Overview
The Animal Health Advisor will support the Department of Stateโfunded Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpiC) project, which advances the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) and related Health initiatives. The project helps governments strengthen multisectoral infectious disease detection, surveillance, and laboratory systems, particularly for zoonotic diseases of public health importance. The Animal Health Advisor will support Burundi in building capacity to detect and respond to zoonotic threats, strengthen veterinary laboratory systems, enhance biosafety and biosecurity, and improve Joint External Evaluation (JEE) and National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) capacities within the animal health sector.
Position Summary
Based in Bujumbura with in-country travel, the Animal Health Advisor will work closely with government counterparts, the Ministry responsible for livestock and animal health, veterinary laboratories, One Health platforms, development partners, and EpiCโs project team. The role includes providing technical leadership, capacity building, managing health protocols, and coordination to strengthen zoonotic disease surveillance, animal health laboratory systems, and One Health implementation in alignment with national priorities and approved project work plans.
Responsibilities
- Provide technical assistance to national stakeholders to strengthen surveillance, detection, reporting, and response for priority zoonotic diseases.
- Lead planning, implementing, and monitoring animal health programs to ensure disease prevention, control, and treatment across all operations.
- Support strengthening of veterinary laboratory systems, including diagnostic capacity, quality management systems, biosafety, biosecurity, sample transport, laboratory networking, and proficiency testing.
- Guide development or revision of zoonotic disease technical guidelines, SOPs, diagnostic algorithms, and protocols, ensuring alignment with JEE, NAPHS, and One Health recommendations.
- Support multisectoral coordination mechanisms, including the One Health platform, in preparedness, surveillance, laboratory, and response activities.
- Lead and participate in training programs for veterinary laboratory scientists, field veterinarians, and animal health officers on zoonotic diseases, IPC, biosafety, biosecurity, and laboratory best practices.
- Provide technical support for zoonotic disease surveillance integration across human, animal, and environmental health sectors.
- Oversee emergency response for outbreaks and ensure proper resource allocation.
- Support development and implementation of animal health emergency preparedness and outbreak response plans.
- Assist national laboratories in strengthening laboratory information systems, results reporting, and data quality improvement.
- Contributes to developing operational plans, tools, and strategies to improve detection and response to emerging and re-emerging zoonoses.
- Support implementation of One Health field investigations, assessments, and simulation exercises.
- Contribute to the preparation of technical reports, success stories, briefs, and other documentation.
- Provide administrative, logistical, and coordination support for project activities as needed.
- Contribute to annual work planning, budgeting, and monitoring of animal health and One Health activities as well as the development of semi-annual and annual reports.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Minimum Requirements
- Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or equivalent degree in Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Science, or related field; masterโs degree in public health, Epidemiology, One Health, or related discipline preferred.
- Minimum of eight (8) years of relevant experience in animal health, zoonotic disease surveillance, veterinary laboratory systems, or One Health programming.
- Demonstrated experience strengthening veterinary laboratory systems, including biosafety/biosecurity, QMS, diagnostics, and surveillance.
- Experience with zoonotic diseases, emerging and re-emerging pathogens, and outbreak investigation and response.
- Knowledge of JEE, PVS Pathway, NAPHS, GHSA, and other global health security frameworks.
- Previous experience working with government ministries, national laboratories, development partners, and multisectoral platforms.
- Strong technical writing skills and experience in drafting guidelines, SOPs, protocols, training materials, and reports.
- Ability to provide effective training and capacity building to laboratory and field animal health staff.
- Strong interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills.
- Fluency in English and French required.
- Authorization to work in Burundi.
Supervision Given/Received
Supervisory responsibilities are anticipated.
Travel Requirements
Minimum 25% in-country travel.
This job posting summarizes the main duties of the job. It neither prescribes nor restricts the exact tasks that may be assigned to carry out these duties. This document should not be construed in any way to represent a contract of employment. Management reserves the right to review and revise this document at any time.
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