USAID Entomologist / Senior Malaria Vector Control Specialist

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has contracted through CAMRIS International partnered with IAP World Services Inc., (IAPWS), to recruit and hire qualified individuals for the following position:

Title: ENTOMOLOGIST / SENIOR MALARIA VECTOR CONTROL SPECIALIST
United States Agency for International Development
President’s Malaria Initiative Team, Malaria Division, Office of Health, Infectious Disease and Nutrition

Application Deadline: Open Until Filled

BACKGROUND:
The President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) is a $1.2 billion five year expansion of US Government (USG) resources led by USAID to reduce the intolerable burden of malaria and help relieve poverty on the African continent. The goal of PMI is to reduce malaria-related mortality by 50% across the 15 sub-Saharan African focus countries through a rapid scale up of a package of proven malaria prevention and treatment measures: artemisinin-based combination therapy; insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs), intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy, and indoor residual spraying (IRS). USAID is the lead agency for implementation of the PMI. The Initiative is results-based, focused, and exhibits a high level of financial and programmatic accountability.

In May 2009, President Obama announced the Global Health Initiative (GHI), a comprehensive USG initiative to reduce the burden of disease and strengthen communities around the world. The 2008 Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde Global Leadership against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act (Lantos/Hyde Act) authorizes up to $5 billion in additional USG funding for malaria prevention and control for the period FY2009-2013. Building on the progress and experiences of the PMI during the past four years and the new approach to international health efforts laid out in the USG Global Health Initiative, PMI will work with partners to halve the burden of malaria (morbidity and mortality) in 70% of the at-risk populations of sub-Saharan Africa, thereby removing malaria as a major public health problem and promoting development throughout the African region.

INTRODUCTION:
Vector control interventions represent a large proportion of PMI’s investments in malaria control. Since the inception of PMI, rapidly growing insecticide resistance and the drive towards universal coverage of insecticide-treated bednets, among other factors, have furthered PMI’s need to provide high-quality and timely technical expertise in the field of entomology. The Senior Vector Control Specialist will be an integral member of USAID’s PMI team, providing technical support to USAID at headquarters (particularly the IRS and ITN Technical Working Groups), missions and PMI country teams, technical counterparts, implementing partners, and ministries of health and USAID cooperating agencies. S/he will serve as the primary liaison with the Entomology Branch of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ensuring that PMI investments in vector control consider are maximized.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Senior Vector Control Specialist will support the following activities:

Technical Leadership
• Liaise with CDC Entomology Branch staff to ensure that all PMI countries have sufficient entomologic technical support, including provision of remote support for analysis of entomologic data and reports (e.g., interpreting susceptibility and vector density analyses) and in-country support (as needed) for capacity-building missions with implementing partners and National Malaria Control Programs;
• Work with the CDC Entomology Branch and key USAID technical staff to monitor regional and country-level trends in key entomologic indicators, ensure that entomologic data are collated in existing databases and shared with relevant stakeholders to guide ITN and IRS interventions, and alert PMI Leadership as technical issues emerge that have the potential of jeopardizing the success of vector control measures;
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of issues around the regulation of insecticides for public health use, particularly insecticides covered under USG and international conventions;
• Provide technical guidance and leadership to both the PMI ITN and IRS working groups on relevant issues such as targeting IRS in the presence of bednets, vector behavior changes in response to vector control interventions, insecticide resistance management and related issues, and emerging technologies;
• Work with the PMI Operational Research Committee to ensure that vector control operational research proposals are scientifically sound;
• Provide technical input for PMI’s malaria operational planning guidance, external presentations, scientific publications, and other documents as needed;
• Provide technical leadership, as appropriate, and participate in global vector control meetings and working groups (e.g., Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Vector Control Working Group, RBM Alliance for Malaria Prevention, Gates Foundation Innovative Vector Control Consortium, etc.), keeping PMI abreast of potential changes in global guidance related to vector control;
• Liaise with external specialty vector control institutions (e.g., research institutions, universities, etc.) to keep external experts abreast of challenges faced by and best practices utilized by PMI in implementing vector control, and to keep USAID up to date with new developments and trends; and
• Liaise with pesticide industry staff on new vector control products and formulations of insecticides for public health use,

Country and Programmatic Support
• Provide general technical and programmatic support to one or more PMI focus countries and participate as an integral member of an interagency country support team for that country;
• Provide guidance and support to USAID missions and PMI country teams on the development of annual country malaria operational plans and assist in monitoring and tracking overall progress of PMI plans and activities to ensure achievement of PMI goals and targets; and
• Provide programmatic support to the management of one or more contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements related to vector control.

REQUIRED SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
The contractor must have:
• Advanced degree in medical entomology or related field with an emphasis on vector control;
• Minimum ten years of experience in vector control of malaria and other vector-borne diseases, including IRS and entomological surveillance for mosquito-borne diseases;
• Ability to work effectively with a broad range of USG personnel and partners, and in a team environment;
• Ability to communicate complex technical information to a wide range of audiences;
• Experience in entomologic data analysis and interpretation;
• Demonstrated project management and problem solving expertise, and experience working on complex projects in highly sensitive environments;
• Experience living/working in a developing country is preferred;
• Computer skills in MS Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook, and Access;
• English fluency required;
• Willingness and ability to travel internationally up to 20% of the year; and
• US Citizenship or US Permanent Residency required

This is an opportunity for employment or a contract, but we reserve the right to make no selection or award.

CAMRIS International and IAP World Services Inc. offer competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits. Please submit your resume online at www.camris.com.

CAMRIS and IAP are Equal Opportunity Employers EOE M/F/D/V

How to apply:

Submit resume at www.camris.com.