Global Health Security (GHS) Advisor
PalladiumPosition: Global Health Security (GHS) Advisor
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
About Palladium
Operating in over 50 countries, Palladium is a global consulting and implementation company working in partnership with governments, businesses, investors, and communities to design and deliver solutions that create lasting positive impact. We address some of the world's most complex challenges across infrastructure, economic growth and natural capital, health, energy, climate and environment, and digital transformation—strengthening systems, institutions, and markets to support inclusive and sustainable development. Our more than 2,100 staff worldwide work as trusted advisors across diverse contexts, combining deep technical expertise, implementation techniques, and innovative technology to deliver locally informed, client-focused solutions that help organizations achieve measurable, sustainable impact.
Palladium is part of GISI's global family of companies, which aims to create solutions for the world's most complex challenges. With annual revenues of $14 billion, GISI's approximately 15,000 employees are engaged in projects across 100 countries worldwide providing construction, program/project management, and engineering consulting services.
Project Overview
The GHSD America First Palladium Sole Source Award supports country-led efforts to strengthen health systems, advance global health security, and sustain essential health services in alignment with the America First Global Health Strategy. Leveraging Palladium's expertise in health systems strengthening, digital transformation, and data use, the project will strengthen governance, service delivery, and decision-making through integrated and interoperable systems across priority health programs. The award also supports stronger health financing, public financial management, and accountability mechanisms to promote resilient, efficient, and country-owned health systems.
Duration and Funding
This is a fixed-term, project-funded position with an initial term of 12 months (through September 2027). Employment is contingent upon the availability of funding, with the potential for extension based on project requirements and funding availability.
Location
This role is based in Palladium's Addis Ababa, Ethiopia office, with periodic travel within Ethiopia to project sites and regional offices. Applicants must have authorization to work in Ethiopia, as visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
Position Summary
The Global Health Security (GHS) Advisor serves as Palladium's senior technical advisor for Global Health Security and provides strategic, technical, and programmatic leadership for the design, implementation, and monitoring of health security interventions under the project. Reporting directly to the Deputy Country Director, the Advisor will lead efforts to strengthen Ethiopia's capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats through enhanced disease surveillance, laboratory systems, public health emergency management, One Health coordination, workforce development, and emergency preparedness and response initiatives. The Advisor will also provide leadership for the digitization and interoperability of health security systems to improve surveillance, outbreak detection, emergency coordination, and evidence-based decision-making.
The Advisor will work closely with the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), Ministry of Health, Regional Health Bureaus, public health laboratories, Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs), academic institutions, and development partners to strengthen implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), Joint External Evaluation (JEE) recommendations, National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS), and the 7-1-7 initiative. The position will provide oversight and technical guidance for integrated surveillance systems, laboratory networks, HIV Case-Based Surveillance (CBS), public health emergency management systems, and digital health security investments across the project's priority regions.
Primary Responsibilities
· Serve as the principal technical advisor for Global Health Security activities and provide strategic guidance to project leadership and government counterparts.
· Lead the planning, implementation, monitoring, and quality assurance of Global Health Security interventions under the project.
· Lead the digitization and modernization of health security systems, including surveillance platforms, Laboratory Information Systems (LIS), emergency management systems, and health security dashboards.
· Oversee efforts to strengthen interoperability and data exchange between surveillance systems, LIS, HIV CBS platforms, EOCs, DHIS2, and other national health information systems.
· Provide technical leadership to strengthen Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR), event-based surveillance, outbreak investigation, and response systems.
· Work closely with EPHI, public health laboratories, and Regional Health Bureaus to strengthen surveillance systems, laboratory networks, and coordination mechanisms for early detection and response to public health threats.
· Lead efforts to strengthen laboratory-to-surveillance integration and establish routine monitoring of surveillance and laboratory performance, including timeliness, completeness, and data quality indicators.
· Provide strategic oversight for HIV Case-Based Surveillance (CBS) implementation and ensure CBS dashboards are operational and routinely used for decision-making and performance monitoring.
· Support implementation and institutionalization of the 7-1-7 approach for timely detection, reporting, and response to public health threats.
· Strengthen Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) systems, Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs), incident management systems, preparedness planning, simulation exercises, and after-action review processes.
· Support development and use of dashboards, analytics, GIS tools, and decision-support systems to improve health security monitoring and response.
· Ensure alignment of health security activities with national digital transformation priorities, data governance standards, and information security requirements.
· Support implementation of integrated surveillance, Laboratory Information Systems (LIS), One Health, 7-1-7, and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) systems across four priority regions.
· Strengthen collaboration between EPHI, laboratories, Regional Health Bureaus, and development partners to improve outbreak detection, reporting, and response.
· Represent the project in technical working groups, government forums, and coordination meetings related to Global Health Security, surveillance, laboratory systems, emergency preparedness, and digital health.
Expected Results
- HIV Case-Based Surveillance (CBS) dashboards operational and routinely utilized for monitoring, analysis, and decision-making.
- Laboratory-to-surveillance performance routinely monitored, with documented improvements in reporting completeness, timeliness, and data quality.
- Integrated surveillance, Laboratory Information Systems (LIS), One Health, 7-1-7, and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) systems operational in four priority regions.
- Strengthened collaboration between EPHI, laboratories, Regional Health Bureaus, and development partners to support coordinated outbreak detection and response.
- Increased adoption of interoperable digital platforms, analytics, and dashboards to support public health emergency preparedness and response.
- Improved implementation of NAPHS, JEE recommendations, and national health security priorities at national and regional levels.
Required Qualifications
Education
· Bachelor’s or master’s degree in public health, Epidemiology, Global Health Security, Public Health Emergency Management, Health Systems, Environmental Health, Health Informatics, or a related field.
Experience
· Minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience in Global Health Security, public health emergency management, epidemiology, disease surveillance, outbreak response, laboratory systems, or related fields.
· Demonstrated experience supporting disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, emergency preparedness, and response programs.
· Experience supporting implementation of JEE, NAPHS, IDSR, PHEM, One Health, or similar health security initiatives.
· Experience working with national and sub-national government institutions, public health agencies, laboratories, and development partners.
· Experience supporting donor-funded health security programs, including U.S. Government-funded initiatives (CDC, DOS, or similar).
· Experience collaborating with WHO, World Bank, Global Fund, UN agencies, Africa CDC, or other multilateral organizations is highly desirable.
· Experience supporting Global Health Security programs in Ethiopia is strongly preferred.
Technical Competencies and Skills
· Strong knowledge of Global Health Security principles and international frameworks, including JEE, and NAPHS.
· Demonstrated expertise in disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, epidemiology, and emergency preparedness and response.
· Strong understanding of IDSR, event-based surveillance, PHEM systems, EOC operations, and the 7-1-7 initiative.
· Knowledge of laboratory systems strengthening biosafety, biosecurity, and specimen referral networks.
· Experience with One Health approaches and multisectoral coordination mechanisms.
· Strong analytical, monitoring and evaluation, and data utilization skills.
· Excellent stakeholder engagement, communication, facilitation, and capacity-strengthening skills.
· Ability to work effectively with government, donors, development partners, and technical stakeholders.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply early as the position may close once a suitable candidate is found. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or status as a protected veteran.
Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made due to a disability or you are a neurodivergent individual, or for any other circumstance, please email our team at accessibility@thepalladiumgroup.com and we will be in touch to discuss.
Safeguarding - We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse. All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.