Senior Youth Advisor for Testing, Care, and Treatment
Title: Senior Youth Advisor for Testing, Care, and Treatment
Salary Range: GS-14 equivalent
Introductory Statement: The Bureau for Global Health's Office of HIV/AIDS (GH/OHA) has overarching responsibility for USAID's HIV/AIDS programs and serves as the Agency's lead office for implementing the interagency President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). GH/OHA makes decisions concerning the strategic allocation of financial and human resources in the sector and provides leadership in designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating HIV programs. GH/OHA ensures the technical integrity of USAID's headquarters and mission strategies and programs; provides global technical leadership on the full range of HIV prevention, care, and treatment interventions; leads HIV research programs; supports USAID missions in working with partners and other government agencies; and monitors, evaluates and reports on the impact of the Agency's HIV programs in support of PEPFAR goals.
The Priority Populations, Integration and Rights Division (GH/OHA/PPIR) provides technical leadership and support to missions in effectively planning, implementing and monitoring population-based approaches to the HIV response. The PPIR Division has a specific emphasis on priority and key populations, including orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), youth (e.g. adolescent girls and young women [AGYW], and adolescent boys and young men), gender and sexual diversity, and human rights. The Division designs and manages projects that support implementation and scale up of country and regional programs to achieve PEPFAR goals and targets; provides technical and programmatic expertise to develop sounds strategies, policy guidance and plans for implementation of HIV programs; participates on cross-cutting teams and collaborates closely with other USAID and USG agencies to plan, coordinate, and support service delivery programs for priority and key populations. GH/OHA/PPIR is composed of five Branches: Orphans and Vulnerable Children, Gender and Sexual Diversity, Youth, Integrated Services, and Key Populations and Rights.
The Youth Branch (GH/OHA/PPIR/YTH) provides technical leadership on policies and programs relating to youth, including the DREAMS program. The Branch provides global technical expertise across USAID and PEPFAR in expanding evidence-based programming for AGYW and young men to achieve HIV epidemic control. The Branch supports USAID field programs to scale up programming addressing youth needs through positive youth development and systematic integration of youth engagement for higher quality programming across the continuum of HIV prevention, care, treatment, and support services.
The Senior Advisor will work closely with and receive day to day guidance from the Youth Branch Chief, who will serve as their USAID Point of Contact.
HIV Program Implementation Support – 70%
Provides implementation support to USAID missions in PEPFAR countries on HIV programming to increase the uptake of HIV testing, linkage, retention, and adherence services among young people, especially AGYW and young men and maximize outcomes across the HIV prevention and clinical cascade.
Provides technical implementation support for HIV testing, linkage, retention, and adherence services for youth reflecting scientific evidence and best practices, including positive youth development approaches. Provides technical expertise and leadership on HIV testing services for young people to increase the provision and utilization of youth-focused services, particularly for those most-at-risk for HIV infection.
Supports program design and implementation to strengthen the HIV testing, care, and treatment services as they relate to youth, including key elements such as: AGYW and young men-specific testing and linkage services; treatment initiation/retention and adherence activities; and the scale up of viral load monitoring.
Facilitates programmatic linkages between technical domains working with young populations, including OVC, pediatrics, adult treatment, key populations, and DREAMS.
Reviews and analyzes key PEPFAR indicators and other data and ensures the appropriate use of data to inform and modify program implementation for young people. Utilizes PEPFAR indicators, particularly those related to HIV testing, linkage, retention, and adherence, and other data to monitor global trends, successes, and challenges in meeting the HIV-related needs of young people.
Serves as a Senior Technical Advisor for USAID, and to the Office of the US Global AIDS Coordinator for headquarters-related activities, participating in quarterly and annual program review teams and/or Implementation Subject Matter Expert teams.
Participates in the development of technical guidance to advance the science supporting youth programs, and ensures that implementers have access to relevant best practices and performance data, with a focus on HIV testing, linkage, retention, and adherence services for young people.
HIV Program Management Support 20%
Supports the management HIV prevention and treatment activities for young people to meet the health development goals of PEPFAR. Ensures that HIV programming strategies reflect evidence and best practices for meeting the needs of AGYW and young men in resource constrained settings.
Provides management support, as needed, for youth and HIV-related centrally-managed projects. Evaluates centrally managed awards in the area of youth HIV testing, linkages, retention, and adherence services. Supports the preparation of project documents, reports, and other means of promoting wide understanding of youth and HIV programming.
Provides technical support on youth programming for the development and finalization of USAID mission HIV strategies and PEPFAR Country Operational Plans. Ensures that youth and HIV/AIDS programming are in line with PEPFAR and USAID programming priorities on HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment.
Oversees program, financial, reporting, and accountability processes.
Performs other related duties as assigned.
Agency-Wide Technical Resource 10%
Supports Agency-wide activities related to youth and HIV programming and policy as an expert advisor and technical authority. Provides technical assistance and direction on cross-sectoral youth and HIV/AIDS programming to USAID headquarters, PEPFAR country teams and implementing partners. Supports the engagement of youth in program design and implementation.
Maintains knowledge of Agency policies and regulations governing youth and HIV programs and advises senior management and field missions accordingly. Serves as technical liaison between USAID and other USG agencies involved in cross-sectoral programming.
A Master's degree (or higher) in public health or other related behavioral, social science or clinical field and a minimum of 9 years of experience working on domestic and/or international health issues is required.
A Bachelor's degree and a minimum of 11 years of the qualifying work experience mentioned above may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree.
Experience must include at least 5 years of designing, implementing and/or evaluating youth-focused health programs.
Demonstrated youth development and/or sexual reproductive health experience.
Experience in HIV/AIDS testing, care, and/or treatment preferred. State-of-the-art knowledge of literature and current and emerging research on HIV and youth.
Demonstrated skills in data analysis, program design, strategic planning, program coordination and/or implementation, especially within a developing country context.
Excellent analytical and written and oral communication skills.
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work across cross-culturally with diverse teams.
Excellent judgment, maturity, creativity and problem-solving skills.
Ability to work independently.
Willingness to travel 30% of time to developing countries in all regions, including Africa.
Fluency in one or more widely spoken foreign languages preferred.