Principal Technical Officer

Purpose of Job

Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is a specialized technical institution of the African Union established to support public health initiatives of Africa Union Member States (AU MS) and strengthen the capacity of their public health institutions to detect, prevent, control, and respond quickly and effectively to disease threats. Africa CDC supports AU MS in providing coordinated and integrated solutions to the inadequacies in their public health infrastructure, human resource capacity, disease surveillance, laboratory diagnostics, and preparedness and response to health emergencies and disasters

Main Functions

The Principal Technical Officer Epidemic Intelligence will work under the Epidemic Intelligence Unit, to coordinate existing and new programmes and initiatives such as Event Based Surveillance, Indicator Based Surveillance, Disease modelling, and outbreak response. The officer is responsible for facilitating dialogue amongst all stakeholders including AU Member States and Partners to advocate for improved, proactive and resilient Epidemic Intelligence systems in the African continent. The incumbent will also coordinate the development of strategies and business continuity plans for the unit and ensure successful programme implementation and sustainability.

Specific Responsibilities

The Principal Technical Officer-Epidemic Intelligence shall:

• Coordinate the development and implementation of continental strategies, frameworks, standards, policies, and guidance to strengthen public health related surveillance and disease intelligence across Africa.
• Provide technical expertise in the development of work plans, budgets, and timelines for disease intelligence activities, ensuring effective resource allocation and program delivery for the epidemic intelligence unit
• Provide strategic direction and technical guidance for the Epidemic Intelligence unit and the respective programmes such as Event Based Surveillance, Indicator Based Surveillance, Event Management systems, disease modelling, outbreaks investigation, and response.
• Coordinate the implementation of the EBS Continental Framework in collaboration with Member States, RECs, partners and sister Organizations to improve epidemic intelligence.
• Liaise closely with counterparts across the organization, AU Agencies, Continental and global partners and other stakeholders to align policies and strategies for strengthening epidemic intelligence in the continent.
• Provide oversight and technical support for the adoption of the Africa CDC Event Management system by the AU member states
• Advise on allocation of public health resources and enhancing capacity for epidemic preparedness and response capacities at all levels
• Engage and secure new technical assistance and funding partners for the epidemic intelligence unit’s programmes
• Represent the unit and share its vision and position at continental and global meetings and conferences.
• Support any other duties assigned by the head of division.

Academic Requirements and Relevant Experience

A master’s degree in public health, Field Epidemiology, Health Science, Program Management or other fields related with 10 years of professional experience, 6 years expert/specialist level and 3 years at supervisory level.

OR

A bachelor’s degree in health sciences, Medicine, or other related fields with 12 years of professional experience, 6 years expert/specialist level and 4 years at a supervisory level.

• Previous experience in coordinating and leading Public Health related surveillance programmes at national or regional level, government ministries and external donors.
• Previous experience working in Africa is an added advantage.

Required Skills

Leadership & Strategic Skills

• Strong leadership and strategic thinking abilities to guide continental epidemic intelligence initiatives. Ability to provide technical oversight, coordinate multi-country surveillance activities, and drive implementation of integrated surveillance systems including Epidemic Intelligence.

Technical Expertise in Public Health Surveillance

• Strong knowledge of Epidemic Intelligence, including event-based and indicator-based surveillance. Expertise in infectious disease epidemiology and implementing or supporting national and regional surveillance systems.

Analytical & Problem‑Solving Skills

• Ability to analyze complex surveillance data, identify patterns, detect unusual events, and recommend timely public health actions.
• Strong problem-solving skills with a solutions-focused approach.

Communication & Representational Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for presenting surveillance findings, preparing technical briefs, and representing Africa CDC in high-level meetings.
• Ability to communicate complex epidemiological information clearly to diverse stakeholders.

Stakeholder Engagement & Partnership Building

• Ability to build consensus and foster multisectoral collaboration with Ministries of Health, National Public Health Institutes, donors, and implementing partners.
• Proven experience facilitating cross-border information sharing and coordination.

Training, Mentorship & Capacity Building

• Experience developing technical guidance, tools, training materials, and conducting capacity-building for Member States.
• Ability to mentor surveillance and Epidemic Intelligence focal points at national and regional levels.

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TENURE OF APPOINTMENT:

The Appointment will be for a period of Eleven (11) Months, of which the first three (3) months will be considered as a probationary period. Thereafter, the contract may be renewed subject to funding availability, satisfactory performance and agreed deliverables

GENDER MAINSTREAMING:

Africa CDC is an equal opportunity employer and qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.

LANGUAGES:Proficiency in one of the AU working languages (Arabic, English, French, Kiswahili, Portuguese, and Spanish) is mandatory and fluency in another AU language is an added advantage

REMUNERATION:

The salary attached to the position for the eleven month period is US$ 101,705.53 (P4 Step 5) inclusive of all allowances for internationally recruited staff, and US$ 85,128.97 inclusive of all allowances for locally recruited staff of the African Union.

Applications must be submitted no later than April 1 ,2026 11h59 p.m. EAT.-Only candidates who meet all job requirements and are selected for interviews will be contacted. -Consideration will be given only to those candidates who have submitted a fully completed online application with a curriculum vitae (CV), an African passport, and the required academic qualifications, such as Diplomas, Bachelor's degrees, Master's degrees and any relevant certificate in line with the area of expertise. -The African Union is an equal opportunity employer, and female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. -Candidates from less represented countries within the African Union are strongly encouraged to apply for positions that fit their profiles. These countries include Algeria, Angola, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Comoros, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Namibia, Niger, Sahrawi D.R., Sao Tome and Principe., Seychelles, Somalia and Tunisia.

Skills Required:

• Health / Medical