities are implemented per project guidelines and standards.
· Coordinate provision of any logistical and administrative support to staff and partners.
· Ensure project documentation for assigned activities is complete with all required documents and is filed per agency and donor requirements. Assist with preparation of trends analysis reports and documentation of case studies and promising practices
Qualifications and Experience:
· Bachelor’s degree in Medicine, Public Health, Nursing, or in the field of Social Work is required. A Master’s degree in Public Health would be a plus.
· Minimum of 4 years of work experience in clinical background including HIV treatment, PMTCT, or adolescent HIV, including experience in project support.
· Knowledge or prior experience in social services, HIV, early childhood development, maternal and child health, PMTCT, adolescent HIV services, and/or WASH and nutrition.
· Experience implementing and/or monitoring PEPFAR programs.
· Experience in facilitation, participatory action planning and/or community engagement.
· Experience engaging with partner organizations
Personal Skills
· Analysis and problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment
· Good relationship management skills and the ability to work closely with local partners
· Proactive, results-oriented, and service-oriented
· Attention to details, accuracy, and timeliness in executing assigned responsibilities
· Experience working with partners, participatory action planning and community engagement.
· Staff supervision experience a plus.
· Experience monitoring projects and collecting relevant data.
· Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
Required Travel: The position will require travel (30%).
Language requirement: Fluency in French, Professional Proficiency in English required.
How to apply:
Application Process: Application files including: Cover letter and CV, 3 References, and copies of relevant supporting documents to the application should be forwarded to:
The Resident Representative PO Box 1851, Yaoundé – Cameroon or by email to: crscameroon@crs.org specifying “**Senior Project Officer - HIV and Health**” in the e-mail subject line
The position is open to Cameroonian nationals/candidates based in Cameroon
Closing date: February 26th, 2021 at 3 pm
Incomplete applications or applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
By applying to this job, I understand and acknowledge that this organization requires its staff to treat all people with dignity and respect and to actively prevent harassment, abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking. Further, I understand that if I am a successful candidate, I will be subject to a comprehensive background check, and my personal/professional references will be asked to evaluate my behaviors related to the agency Safeguarding Policy.