Senior HIV Advisor, DOS LEAP Global - Cote d'Ivoire

Who We Are

ZemiTek, LLC is a Woman-Owned, SBA-certified 8(a) Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) based in the Washington, DC metro area. We have a strong record delivering innovative and high-quality solutions. Since 2007, ZemiTek has provided technical assistance, project management, information technology (IT), knowledge management, monitoring and evaluation, training and learning development, and institutional support services.

Position Description

Global Solutions Ventures (GSV) – a joint-venture partnership between ZemiTek, LLC and Dexis Consulting Group – is implementing the Long-term Exceptional Technical Assistance Project (LEAP Global), a mechanism originally used by USAID to battle against infectious diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, neglected tropical diseases, and pandemic influenza. As of July 1, 2025, LEAP Global transitioned to the U.S. Department of State (DOS). This initiative aims to address the complex human resource challenges faced by national infectious disease programs in the USA-supported countries.

The intervention of this project is to hire and embed technical expert advisors and subject matter experts within government entities. By directly embedding the technical expertise within the national programs, LEAP provides long-term, sustainable lifesaving support to empower host governments to lead and manage key aspects of their infectious disease portfolios and improve coordination between the U.S. Government and the host country.

About the Position

The Senior HIV Advisor will support the National HIV Program in carrying out life-saving humanitarian assistance (LHA) in full alignment with the new Presidential Executive Order (EO) directives. The primary focus of the Advisor will be technical leadership to ensure the successful implementation of cost-effective, lifesaving direct service delivery for HIV prevention, care, and treatment under the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The Advisor will ensure that HIV activities are implemented in alignment with the health MoU implementation plan and the America First Global Health Strategy (AFGHS), to achieve the metrics for the HIV indicators in the included in the MOU.

The Senior HIV Advisor will provide expert HIV technical guidance to Cote d’Ivoire’s National HIV Control Program (PNLS) in the design and management of in-country programs/projects/activities and in the development of host-country policies, reflecting best practices in HIV prevention, care, and treatment. The Advisor will identify programmatic bottlenecks and facilitate solutions through coordinated technical expertise in support of the cooperating Cote d’Ivoire ’s development objectives. The Senior HIV Advisor will be based within the PNLS and will work in collaboration with other donors such as Global Fund and relevant government entities to enhance the HIV response at both clinical and community level. The Advisor will receive day-to-day direction from the PNLS and report to the Office of Health Programs Office at the DOS at the US Embassy in Abidjan on a weekly and monthly basis.

Workd Location: Cote d'Ivoire

Responsibilities

Technical Leadership

Provide expert HIV technical guidance to advance planning, implementation, and monitoring of HIV prevention, care, and treatment interventions.

Support the development of national HIV program strategies, guidelines, and work plans.

Coordinate the design, planning, and implementation of HIV-related activities consistent with the U.S. government’s strategy and the host country’s national HIV strategy. This includes but is not limited to HIV testing services, antiretroviral therapy (ART), viral load suppression, prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT), pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for PGFW, procurement and delivery of life-saving commodities, and associate monitoring and surveillance to ensure accountability and track progress.

Collaborate with HIV program implementers to provide technical and managerial expertise to Regional Health Bureaus, Districts, and local communities to strengthen institutional capacity.

Support TB/HIV collaborative activities and integration with other diseases like Malaria, MCH and GHS.

Keep abreast of current developments and successful interventions via regular engagement with HIV experts (domestic and international) and Health Programs Office officials, ensuring proven strategies and interventions are integrated into national HIV programming.

Management of Program/Activity Implementation

Ensure that U.S. government resources are maximized toward achieving sustained results in HIV prevention, care, and treatment in line with U.S. government laws, regulations, policies, and procedures to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse.

Provide technical support to Department of State implementers and managerial support as needed during the planning, design, and implementation phases to ensure the quality of interventions and programmatic targets are met.

Recommend changes in strategic and/or implementation approaches, using analysis of program performance.

Work with partners (in-country and global, as relevant) to ensure that programmatic commodities are purchased in a timely and cost-effective manner. Participate in forecasting and quantification meetings to inform HIV commodity quantifications that will guide donor procurements.

Provide expert advice and practical experience in helping the MOH and other partners monitor inputs, outputs, and outcomes, and report on the program’s overall impact.

Support the MOH and other partners to update and maintain a monitoring and evaluation plan to be implemented through existing MOH systems and existing U.S. government-supported mechanisms. Conduct monitoring and evaluation visits to implementation sites to ensure all quantitative and qualitative data is collected properly, and programmatic quality and value for money are maintained.

Coordination of HIV Partners

Ensure effective communication and coordination between the MOH and other partners related to HIV prevention, care, and treatment; Global Fund partners; donor agencies; and other stakeholders working on HIV programming in Cote d’Ivoire, as appropriate.

Ensure HIV activities are integrated into overall U.S. Department of State-supported health activities (malaria, MCH as well as Global health security) and coordinate these activities with the MOH to avoid duplication of effort and programming gaps.

Coordinate with other partners and support efforts to address HIV service delivery gaps and help build technical and managerial capacity within the MOH at the national, district, and lower levels.

Participate in and contribute to HIV-related service delivery meetings/workshops hosted by the MOH and others.

Communications

In addition to regular communications with the MOH, communicate with partners and the U.S. Embassy to review progress, discuss activities, and address emerging issues.

The Senior HIV Advisor should avail himself for calls/meetings with the U.S. Embassy as requested.

REPORTING:

The Senior Advisor will report to and receive day-to-day directions from the DOS Health Programs Office HIV Program Management specialist at the US Embassy in Abidjan. The Senior Advisor will provide a monthly report to the U.S. Department of State, submitted by the 5th day of the following month. The format for reporting may be adjusted with concurrence from the U.S. government.

Qualifications

Advanced degree in public health, epidemiology, or a related field.

At least 7 years of experience in HIV program implementation, policy development, or technical advisory roles.

Additional experience in Malaria, MCH and GHS will be an advantage for this position

Proven ability to communicate clearly and concisely – orally and in writing – in both English and French. Demonstrated ability to communicate highly technical information to both subject matter expert and non-expert audiences.

Management and organizational skills to work with numerous teams, identifying priority actions and taking initiative if follow-through is needed.

Strong analytical skills and experience in using data for decision-making.

Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with government institutions, donors, and partners.

Excellent communication, mentorship, and capacity-building skills.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with DOS and/or PEPFAR projects is an advantage.

Knowledge of Cote d’Ivoire health system structure as well as local culture is a plus

Experience with DOS-funded public health programs.

Relevant technical experience obtained in Sub-Saharan countries is preferred.

What We Believe

ZemiTek is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, ZemiTek will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to .

Full Time