About the SFS Program and Role: Every year, there are over 200,000 stillbirths and newborn deaths and over 100,000 instances of disability among newborns because of a preventable infection; maternal syphilis. In fact, the infection causes more stillbirths and newborn deaths than pediatric HIV, yet receives only a fraction of the resources.
Through our Syphilis-Free Start (SFS) program, our aim is to close syphilis screening gaps via introduction of HIV/syphilis dual testing and to close treatment gaps by implementing strategies to address context-specific treatment barriers for women who test positive for syphilis. We've already reached mothers across Liberia, Zambia, Cameroon, and Côte d'Ivoire, with new pilots underway in Indonesia and are continuing to scope our programs in additional geographies.
Reporting to our Associate Director, you will lead Evidence Action's work to test what else the SFS model can do. You will shape the design and rigorous assessment of new theories of change for the program, looking at what new health outcomes the model could credibly deliver, new platforms through which maternal syphilis testing and treatment could be delivered, and new geographies and health system contexts where our model might fit. The role combines program design leadership with strong monitoring, evaluation, and data analysis skills, and is accountable for producing clear, evidence-based recommendations on whether and how each new direction should be pursued at scale.
Key Responsibilities:Theory of Change and Program Model Design
- Design testable program models to answer the program's open questions on outcomes, delivery platform, and technology, specifying what would justify scale-up.
- Develop and pressure-test the theory of change for expanding the program's outcome set beyond syphilis, including the pathway to HIV and hepatitis B impact and the assumptions each pathway depends on.
- Assess alternative service delivery platforms such as private and faith-based facilities, community-based outreach, and other entry points.
- Work with the global MLE team and the Data & Learning Manager to define formative research questions, measurement frameworks, and evaluation approaches for each pilot.
Pilot Execution & Program Management
- Oversee day-to-day pilot implementation, including partner and contract management, rollout, training, and troubleshooting.
- Adapt management approaches to different delivery models, including pilots run by local implementing partners or contracted firms.
- Contribute to program planning, workplans, and reporting, and flag issues, timeline risks, or scope changes early to the Associate Director, SFS.
- Provide program input into baseline and endline design, and support integration of indicators into HMIS and DHIS2 where feasible.
Emerging Technology Assessment
- Track the antenatal diagnostic landscape and maintain an informed view on which emerging products, including triplex HIV/syphilis/hepatitis B tests and treponemal/non-treponemal test combinations, to determine which merit assessment for program introduction.
- Assess candidate technologies against the operational realities of program contexts: cost and procurement pathways, regulatory and national guideline requirements, provider workflow and training burden, testing algorithm complexity, and the referral and treatment pathways each result triggers.
- Design and lead introduction pilots for selected technologies, in partnership with the global MLE team and Ministry counterparts, and produce clear recommendations on whether and how to proceed, provided funding for such activities is secured.
Analysis, Recommendations, and Learning
- Synthesize pilot findings into clear, decision-oriented assessments of feasibility, effectiveness, and scale-up potential, with an explicit recommendation on each theory of change tested.
- Support quantitative and qualitative data analysis, in collaboration with the MLE team, using tools such as Stata, R, or Excel.
- Develop concrete recommendations for program adaptation, including changes to policy, service delivery, testing algorithms, and implementation models.
- Share learnings across pilot geographies and the SFS portfolio, and translate them for external technical audiences.
Country Engagement
- Serve as Evidence Action's primary point of contact with Ministries of Health and other stakeholders in pilot geographies.
- Oversee and manage local implementing partners and contractors to support pilot implementation in-country.
- Share findings and recommendations with Ministries so that scale-up decisions reflect government priorities.
Requirements- A Masters in public health, epidemiology, statistics, public policy, or a related field.
- Minimum 5-7 years of experience in global health programs, with both program management experience and a monitoring, learning, and evaluation (MLE) background in LMIC contexts.
- You have designed program models for new interventions or pilots, and defined how to measure them (indicators, data collection, and evaluation approach), not only monitored or evaluated models designed by others.
- You have used evidence to make recommendations to continue, adapt, or stop a program.
- You have experience managing routine data collection and analysis.
- Strong quantitative skills and data analysis (proficiency in Stata, R, or equivalent preferred).
- You have operated as both a program lead and an MLE lead with the ability to shape a program model and rigorously test it.
- You are able to adapt your communications style for teams at different skill levels and across different cultural contexts internally and externally. and experience producing clear, decision-oriented reports for program and donor audiences.
- You have the ability to manage complex and interdependent projects and build structured, but flexible, processes.
- You enjoy building processes from ambiguity and can help the team operate across low resource program contexts and adapt approaches to available infrastructure and systems.
- French language skills, both spoken and written, is preferred but not required.
LocationThis role will be based remotely within the United States. You are welcome but not required to work out of Evidence Action's office in Washington, DC. Evidence Action team members work across timezones in the US, Africa, and Asia, and meetings may be scheduled to best capture team needs. This role requires regular international travel (~30%) to Indonesia, Madagascar, and other new geographies, particularly during pilot start-up and data collection periods.
We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of a U.S. employment visa at this time. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. for roles based in the U.S.
BenefitsThe expected role range for this US position is listed below. We consider multiple factors when determining the base salary for a role, including but not limited to: role scope, program budgets, internal equity, and a candidate's qualifications and/or prior experience.
Note: Pay and benefits will be commensurate with the role specifications, local statutory requirements, and the cost of labor in the markets where we operate.
The expected pay range for this full-time role is $83,900 - 94,0000 per year.
For US based roles, Evidence Action provides comprehensive benefits including international health care, HSA/FSA options, life insurance, disability coverage, retirement plans with a matching component, generous and flexible leave options, as well as other employee perks on a reimbursement basis. For more information visit our careers page or ask our recruiting team!
