Technical Officer

Job Title : Technical Officer

Reporting To : Senior Technical Officer

Location : Harare

Type Of Contract: Fixed Term Contract

About Ophid

Under the TASQC TB Treatment Access and Prevention (TASQC – TB -TAP), the Technical Officer (TO) will be a key member of the program team and provide technical support and guidance on good practices in TB case detection, treatment and quality service delivery, specifically focused on children and vulnerable populations. The Technical Officer will look at strategies to integrate TB screening within NCDs detection (including diabetes, hypertension, mental health, and cancers) and any other programming within public health services. The TO will support systematic TB screening efforts, especially in underserved and high-risk populations, and utilize innovative tools such as CAD/AI systems to enhance TB detection. The Technical Officer (TO) will support program management, provide coaching and mentorship to district teams. The TO will advise and make recommendations on interventions that will lead to improved program performance.

Key Responsibilities

Provide technical assistance to provincial and district health teams in TB diagnosis, treatment, and management according to the latest national guidelines; Assist in rolling out the latest TB screening and diagnostic tools, including radiological and WHO approved molecular diagnostic methods; Support capacity building initiatives, including training healthcare providers on new TB treatment protocols, TB-HIV co-management, and drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) management; Support quality improvement initiatives at both facility and community level using the Models for Quality Improvement, PDSA cycle or Total Quality Management (5S-Kaizen-TQM); Conducting Internal SIMS visits to health facilities and health posts to ensure that the quality-of-service provision is in line with the donors’ expectations; Collaborate with public and private healthcare sectors to enhance TB detection and case management through Public-Private Mix (PPM) strategies; Contribute to the development and updating of operational plans, ensuring alignment with national and international TB goals; To participate in technical working group meetings and contribute to the advancement of the TB programme; Work with the province and districts to adopt, implement and monitor national strategies for TB and TB/HIV management (IPT/TPT, GXP testing, TB algorithms etc) to achieve targets; Support health facilities in implementing appropriate systems (pre-identification of patients eligible for TPT, TB screening, sputum/CXR results management) that promote scale up of TPT and TB treatment; Support the operationalization on the use of CAD and AI systems to screen for TB in all settings; Forge strong relationships with CSOs, community health workers (CHWs), and community leaders to promote TB screening and ensure access for key and vulnerable populations.

Person Specification

MBChB or equivalent; A Master of Public Health or any related field is an added advantage; At least 3 years’ experience in public health; Demonstrable technical and clinical knowledge in TB Case Management, DRTB Management, Making Sense of TB Data, Childhood TB, HIV/TB collaboration, Quality Improvement; Experience in program monitoring and evaluation, particularly in the use of electronic health systems like DHIS2, is highly desirable; Ability to work independently and as a team player; Good communicator with sound interpersonal skills with the ability to establish and maintain relationships with various MOHCC stakeholders; Proficiency in MS Office suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook), and online collaboration technologies.

Deadline: 1600 hours, 24 October 2024.