The Global Health Training, Advisory and Support Contract (GHTASC) delivers effective global health programming to advance the mission of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Bureau for Global Health (GH) through institutional support and workforce development services from junior, mid-level, senior and expert advisory, and administrative professionals.
Credence and its partner, the Public Health Institute (PHI), are both employers for GHTASC, and are seeking a Senior Lead Mitigation Advisor under GHTASC. This position will be hired under Public Health Institute (PHI).
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is the United States’ primary foreign assistance agency. Over its 63-year history, the Agency has supported long-term and equitable economic growth, improved health outcomes, democracy, conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance throughout low- and middle-income countries. As a result of this work and the efforts of governments and partners, the world has witnessed an extraordinary 70 percent decline in child mortality over the last 50 years, and a reduction in child deaths from over 12 million in 1990 to 5 million in 2021. Despite this progress, significant work remains to increase coverage of high-impact interventions, strengthen the health systems that support these interventions, improve quality, and address equity gaps that are bottlenecks to enabling children everywhere to survive and thrive.
New evidence on the widespread prevalence of lead exposure and its detrimental impacts has led USAID and the United States Government to prioritize actions to address this problem. Lead exposure has profound and detrimental impacts on health, child development, intelligence, educational outcomes, and overall economic development, especially in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). Worldwide, as many as 800 million children, or 1 in 3, have elevated blood lead levels (BLL). This causes an average 6-point reduction in IQ, enough to cause a nearly 60% increase in the number of children with intellectual disabilities. Further, recent research indicates that elevated lead levels also account for an estimated 21% of the learning gap between high income countries and LMICs. Elevated lead levels also cause estimated annual losses of at least USD $1 trillion (minimum 5% GDP loss in LMICs) to the global economy solely from the impacts of lead on children. In pregnancy, lead exposure can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, prematurity, and low birth weight. Additionally, lead exposure is recognized to cause cardiovascular disease in adults, and to kill about 1.6 million people each year.
Recognizing the magnitude of this neglected problem, USAID is taking steps to build on the U.S. Government and development partner efforts to address the impacts of lead exposure at national and global levels. USAID has elevated lead exposure and mitigation as a critical Agency priority, and as one of the top three global health priorities in 2024. Preventing lead exposure is important for achieving U.S. Government and Agency commitments across sectors, including under the Global Child Thrive Act, U.S. Government Strategy for Advancing Protection and Care for Children, and the International Basic Education Strategy. USAID has embarked on a number of activities to focus greater attention on this challenge through concerted, multisectoral action.
A. Position Summary:
The Bureau for Global Health seeks a highly qualified Senior Lead Mitigation Advisor who will provide leadership for expanding USAID’s lead mitigation activities in line with Agency’s strategic vision and within the context of existing health, education, and environment programming. The Advisor will work with the Assistant and Deputy Assistant Administrators for Global Health and with the Cross-Bureau Lead Mitigation Working Group. The Advisor will contribute to alignment with the President’s Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children’s (PTF) Lead Subcommittee (PbSC), the International Lead Elimination Working Group (ILEWG), Climate Change and Environmental Health, and any other interagency or external fora to advance a strategy and implementation plan for USAID lead mitigation efforts with priority countries, including engagement with the private sector.
The Advisor will coordinate USAID’s work across multiple sectors (education, health, climate change, environmental health, private sector engagement, and governance) to champion a multi-prong approach to mitigate lead exposure in a select group of countries where we have field presence. The advisor will also provide technical expertise to Missions to develop and strengthen plans and execution, and facilitate technical exchanges and coordination to leverage best practices. In addition, the advisor will bring together multilateral, bilateral, partner countries, private and philanthropic organizations, together with intra- and inter-Agency technical experts to advance the Administration’s goals to mitigate lead exposure and improve the health, intelligence and well-being of hundreds of millions of children around the globe. Finally, the advisor will strengthen policy, legislative, and advocacy measures to mobilize political will, commitment, and action at the country level.
Full salary range for this position is $133,380 to $200,720 per year, with the starting salary determined based on candidate’s knowledge, skills, experience, as well as budget availability.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
● Coordinate USAID’s alignment with the President’s Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children’s (PTF) Lead Subcommittee (PbSC) to support USAID within the interagency and with external stakeholders and to marshal a strategy and implementation plan for USAID to advance lead mitigation efforts in priority countries.
● Coordinate USAID’s work across multiple sectors (education, health, climate, environment, private sector, and governance) to champion a multi-prong approach to mitigate lead exposure.
● Coordinate USAID’s Lead Mitigation Working Group to support the refinement of a USAID vision and make recommendations on the strategic direction of USAID’s lead mitigation efforts at global, regional, or national/subnational levels.
● Bring together multilateral, bilateral, partner countries, private and philanthropic organizations, with intra- and inter-Agency technical experts to advance the Administration’s goals to mitigate lead exposure and strengthen policy and legislation where needed.
● Support the Global Health Bureau by leading and coordinating an intra-Agency working group with other USAID Bureau stakeholders to coordinate and align USAID’s multi-sectoral approach to lead mitigation.
● In conjunction with the Senior Lead Mitigation Technical Expert Consultant, provide expert-level technical expertise in internal fora, including to support countries in raising awareness of the problem, measuring blood lead levels and sources, and developing action plans.
● Leverage resources and commitment for partnerships across the interagency and/or with other development partners.
● Contribute to expert content for technical updates, briefers and other documents that describe USAID’s activities and progress; and prepare responses to Q&As and other requests for information.
● Stay current on state-of-the-art technical, policy, and programmatic developments in lead exposure, prevention, and mitigation, and contribute to country plans to further policies/legislation.
● Support the GH Bureau’s effort to implement a broader strategy on environmental health, in close collaboration with the Senior Climate and Health Advisor.
● Travel internationally to low- and middle-income country program sites up to 25 percent of time.
● Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualification Requirements:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.
Minimum Qualifications:
● Master’s degree with 10 years of relevant experience, bachelor’s degree with 12 years of relevant experience, Associate’s degree and 14 years of relevant experience, or High School graduate and 16 years of relevant experience.
Other Qualifications:
● Seven (7) years’ work experience in global environmental health and/or lead mitigation including but not limited to, public health measures to prevent and control exposure to lead.
● At least two years’ experience on-the-ground in low- or middle-income countries preferred.
● Knowledge of lead exposure impacts, sources, and mitigation opportunities in limited resource environments, including knowledge of evidence-based interventions and experience with policy and strategy development processes.
● Expert skills in analysis, planning, monitoring and management of public health programs with lead exposure specificity.
● Strong ability to work collaboratively with staff of USAID missions, other USG agencies, country governments, civil society and private sector partners, and other international organizations.
● Demonstrated experience coordinating multi-donor, or multisector mechanisms in countries and domestically, or demonstrated ability to work with other donors, country governments, and other partners, around common agendas.
● Strong ability to work both independently and as part of a team with members at different levels of expertise and demonstrated experience in providing technical assistance and subject matter expertise.
● Excellent technical writing and presentation skills.
● Ability to travel internationally to low- and middle-income country program sites up to 25 percent of time.
● US citizen or US permanent resident with the ability to obtain and maintain facility clearance.
● Strongly prefer degree in public health, and/or international public health, with a focus on environmental health (e.g., environmental exposure impact on maternal and child health).
