Purpose of Job
The Regional Coordinator – Technical Programs serves as a senior technical authority, tasked with overseeing and directing Africa CDC’s central technical programs and initiatives from the Regional Coordinating Centre. This role delivers advanced technical leadership, facilitates the unified execution of Africa CDC strategies across Member States, and ensures cohesive integration of surveillance, laboratory systems, preparedness and response efforts, and workforce development initiatives at the regional level.
The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in advancing the Africa Health Security and Sovereignty Agenda (AHS) pillars—including digital health, Public Financial Management, and the Supply Chain/African Pooled Procurement Mechanism (PPM)—across Member States within the Regional Coordination Centre (RCC).
The role reports directly to RCC Leadership and collaborates closely with technical divisions at Africa CDC Headquarters.
Oversee key operational duties including planning, organizing, and executing project tasks to ensure alignment with organizational objectives. Monitor workflows, assess performance metrics, and implement corrective measures as necessary to maintain efficiency. Lead cross-functional teams, fostering collaboration and accountability to achieve collective goals. Develop and refine processes to enhance productivity, while ensuring compliance with industry standards and internal policies. Prepare and present detailed reports to stakeholders, highlighting progress, challenges, and strategic recommendations for continuous improvement.
The Regional Coordinator will be responsible for overseeing operations across designated regions, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and compliance with established policies. This role requires a minimum of five years of relevant experience, strong leadership capabilities, and exceptional communication skills to effectively manage cross-functional teams. Key duties include developing and implementing regional strategies, monitoring performance metrics, fostering stakeholder relationships, and resolving operational challenges. The ideal candidate will possess a bachelor’s degree in business administration or a related field, proficiency in data analysis tools, and a proven track record in project management. Additionally, the ability to travel frequently and adapt to dynamic environments is essential.
Providing technical leadership and strategic direction, this role involves overseeing technical initiatives, mentoring teams, and aligning technology solutions with organizational goals. Responsibilities include defining best practices, driving innovation, and ensuring scalable and robust system architectures. Additionally, the position requires collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders to prioritize projects and allocate resources effectively. Candidates must possess extensive technical expertise, strong communication skills, and a proven track record of leading high-performing engineering teams.
Translate Africa CDC’s continental strategies, frameworks, and guidelines into actionable regional technical implementation plans and standard operating procedures, ensuring alignment with continental objectives and regional priorities.
Deliver specialized technical guidance to RCC leadership and Member States concerning surveillance, laboratory systems, emergency preparedness and response, antimicrobial resistance, and priority disease control.
Conduct thorough technical evaluations, including situation analyses, risk assessments, and gap analyses, to shape regional strategic priorities and justify investment decisions.
Surveillance, Laboratory, and Information Systems encompass the critical infrastructure for monitoring, analysis, and data management across various sectors. These systems are designed to collect, process, and interpret data from diverse sources, ensuring accurate and timely insights for decision-making. Surveillance systems track and analyze activities to detect anomalies or threats, while laboratory systems facilitate precise testing and experimentation. Information systems integrate and manage data, enabling seamless communication and operational efficiency. Together, they support compliance, enhance security, and drive innovation in fields such as healthcare, public safety, and research.
Collaborate on the development, execution, and enhancement of integrated disease surveillance and response (IDs) systems, alongside event-based surveillance initiatives across the region.
Facilitate the development and optimization of regional laboratory networks, reference laboratories, and quality management systems to enhance overall performance and operational standards.
Drive adoption of digital health solutions, data integration platforms, and interoperability frameworks to enable seamless real-time data collection, analysis, and visualization.
Produce and disseminate high-quality epidemiological reports, bulletins, and risk assessments on a consistent basis.
In this role, you will play a pivotal part in developing and implementing robust emergency preparedness and response strategies to ensure the organization’s readiness for potential crises. Your responsibilities will include assessing vulnerabilities, creating comprehensive emergency plans, and conducting regular drills to validate their effectiveness. Additionally, you will coordinate with internal teams and external stakeholders to foster a culture of safety and resilience. You should possess strong analytical skills, experience in crisis management, and the ability to communicate clearly under pressure. Familiarity with regulatory compliance and risk assessment frameworks is also required to maintain alignment with industry standards.
