Job Description

Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPDs) Surveillance & Response Officer, Addis Ababa (SSA, NOC) – (2600960)

• Grade: No grade

• Contractual Arrangement: Special Services Agreement (SSA)

• Contract Duration (Years, Months, Days): 3 months

• Job Posting : Mar 19, 2026, 6:37:21 PM

• Closing Date : Apr 2, 2026, 12:59:00 AM

• Primary Location : Ethiopia-Addis Ababa

• Organization : AF_ETH Ethiopia

• Schedule : Full-time

Job Requirements

• Education: First‑level university degree in a health‑related field or Postgraduate qualifications in epidemiology, field epidemiology, public health, infectious diseases or any of the clinical specialties.

• Experience: At least 5 years of experience working in the field of Vaccine and immunization focusing on vaccine-preventable disease/VPD surveillance and response. Minimum of five (5) years’ professional experience in coordination, planning, and monitoring of VPD surveillance and response vaccination campaigns, catch‑up vaccination initiatives, and immunization program operations at the national level. At least 7 years demonstrated experience coordinating PHEM, VPDs surveillance and response, SIAs, training, and immunization program at the national levels; experience working at ministry of health, national institutions or UN agencies (WHO, UNICEF), other national and international organizations.

Job Competencies

·         Ability to work independently and manage competing priorities.

·         Strong analytical, quantitative, and problem‑solving skills with attention to detail.

·         Experience navigating complex operational environments with flexibility and adaptability.

·         Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder engagement skills.

·         Comprehensive understanding of national VPDs surveillance and Immunization policies and strategies.

·         Proficiency in project planning, monitoring, and documentation.

·         Proficiency in standard office and data analysis software.

USE OF LANGUAGE SKILLS

• Excellent knowledge of written and spoken English and knowledge of Amharic.

Duties and Responsibilities

1.      Planning and Coordination

• Provide technical leadership for national VPD surveillance and response activities in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, EPHI, WHO and other partners.

• Support the coordination of national VPD surveillance technical working groups (TWGs), task forces, and other national level coordination mechanisms.

• Liaising with various stakeholders working on the Expanded Program on Immunization (MOH, EPHI, EFDA, EPSS, and other governmental and non-governmental organizations.

• Support alignment and integration of VPD surveillance with Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR).

• Provide technical support for strategic and annual operational planning on VPD surviellance and response

2.      Surveillance System Strengthening

• Support the design, implementation, and monitoring of sensitive VPD surveillance systems, including Case-based, syndromic and weekly reportable diseases including AFP, measles/rubella, neonatal tetanus and other priority VPDs.

• Ensure adherence to national and WHO surveillance standards, case definitions, guidelines, and standard operating procedures.

• Support the introduction and scale-up of innovative surveillance approaches, including community-based surveillance, wastewater surveillance, and event-based surveillance.

3.      Outbreak Preparedness and Response

• Support national and regional preparedness planning for VPD outbreaks, including risk assessment, preparedness plans, and simulation exercises.

• Provide technical guidance and coordination for rapid investigation and response to suspected and confirmed VPD outbreaks.

• Coordinate the review and development of macro and micro-plans for outbreak response vaccination activities including mapping of special populations and establish locally functioning strategies to access and vaccinate all target population.

• Support outbreak evaluations (early, inter and after-action reviews) and documentation of lessons learned to improve future preparedness and response.

4.      Laboratory Surveillance and Linkages

• Strengthen coordination between epidemiological and laboratory surveillance systems.

• Provide close technical oversight and guidance on specimen collection, transportation, testing, and timely feedback mechanisms, in close collaboration with national and regional laboratories.

• Monitor laboratory performance indicators and support quality improvement initiatives.

5.      Supportive Supervision and Capacity Building

• Plan and conduct national-level supportive supervision and mentorship for sub-national surveillance officers and health workers.

• Support development and delivery of training materials, guidelines, and job aids for VPD surveillance and response.

• Strengthen capacity for data analysis, outbreak investigation, and use of surveillance data at all levels.

6.      Data Management, Monitoring and Evaluation

• Ensure timely, complete, and accurate reporting of VPD surveillance data from sub-national to national level.

• Conduct routine analysis and interpretation of surveillance data to identify gaps, trends, high-risk populations, and areas requiring targeted interventions.

• Produce regular national surveillance bulletins, situation reports, and analytical briefs for decision-makers and partners.

• Participate in surveillance reviews, risk assessments, and program evaluations.

• Support documentation of best practices, challenges, and innovations in VPD surveillance and response.

Expected output and deliverables

• Regular national VPD surveillance reports and bulletins.

• Timely outbreak investigation and response reports.

• Surveillance performance monitoring dashboards and analytical briefs.

• Capacity-building plans, training reports, and supervision summaries.

• Contributions to national policies, guidelines, and strategic documents related to VPD surveillance and response.

How to Apply

Application Link: THIS LINK

Job Requirements Master's Degree or Bachelor's Degree in Epidemiology, Field Epidemiology, Public Health, infectious diseases or any of the clinical specialties or in a related field of study with relevant work experience. How to Apply Click on the apply button below