The USAID/South Africa (SA) Health Office (HO) manages one of the largest President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) programs in the world. The Health and HIV/AIDS portfolio covers a broad range of health topics, including HIV Treatment, Care, Voluntary Counseling and Testing, Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission, Tuberculosis/HIV, HIV Prevention, Orphans and Vulnerable Children programs, and Health Systems Strengthening investments. An estimated 80% of the USAID/South Africa portfolio is implemented through local organizations. These partners are tasked with reaching ambitious targets so that South Africa can reach HIV epidemic control. This requires USAID and its implementing partners to advocate for strong national health policies, quickly adapt to changing data trends, and adopt reflexive technical and organizational reforms.

 

Within the Health Office, the Strategic Information (SI) team is responsible for the collection, analyses, visualization, and utilization of data. The Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) team is responsible for providing technical guidance and oversight for the development, implementation, and evaluation of activities related to health information systems, supply chain, health financing, and building human resource capacity.

 

The Data Science Specialist will serve as a key advisor within the SI team and will collaborate with the HSS team to provide technical assistance to the HO, implementing partners, Department of Health, and other collaborating partners in the evaluation, improvement, and harmonization (where appropriate) of various health management information systems in use by the above-mentioned entities. PEPFAR 3.0 states that doing the right things means improving site monitoring, strengthening program quality, and scaling-up core interventions. In line with PEPFAR, USAID is dedicated to using quality data—budget data and results data—to focus resources geographically and programmatically to save lives and prevent the spread of HIV. USAID will do this by triangulating more granular data on cost, performance, and quality to identify outliers, improve partner management and replicate best practices and most efficient models/service packages.

 

 

•      Perform complex data analyses related to the USAID SI portfolio, and make programmatic recommendations based on findings.

•      Provide leadership and technical expertise in conducting advanced analytics to better inform HIV/health programming through complex relationships with and between PEPFAR Measurement, Evaluation, and Research data and country-specific or survey data.

•      Acquire, process, manage, and analyze data from a range of sources for improved decision making.

•      Rapidly conceptualize and respond to health and development data requests from a variety of actors.

•      Prepare professional quality data visualizations for use by USAID, USAID implementing partners, South African government, and other external stakeholders.

•      Train and mentor USAID, USAID implementing partners, and South African government staff in data analytics.

•      Prepare data requirements for the PEPFAR Country Operational Plan for health system strengthening activities, quarterly/semi-annual/annual performance reports (e.g., data completeness checks), and other routine PEPFAR processes.

•      Collaborate with USAID, USAID implementing partners, South African government, and other external stakeholders on special data analytics projects for monitoring, evaluations, research, and learning.

•      Participate in the U.S. Government Inter-Agency Strategic Information Technical Working Group. Establish and maintain close working relationships and technically represent USAID to all levels of staff at relevant USAID operating units, South African government, implementing partners, the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator (including the Inter-Agency Collaborative for Program Improvement), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Embassy Pretoria and other agencies.

 

•      Advise USAID and USAID implementing partners during the design and re-design of information systems.

•      Provide technical oversight and professional review of USAID HSS partner activities that leverage data analytics, machine learning, and predictive analytics.

•      Serve as technical and subject matter authority in the management of data and analytics requirements, policies, procedures, and tools to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of quality data.

•      Facilitate discussion among key USAID staff and partners to articulate a vision and plan for integrating data science into planning, delivering, and assessing health and development programs.

•      Participate in the negotiation of data-user agreements with the South African government and other external stakeholders.

 

•      Act as Contracting Officer’s Representative and/or Agreement Officer’s Representative (COR/AOR) for contracts and/or agreements in the USAID/Southern Africa health portfolio, including management of budgets as well as administrative, financial, and technical management and oversight of contracts and agreements.

•      Represent USAID to external organizations and audiences at key professional meetings and conferences as assigned.

•      Represent USAID on donor committees and South African government working groups.

•      Participate in the strategic design and procurement of PEPFAR activities.

•      Lead the design of special studies and evaluations.

•      Implement interventions to leverage technology and innovation to improve data analytics and advance an AIDS-free generation.

•      Establish innovative partnerships and linkages with multilateral and bilateral donors, foundations, and/or corporations to strengthen programmatic linkages.

•      Oversee compliance of USAID/South Africa health and HIV programs with South African government and U.S. Government policies and guidelines.

•      Prepare guidance for PEPFAR implementing partners related to data capture, storage, curation, transfer/entry, and quality.

•      Participate and lead Site Improvement through Monitoring System (SIMS) visits to facility, community, and above-site sites.

•      Domestic travel approximately 10-15%. 

 

 

·       Job Knowledge:  Clear understanding of information and data management required.

Knowledge of USG, donor, multilateral organization or similar policies, procedures, and reporting requirements. Knowledge of epidemiology and HIV and TB service delivery data elements required. Advanced knowledge of R, Python, SQL or similar statistical software and programing language is required. Advanced knowledge of Tableau, Power BI, or a similar business intelligence tool is required. Knowledge of database and information system design required.