Assist in the creation, evaluation, and refinement of regional and national emergency preparedness and response plans for multiple hazards, ensuring alignment with the International Health Regulations (IHR, 2005) and Africa CDC guidelines.
Coordinate technical aspects of regional emergency operations, encompassing risk assessment, incident management, surge deployment, field investigation, and after-action reviews.
Assist in sustaining and enhancing the operational readiness and preparedness of regional rapid response teams as well as the public health emergency workforce.
Maintain a comprehensive regional outbreak readiness dashboard that tracks essential elements such as surveillance signals, laboratory capacity, workforce availability, emergency operations’ capacity, stockpiles, and surge readiness.
Provide timely assistance in activating RCC technical support during outbreaks and public health emergencies to ensure swift response and effective resolution.
Collaborate with Member States, Regional Economic Communities (RCS), National Public Health Institutes (APHIS), and other key partners to synchronize cross-border preparedness and response initiatives.
Facilitate structured after-action reviews, conduct intra-action evaluations, coordinate simulation exercises, and oversee the implementation of corrective action plans to ensure continuous improvement and operational effectiveness.
Maintain a comprehensive regional outbreak readiness dashboard that monitors surveillance indicators, laboratory capabilities, workforce availability, emergency operations’ preparedness, stockpile levels, and surge capacity.
Provide swift deployment of RCC technical support in response to outbreaks and public health emergencies.
Collaborate with Member States, Regional Economic Communities (RCS), National Public Health Institutes (APHIS), and key partners to enhance cross-border preparedness and response efforts.
Facilitate post-incident evaluations, in-progress assessments, simulation drills, and the execution of remedial action strategies.
We are seeking to enhance organizational capabilities and empower employees through targeted capacity building and workforce development initiatives. The ideal candidate will design and implement training programs that elevate team performance and drive professional growth. Responsibilities include assessing skills gaps, creating customized learning solutions, and measuring the impact of development efforts. Requirements encompass expertise in instructional design, strong project management skills, and a proven ability to foster a culture of continuous learning.
Oversee the technical design and execution of regional training initiatives, such as Field Epidemiology Training Programs (FTP), laboratory training, IPC, and emergency management.
Facilitate the adoption and integration of ongoing professional development and competency-focused training initiatives by Member States, ensuring alignment with Africa CDC frameworks.
Leverage technical mentorship, twinning initiatives, and South-South collaboration to strengthen partnerships between national public health institutes (APHIS) and laboratories.
Program management, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and quality assurance are integral components of this role, ensuring the effective oversight, assessment, and enhancement of project performance and outcomes. Key responsibilities include developing and implementing robust monitoring frameworks to track progress against set objectives, conducting regular evaluations to measure impact and identify areas for improvement, and maintaining rigorous quality assurance processes to uphold standards and compliance. The ideal candidate will possess strong analytical skills to interpret data and generate actionable insights, along with meticulous attention to detail to ensure accuracy in reporting and documentation. Proficiency in M&E tools and methodologies, as well as a deep understanding of quality assurance principles, are essential to drive continuous improvement and accountability within the program.
Oversee the technical planning, implementation, and evaluation of RCC programs, ensuring results-based management and robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks are established and maintained.
Establish and implement technical standards, metrics, and performance dashboards while maintaining rigorous quality assurance processes for all technical deliverables generated by the RCC.
Prepare technical reports, donor reports, and documentation of best practices and lessons learned to ensure comprehensive and insightful reporting.
Technical Coordination and Partnerships entails fostering collaborative relationships and ensuring seamless project execution through strategic oversight. This role involves liaising with cross-functional teams, stakeholders, and external partners to align technical objectives with organizational goals. Responsibilities include managing partnerships, resolving interdepartmental challenges, and facilitating communication to drive efficiency and innovation. The position requires strong interpersonal skills, problem-solving abilities, and a keen understanding of technical workflows to enhance operational cohesion and deliver measurable results.
