Technical Advisor, Implementation Science/Knowledge Translation. PSI. Deadline April 2013

TITLE:  Technical Advisor, Implementation Science/Knowledge Translation*
DEPARTMENT:  RESEARCH & METRICS (R&M)

DATE:  APRIL 2013

PSI is a leading global health organization with programs targeting malaria, child survival, HIV and reproductive health. Working in partnership within the public and private sectors, and harnessing the power of the markets, PSI provides life-saving products, clinical services and behavior change communications that empower the world's most vulnerable populations to lead healthier lives.

PSI's core values are a belief in markets and market mechanisms to contribute to sustained improvements in the lives of the poor; results and a strong focus on measurement; speed and efficiency with a predisposition to action and an aversion to bureaucracy; decentralization and empowering our staff at the local level; and a long term commitment to the people we serve. PSI has programs in 67 countries.  For more information, please visit www.psi.org

PSI anticipates being awarded a multi-year implementation science and operations research project with the overall goal to improve access to

and quality of family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH) service delivery through implementation science and operations research.   

Specifically, the program will: 

• Conduct implementation research to address key issues in FP/RH service delivery;
• Promote broad-scale utilization of program research results;
• Build the capacity of developing country organizations to conduct and utilize program research;
• Identify the need for improved or new contraceptive methods and delivery systems in developing countries, and coordinate with USAID cooperating agencies focused on contraceptive technology to ensure that future investments in contraceptive research and development are guided by a blend of data, resources and field realities.

The Technical Advisor, Implementation Science/Knowledge Translation will provide leadership in the translation of research outputs to practice and policy. The specialist should be a senior manager with an advanced degree in the social, medical or health sciences with at least 10 years experience translating research data to inform FP/RH programs and policy in developing countries. This is full-time position will report to the Deputy Project Director and will be based in Washington, DC.

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Manage the interdisciplinary team from PSI and partner organizations to attain overall project goals and objectives;
• Oversee the management and translation of research outputs from complex multi-country FP/RH implementation research studies;
• Work closely with other senior-level project staff to conceptualize, design and implement research studies that generate evidence for FP/RH programmatic decision making;
• Identify strategic partnerships and in-country collaborators to carry out research studies, and utilize the evidence to inform the scale-up of programs and the development of FP/RH policies;
• Represent PSI and the project at relevant USAID and Cooperating Agency (CA) meetings;
• Develop and implement processes and materials for sharing lessons learned about tools, approaches and models, so that these lessons can be used in future R&M initiatives;
• Publish a body of evidence in peer-reviewed journals and present at key conferences;

QUALIFICATIONS:

• An advanced degree in public health, social, medical or health sciences.
• Minimum 10 years experience translating evidence into FP/RH programs and policies AND at least 5 years leading complex FP/RH service delivery and/or Implementation Science projects in developing countries. Experience with USAID funded projects is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in knowledge management of data from FP/RH operations/implementation research; and the translation of data to inform (evidence-for-decision making) various types of decision makers.
• Demonstrated skills in strategic leadership, knowledge management and in-country staff capacity building required.
• Experience researching, managing and implementing a range of FP/RH research studies with multiple stakeholders and partners is required.
• Effective English oral and written communications skills are required.
• French language proficiency is preferred.

*Contingent on Funding

APPLY ONLINE at http://www.psi.org.  No calls or emails, please.
PSI is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals
regardless of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or disability.