HIV Medical Activity Manager

Work Location: Khayelitsha, Western Cape

Duration: 12 months

Start date: As soon as possible

Reports to: Project coordinator (PC)

CONTEXT

South Africa’s health, humanitarian, and socio-economic problems are characterized by extreme inequalities and misdistribution of resources. Thirteen per cent of the population lives in “first world” conditions, while nearly 50% live in poverty, characterized by poor housing and limited access to basic services, such as water, sanitation, electricity and primary education. Worldwide, South Africa has the highest number of people living with HIV – at 7.1 million – and the largest antiretroviral therapy programme, the highest incidence of tuberculosis – with an increasing drug resistant TB epidemic.

MSF currently runs 4 projects in South Africa: 1. Piloting innovative models of care towards increased testing, linking, successfully treating (undetectable) and retaining people with HIV/TB, including DR-TB, in Khayelitsha; 2. Reducing HIV and TB incidence, morbidity and mortality via combination prevention in Eshowe; 3. Responding to Sexual & Gender Based Violence within a Large Migrant Population in Rustenburg, 4.Responding to mental health issues in the migrant population in Tshwane. In addition to medical service delivery, MSF conducts operational research, training and mentoring, and advocacy towards policy change in the areas of HIV, TB, sexual violence, vulnerable migrants, and patent law reform in South Africa.

Based in Khayelitsha: Defining, coordinating and monitoring the medical activities and pilots/studies under his/her responsibility according to MSF protocols, standards and procedures in order to ensure the delivery of quality medical care for patients and their communities through best practices, as well as to improve the health condition of the target population through the implementation of novel pilots that aim to inform or change policy in and outside of our project boundaries.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Medical doctor. Desirable specialization or training in Public Health, HIV or Infectious diseases related studies.
• Current registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA)
• Essential 2 year working experience related to the diploma/degree and
• Essential 2 years working experience related to operational research on HIV related programs
• Recommended previous experience in MSF (or similar NGO) in the field
• Essential computer literacy (excellent word, power point, excel and internet level, STATA or other statistical software knowledge desirable)
• Languages: English (fluent, spoken / written) isiXhosa (advantageous)
• Competencies: Strategic Vision, Leadership, People Management and Development, Service Orientation, Teamwork and Cooperation
• South African citizen or holder of a valid South African work permit is a must

PRINCIPLE ACTIVITIES and RESPONSIBILITIES:

· Coordinating, assessing and supervising the proper functioning of the medical activities (PMTCT, HIV, PrEP, STIs), according to MSF protocols, standards and procedures and through the correct and sounded compilation and analysis of medical data regarding patients’ health conditions.

· Participating in the definition of annual planning and budget for the project as well as in the follow up of the programs/ project.

· Supervising and ensuring that medical activities objectives under his/her responsibility are achieved, reporting to the line manager any problem arising in the service.

· Checking that all procedures related to pilot follow ups (SOPs compliance, monitoring and evaluation system, quality of medical care) are carried out correctly and according to MSF procedures.

· Ensuring an efficient pharmacy management and monitoring whereby dispensing of medication is part of the intervention under their responsibility. ).

· Supervising the appropriate use of medical devices and anticipating future needs (drug forecasting).

· Preparing the medical orders needed to implement the medical activities under his/her responsibility.

· Coordinating and monitoring the daily working plan of the team directly under his/her responsibility (absent personnel, vacations, tracking leaves …).

· Planning and supervising, in close coordination with the HR department, the associated processes (recruitment, training, performance evaluation, development and internal communication) of the staff under his/her responsibility in order to improve staff capabilities and to ensure both the sizing and the amount of knowledge required.

· Participating in the monthly and quarterly reports according to guidelines (i.e. SitReps, medical statistical reports, etc.).

TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: PROJECT SPECIFIC

• Coordinate and supervise the proper functioning of the following intervention/pilots: Maternal and Child Health (Post Natal Clubs scale-up), PreP, Community Youth Clubs dissemination and POC STI study in collaboration with NICD; ensuring all objectives are achieved as per logframe in collaboration with the PC when support and guidance is needed.
• Participate in the production and follow up of operational research questions, protocol development, and writing of SOPs as per MSF stipulated standards for the programs above, assuring that all those are being followed according to best working practices (medical, ethical and managerial).
• Supervise and coordinate epidemiological support (through the Epidemiologist) to the above activities, to assure proper monitoring and evaluation is achieved allowing optimal documentation of the pilots. Good understanding of data sets of each pilot is required to give support to the epidemiologist.
• Active participation in the writing of abstracts, manuscripts, posters, toolkits or various reports in order to disseminate our lessons learnt and description of our field experience regarding the programs above in collaboration with epidemiologist, technical referents and PC.
• Ensure minimum standards of pharmacy monitoring (drug dispensing) through the use of MSF standardized tools is happening within our pilots (PrEP Study).
• Preparing or supporting the preparation of the medical and non-medical orders (IRs) needed to implement the medical activities based on program budget and updated forecasts, referring to line manager and supportive departments (material, infrastructure, transport, etc.)
• Coordinating and monitoring routine administrative procedures of the team working plan of the team under his/her responsibility (human resources related), with the support of PC and HR department through the use of the MSF tools.
• Active participation in the annual revision of operations in collaboration with the PC, coordination team and technical referents (SAMU) to formulate an annual program proposal (including budget).
• Representation of MSF (related to the above programs) in various forums (HAST Policy Meeting, Provincial Forums, national forums (when delegated by coordination), international forums (conferences, technical working groups, etc) and internal MSF forums (within coordination and medical department) in collaboration/consultation with PC.
• Participation in various team meetings bringing leadership to team members, to ensure efficient communication and sharing is achieved in her/his department. Ensure that all team members have a common strategic vision of the program objectives and the means to achieve them. Monthly meetings with the Project Management team and programmatic meeting with PC are also required on a routine basis.