Act as the primary technical liaison for the RCC, collaborating with National Public Health Institutes (APHIS), Ministries of Health, Regional Economic Communities (RCS), WHO and UN entities, academic institutions, and implementation partners.
Coordinate regional technical working groups and communities of practice spanning surveillance, laboratory systems, emergency preparedness, and other key thematic domains.
Contribute technical expertise to regional policy dialogues, frameworks, and guidelines developed through collaborative initiatives involving Africa CDC, the African Union (AU), or strategic partners.
Resource Mobilization and Innovation (Technical Focus) involves securing and optimizing funding, partnerships, and technical resources to advance organizational goals. This role requires expertise in grant writing, fundraising strategies, and leveraging cutting-edge technologies to drive innovation. Responsibilities include identifying funding opportunities, cultivating donor relationships, and designing innovative solutions to enhance resource efficiency. Candidates must possess strong analytical skills, proficiency in data-driven decision-making, and the ability to translate complex technical concepts into actionable strategies. A background in project management, financial acumen, and experience with digital tools is essential.
Contribute technical expertise to the development of concept notes, project proposals, and investment cases aimed at enhancing regional public health systems.
Evaluate and advocate for cutting-edge tools, technologies, and methodologies designed to enhance surveillance systems, diagnostic capabilities, data utilization, and emergency response operations.
Deliver assistance to country pillar leads in executing their responsibilities.
Execute any additional responsibilities as directed by the RCC Leadership.
Digital Health and Innovation is dedicated to advancing cutting-edge solutions that integrate technology with healthcare to enhance patient outcomes and operational efficiency. The team focuses on developing, implementing, and optimizing digital tools, platforms, and applications that streamline workflows, improve data management, and foster seamless communication across healthcare systems. Collaboration with cross-functional stakeholders, including clinicians, IT specialists, and business leaders, is essential to ensure these innovations align with clinical needs and organizational objectives. Candidates should possess a strong background in digital health technologies, a passion for transforming healthcare delivery, and the ability to drive impactful change through scalable solutions.
Serve as the primary regional contact for the Africa CDC Digital Health and Innovation agenda within the RCC.
Assist Member States in the development, deployment, and expansion of digital health solutions tailored for surveillance, laboratory management, patient case tracking, community-based reporting, workforce training, and remote mentoring initiatives.
Drive the harmonization of digital systems—including surveillance, laboratory, civil registration, and health management information systems—through the adoption and implementation of recognized regional and continental standards.
Identify, implement, and assess cutting-edge digital solutions—such as mobile applications, geographic information systems (GIS), AI-driven analytics, remote sensing technologies, and digital training platforms—to effectively tackle critical public health issues.
Develop regional capabilities in digital health—including training on data science, epidemiological modeling, GIS, and digital platforms—in partnership with National Public Health Institutes (APHIS), academic institutions, and Africa CDC Headquarters.
Collaborate with regional communities of practice in the realm of digital health to foster peer-to-peer learning and the exchange of best practices.
Assist in formulating and executing regional digital health strategies, frameworks, and investment proposals, ensuring alignment with African Union (AU) and international digital health initiatives.
Ensure the ethical implementation of digital technologies, with a focus on safeguarding data privacy, promoting fairness and inclusivity, and addressing gender-related considerations.
Execute any additional tasks as directed by the RCC Leadership team.
Seeking candidates with a strong academic foundation and applicable professional experience in the relevant field. Ideal applicants should possess a degree from an accredited institution, demonstrating specialized knowledge pertinent to the role. Additionally, prior work experience in a comparable capacity is required to ensure readiness for the responsibilities associated with this position.
A Master’s Degree in Public Health, Epidemiology, Infectious Diseases, Laboratory Sciences, Health Security, Pharmacy, or a related field is required, along with a minimum of 10 years of hands-on experience in public health practice—specifically in infectious disease epidemiology, monitoring, and surveillance. Of these, at least six years must be in an expert-level capacity, and three years should have been served in a supervisory position.