 

·       Skills and Abilities: The ability to operate independently with limited direct supervision of day-to-day activities is required. Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team is also required. Advanced analytic skills required. Ability to present the findings from complex data analyses to programmatic staff and leadership in easy to use and interpretable formats is required. Ability to prepare written material in a clear manner and according to professional standards is also required. The ability to orientate, train and guide staff, when appropriate. Strong organizational, communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to work within a large cross-cultural team of healthcare technical advisors, program managers and other staff from different USG agencies (USAID, CDC, DOD, DOS, and Peace Corps) are also required. Ability to travel is required.

 

·       Post Entry Training: The Specialist will be required to undergo USAID training in Programing Foreign Assistance, Project Design and Management, and maintain a COR/AOR certification.

 

·       Supervision Received: Supervised by Data Analytics and Use Team Lead.

 

·       Supervision Exercised: The supervision of other staff is not contemplated.

 

 

The Government may award a contract without discussions with offerors in accordance with FAR 52.215-1. The CO reserves the right at any point in the evaluation process to establish a competitive range of offerors with whom negotiations will be conducted pursuant to FAR 15.306(c). In accordance with FAR 52.215-1, if the CO determines that the number of offers that would otherwise be in the competitive range exceeds the number at which an efficient competition can be conducted, the CO may limit the number of offerors in the competitive range to the greatest number that will permit an efficient competition among the most highly rated offers. The FAR provisions referenced above are available at https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far.

 

The following factors, and points for each, will be the basis for the evaluation of applications meeting the required minimum qualifications. All applications will be evaluated based on the documentation submitted with the application. USAID reserves the right to contact your previous employers for relevant information concerning your performance and may consider such information in its evaluation.

1.     Work Experience (30 points) 

2.     Job Knowledge (40 points)

3.     Abilities and Skills (20 points) 

4.     Education (10 points)

 

• All interested and eligible candidates should visit http://usaid.ci.hr to apply. Applicants with P-net accounts can log-in from the above website to apply and first-time users will be required to register on the site before they can apply.  

• Kindly note that when you apply via cellphone you are not able to complete the required questionnaire. And if you do not complete the required questionnaire for the position, you will automatically be eliminated from further review.

• For an application to be considered complete, please include a high-quality cover letter, explaining why you are qualified for the position and a CV of no more than 4 pages.  Failure to comply with these instructions may result in your application being considered “non-responsive” and eliminated from further consideration. 

• Offers must be received by the closing date and time specified in Section I.

• To ensure consideration of offers for the intended position, Offerors must prominently reference the Solicitation number in the offer submission.

• The U.S. Mission in South Africa provides opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status or sexual orientation. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) also strives to ensure equal employment opportunity in all personnel operations.

• Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. Applicants who do not follow the application instructions may be dropped from further consideration.

This position is open to South African citizens and South African permanent resident permit holders. USAID Southern Africa management will consider nepotism/conflict of interest, budget, need for continuity, and residency status in determining successful applications. Current USG employees on probationary status (i.e., within their first year of employment) are not eligible to apply.

 

The EEO complaint procedure is not available to individuals who believe they have been denied equal opportunity based upon marital status or political affiliation. Individuals with such complaints should avail themselves of the appropriate grievance procedures, remedies

for prohibited personnel practices, and/or courts for relief.

 

References:

 

Three (3) references, who are not family members or relatives, with working telephone and e-mail contacts. The references must be able to provide substantive information about your past performance and abilities. USAID reserves the right to contact your previous employers for relevant information concerning your performance and may consider such information in its evaluation of the application.

 

This position will be compensated in accordance with the U.S. Mission for South Africa’s Local Compensation Plan (LCP). The successful candidate’s salary level will be based on prior job-related experience and salary history.

 

Once the Contracting Officer informs the successful Offeror about being selected for a contract      award, the CO will provide the successful Offeror instructions about how to complete and submit the forms.

 

           The plan includes basic salary, miscellaneous allowance, pension fund and medical aid subsidy.

 

TAXES

Every CCNPSC staff member in the Mission regardless of agency affiliation is required as a     condition of employment, to pay their taxes to the South African Government.

 

USAID regulations and policies governing CCNPSC awards are available at these sources:

 

1.      USAID Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR), Appendix J, “Direct USAID Contracts With a Cooperating Country National and with a Third Country National for Personal Services Abroad,” including contract clause “General Provisions,” available at https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/aidar_0.pdf

2.      Contract Cover Page form AID 309-1 available at https://www.usaid.gov/forms will be used for this contract.

3.      Acquisition and Assistance Policy Directives/Contract Information Bulletins (AAPDs/CIBs) for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals available at http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/aapds-cibs .

4.      Ethical Conduct. By the acceptance of a USAID personal services contract as an individual, the contractor will be acknowledging receipt of the “Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch,” available from the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, in accordance with General Provision 2 and 5 CFR 2635. See https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/OGE Regulations .

Education: Master’s degree in biostatistics, health, business intelligence, computer science, monitoring and evaluation or a related field is required.

 

Prior Work Experience: Minimum of 7 years experience in biostatistics, data analytics, or monitoring and evaluation. Preference given to candidates with experience in machine learning, predictive analytics and PEPFAR/South Africa implementing partner experience. 

Language Proficiency: Level IV (fluent) English in writing, speaking and listening ability is required.