The purpose of the USAID NextGen Ugavi Bora, Afya Bora activity is to strengthen Tanzania’s public health supply chain and pharmaceutical services to ensure sustainable access to and appropriate use of safe, effective, quality-assured, affordable health commodities. USAID NextGen Ugavi Bora, Afya Bora activity must work to develop the capacity of local systems, institutions, and individuals to sustainably manage supply chains, for both USAID-procured health commodities and those procured through national/local systems, and to strengthen local pharmaceutical management systems, including quality pharmaceutical services and national regulatory systems
The Systems Strengthening Team Lead will provide strategic, operational and technical leadership related to demand planning; identify and encourage the adoption of leading practices for quantification, forecasting and supply planning; mentor and build the skills of relevant stakeholders within the Government of Tanzania (MoH) to forecast demand, and monitor supply plans that will determine the availability of HIV/AIDS, Laboratory, Malaria, MNCH, FP, TB, essential medicines and NTD commodities; and recommend interventions to improve commodity security.
Specific responsibilities will include, but not be limited to, the following:
• Provide technical subject matter expertise on all areas related to demand planning:
• Assisting PSU and MSD in conducting national essential medicines quantifications, including support of the bottom up quantification process
• Providing expert technical assistance in forecasting of commodity needs for vertical programs (HIV/AIDS, Laboratory, Malaria, MNCH, FP, TB, NTD) and essential medicines.
• Coaching stakeholders from the MoH to review and analyze supply chain implications of product selection and changes in testing, treatment, and care guidelines, and adjust supply plans accordingly.
• Providing guidance to estimate the cost of required commodities.
• Assisting partners in identifying financial resources to meet commodity financing needs.
• Coaching the MoH to perform pipeline analyses and monitor in-country supply levels.
• Highlighting potential supply plan challenges, and developing recommendations to address those challenges
• Identify opportunities to improve the quality of data that informs quantification exercises.
• Ensure timely submissions of supply plans to the PSA for all program commodity groups that the USAID Ugavi Bora, Afya Bora activity supports.
• Participate in routine communications with the PSA, and highlight issues that should be brought to national programs for decision making.
• Oversee the annual work planning process and provide inputs to the operations team to budget for demand planning activities including meetings, training, and other activities.
• Identify lessons learned, best practices, and success stories
• Complete and submit timely written technical and trip reports.
• Prepare presentations, participate and/or represent the project in stakeholder meetings.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS
Applicants for this position should be Tanzanian nationals or lawful residents who possess the following minimum qualifications:
• Higher qualification in Laboratory technology, Pharmacy, Medical Doctor or other Public Health professions
• Demonstrated experience leading national quantifications for malaria, family planning (FP), HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH)
• Experience in and knowledge of leading practices related to strategic planning, strategic plan implementation, logistics/supply chain management and or public health commodities management desirable.
• Experience working with the Government of Tanzania and other NGOs preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal English.
• Ability to prepare and present information related to commodity availability
• Ability to coach and mentor public sector stakeholders to develop strategies and manage implementation of projects.
• Ability to work independently.
• Previous work experience with USAID-funded projects is desirable.
• Proficiency in common computer packages (eg. Word, PowerPoint, Excel) relevant to the work.
• Team player.
• Able to travel for an extended period of time in-country to support technical activities.
• Able to travel internationally to attend training and conferences as needed.