Or
A Bachelor’s degree or higher in Public Health, Epidemiology, Infectious Diseases, Laboratory Sciences, Health Security, Pharmacy, M.D., or a closely related field is required, along with a minimum of 12 years of professional experience in public health practice. This experience must include a strong focus on infectious disease epidemiology, monitoring, and surveillance. Of this tenure, at least six years should be dedicated to serving as an expert in the field, and three years must involve holding a supervisory position.
Demonstrated expertise in spearheading and overseeing intricate projects spanning diverse international locations and industries.
Exceptional ability to cultivate and maintain productive partnerships, fostering collaboration across diverse stakeholders.
Demonstrates practical, hands-on expertise in the following areas:
Conducting thorough outbreak investigations and implementing effective responses to public health emergencies, or managing operational aspects of public health emergency preparedness and response initiatives.
Professional Rewrite:
Develop and deploy surveillance systems utilizing both indicator-based and event-driven methodologies.
Enhancing the capacity of public health and laboratory systems in low- and middle-income countries remains a critical focus. This involves bolstering infrastructure, improving diagnostic capabilities, and fostering sustainable frameworks to address emerging health challenges effectively.
Professional candidates should possess prior collaboration with National Public Health Institutes (APHIS), Ministries of Health, or regional and international public health organizations, such as the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, or Regional Economic Communities.
Individuals should possess expertise in designing programs, implementing monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks, and developing comprehensive technical guidelines and tools to support project implementation and decision-making processes.
Proven leadership experience in technical or public health programs, either in a supervisory capacity or as a team lead, is required.
Proficient expertise in [specific skill 1], [specific skill 2], and [specific skill 3] is essential for this role. Candidates must demonstrate strong proficiency in [specific skill 4] and [specific skill 5], along with the ability to effectively utilize [specific tool/technology 1] and [specific tool/technology 2]. Additionally, familiarity with [specific industry concept or method] is highly beneficial. The ideal applicant will exhibit exceptional problem-solving capabilities, meticulous attention to detail, and the capacity to work both independently and collaboratively within a team environment.
Proactively identifies and leverages key competencies and specialized skills to drive performance and innovation. Demonstrates proficiency in technical expertise, problem-solving, and adaptability across dynamic environments. Exhibits strong communication, collaboration, and leadership capabilities to foster team synergy and achieve organizational objectives. Maintains a commitment to continuous learning, staying current with industry trends and best practices to enhance professional effectiveness.
Proven proficiency in epidemiology, infectious disease control, health security, and laboratory systems is essential.
Proven expertise in Africa’s public health systems, encompassing the International Health Regulations (2005), the Global Health Security Agenda, the One Health initiative, and regional disease surveillance frameworks.
Demonstrated proficiency in analyzing and applying epidemiological and laboratory data to inform decision-making processes is essential.
Exceptional expertise in strategic planning, organizational acumen, and project management, enabling seamless oversight of multiple technical initiatives simultaneously.
Strong proficiency in both written and verbal communication is essential, encompassing the development of technical reports, guidelines, and scientific presentations.
Proven capability to collaborate productively within diverse teams spanning multiple cultures and disciplines, particularly in challenging emergency environments.
Proven track record in overseeing programs that involve coordination with diverse stakeholders and international teams across multiple regions.
Proven ability to engage effectively with stakeholders and decision-makers, whether in technical or other professional contexts, demonstrating strong diplomatic acumen, representational finesse, interpersonal competence, and clear communication skills.
Proven expertise in project planning and management, encompassing the organization, planning, and execution of projects from initial conception to final implementation.
Proficient in converting intricate technical details into clear, engaging presentations, briefings, and reports, as well as compelling funding proposals tailored for both specialized and general audiences.
Proficient in computer applications, with strong word-processing skills, adept use of email and internet tools, and extensive experience in office software suites, including Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
Applicants should demonstrate fluency in at least one of the African Union’s official languages, including Arabic, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Swahili. Proficiency in one or more additional AU working languages will be considered a valuable asset.
Qualifications
BA/BSc/HND , MBA/MSc/MA
Experience Required
10 years
