LEAP Program Description

Global Solutions Ventures (GSV) – a joint-venture partnership between ZemiTek, LLC and Dexis Consulting Group – is implementing the Long-term Exceptional Technical Assistance Project (LEAP Global), a mechanism originally used by USAID to battle against infectious diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, neglected tropical diseases, and pandemic influenza. As of July 1, 2025, LEAP Global transitioned to the U.S. Department of State (DOS). This initiative aims to address the complex human resource challenges faced by national infectious disease programs in the USA-supported countries.

The intervention of this project is to hire and embed technical expert advisors and subject matter experts within government entities. By directly embedding the technical expertise within the national programs, LEAP provides long-term, sustainable lifesaving support to empower host governments to lead and manage key aspects of their infectious disease portfolios and improve coordination between the U.S. Government and the host country.

About the Position

Childhood and adolescent tuberculosis remain under-diagnosed in Zimbabwe, with additional vulnerabilities among key and vulnerable populations (KVPs) including people living with HIV (PLHIV), the malnourished, migrants, urban poor populations, and those in congregate or hard-to-reach settings. Zimbabwe is implementing approaches for childhood and adolescent TB, including contact investigation, TB preventive treatment (TPT), child-friendly formulations, stool for diagnosis’ and integration with HIV, nutrition, and MNCAH services.

The Department of State will second a Senior Childhood TB Advisor to provide specialized technical assistance to the NTP to strengthen prevention, detection, treatment, and care of TB among children, adolescents, and KVPs, while supporting grant implementation, partner coordination, and data-driven program improvement. The Advisor will support the NTP in carrying out life-saving humanitarian assistance (LHA) service delivery in full alignment with the new Presidential Executive Order (EO) directives. 

The Senior Childhood TB Advisor will provide strategic and operational technical leadership to strengthen standardized, high-quality, and equitable TB services for children, adolescents, and key and vulnerable populations. The Advisor will support capacity building, community and partner engagement, operationalization of national guidance, and effective monitoring and reporting to improve childhood TB case detection, prevention coverage, and treatment outcomes.

Responsibilities

Childhood and Adolescent TB Prevention, Diagnosis, and Care

• Support implementation of national guidance on childhood and adolescent TB prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up.
• Strengthen standardized management of childhood and adolescent TB, including use of child-friendly formulations and age-appropriate dosing.
• Support scale-up of TB Preventive Treatment (TPT) among eligible child and adolescent contacts and children living with HIV.
• Promote integration of childhood TB services within HIV, nutrition, MNCAH, and adolescent health platforms.
• Support identification of service delivery gaps and development of innovative solutions to improve childhood TB outcomes.
• Support the scale up of use of stool for children below 10 years of age.

Key and Vulnerable Populations (KVPs)

• Provide technical assistance to strengthen TB prevention, screening, case detection, and care among key and vulnerable populations, including:
• PLHIV
• Prisoners
• Healthcare workers
• Migrants and mobile populations
• Urban poor and informal settlements
•  Congregate and hard-to-reach populations
• Miners and ex miners
• Support development and implementation of targeted, differentiated, and risk-based TB interventions for KVPs.
• Strengthen linkages between facility-based TB services and community-based platforms serving KVPs.

Capacity Building, Mentorship, and Supportive Supervision

• Support capacity building among health care workers on pediatric and adolescent TB prevention, screening, case detection, and case management.
• Support targeted facility-based capacity building and mentorship to improve quality of care.
• Support updating, dissemination, and adherence to SOPs related to childhood TB and TB among KVPs.

Planning, Coordination, and Community Engagement

• Develop a childhood TB implementation plan.
• Forge and maintain effective relationships with community leaders, community health workers, civil society organizations, and partners working in childhood TB, HIV, nutrition, and KVP programming.
• Support coordination of childhood TB (TWG) and KVP activities at national and sub-national levels.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Use of Data

• Monitor progress of childhood TB and KVP interventions against set targets and make programmatic adjustments based on M&E data.
• Support inclusion of childhood TB and KVP indicators in routine program reviews, supportive supervision, and performance monitoring.

Reporting, Documentation, and Learning

• Spearhead documentation and dissemination of lessons learned, best practices, and innovations through technical reports, conference abstracts, presentations, and manuscripts.
• Support TB program reviews, surveys, and evaluations related to childhood TB and KVPs.

Quality Assurance, Emergency Response, and Cross-Cutting Support

• Promote stigma-free, rights-based, and gender-responsive TB services for children, adolescents, and vulnerable populations.

Expected Deliverables

• Improved childhood and adolescent TB screening and case detection.
• Increased coverage of TB preventive treatment among eligible children and adolescents.
• Standardized management of childhood and adolescent TB nationwide.
• Improved treatment outcomes among children and adolescents.
• High-quality quarterly and annual technical reports.
• Documented best practices and lessons learned in childhood TB and KVP programming.

Performance Management

Performance will be assessed based on achievement of agreed deliverables, quality and timeliness of outputs, effectiveness of collaboration with NTP and partners, and compliance with Department of State reporting requirements.

Reporting

The Advisor will provide a detailed monthly report to the U.S. Department of State at the end of each month. Additionally, the Advisor may be required to submit additional reports at the discretion of the U.S. Department of State and LEAP Global. The format for reporting may be adjusted with concurrence from the COR.

Qualifications

• Medical degree required (e.g., MBChB, MBBS, MD, or equivalent)
• Masters Level  Preferred-Master of Medicine (Paediatric, Infectious diseases or other related disciplines), Master of Public Health.
• Minimum of ten (10) years of experience in infectious diseases control, particularly childhood TB and HIV
• Demonstrated technical leadership, and problem-solving skills
• Understanding of USG rules and regulations preferred.
• Ability to work effectively with a broad range of local and USG personnel and partners and have demonstrated skills in donor coordination and collaboration.
•  Ability to work both independently and in a team environment to achieve consensus on policy, program and administrative matters is a must.
• Ability to work effectively with a broad range of MoH and USG personnel and partners and have demonstrated skills in donor coordination and collaboration. 
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment and communicate information to both health and non-health audiences, and achieve consensus on policy, project, research, and administrative matters.
• Proven ability to communicate clearly and concisely in English – both orally and in writing is essential.
• Excellent verbal communication skills, tact and diplomacy are required to establish and develop sustainable working relationships at the highest level and a high level of trust with public/private organizations. Verbal communication skills are also used to negotiate activity plans and resolve activity implementation issues with counterparts, partners and team members. 
• Excellent written communication skills are required to prepare regular and ad hoc reports, activity documentation and briefing papers.
• Good computer skills are required to implement, analyse, and monitor, and manage activity goals, inputs, outcomes, and achievements.
• Experience in teaching/training and capacity building.
• Experience working with the key stakeholders in TB program, preferably the national stakeholders and international donors.