Professional Nurse - Notifiable Medical Condition Surveillance Officer

at  Jhpiego

Overview:
The Reaching Impact, Saturation, and Epidemic Control (RISE) project is a multi-year global project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) working with countries to achieve a shared vision of attaining and maintaining epidemic control, with stronger local partners capable of managing and achieving results through sustainable, self-reliant, and resilient health systems. RISE South Africa is hiring several positions to fulfill the project mandate.
The Surveillance Officer role Position is a Full Time Fixed-Term role ending on 30 September 2025 (might be renewable subject to funding availability and ongoing needs of the organisation).
Under the direction of the Senior Technical Advisor for the USAID-funded Global Health Security (GHS) Project in South Africa, the Surveillance Officer will focus on implementing, coordinating, training, mentoring, and coaching health practitioners in the private and public sectors to improve the notification of Notifiable Medical Conditions (NMC) as defined in the relevant regulations.

Responsibilities:

• Establish NMC surveillance system networks and foster good working relationships with NMC surveillance key role players from provincial to district and facility levels, to ensure the smooth implementation and running of the NMC surveillance system within the provinces
• Play a key role in the implementation and establishment of an integrated national NMC surveillance system at facility and district levels
• Play a pivotal role in ensuring efficient information flow in data collection, collation, analysis, interpretation and dissemination of NMC data to the public and private sector information/data
• Maintain close liaison with all relevant NMC personnel such as the CDC directorate, environmental health practitioners, IPC teams, information management and disease specific programmes at district, sub-district and facility levels to enhance reporting of notifiable diseases and feedback thereof
• Strengthen the lab surveillance system within the provinces and facilitating linkages between private and public laboratories and health facilities
• Develop NMC surveillance related training materials together with the Notifiable Diseases Manager.
• Routinely train health staff in private, public and NGO sector on the legislation aspect of NMC regulation and the process of notification and the tools and systems thereof.
• Mentor and coach Health Care Workers in the notification process and use of the surveillance system
• Support and track performance of NMCSS process
• Establish efficient platforms to provide feedback to Health Care Workers and other relevant bodies
• Act as the liaison between local level DoHs and the NICD and ensure resources available at the NICD are made available to the local levels for smooth functioning of the NMC surveillance system
• Ensure that standard operating procedures (SOPs) and guidelines for implementation and management of the NMC surveillance system including SOPs for data collection, collation, analyses, interpretation and dissemination are adequately disseminated to all relevant users buy using the systems and channels already existing within the provinces.
• Provide support in the implementation of such SOPs by provincial DOH at district and facility level and to laboratories and the private health sector.
• Trouble shoot and provide guidance to various stakeholders on the implementation and use of the NMC surveillance system.
• In close collaboration with the NMC surveillance manager, ensure optimum data quality and timely analyses of surveillance data for early warning signs to detect outbreaks.
• Benchmark the NMC system against local best practice to ensure alignment with national standards and regulations.

Required Qualifications:

• 4-year degree/diploma in Nursing
• Minimum of 5 years relevant working experience
• Registration with SANC
• Driver’s license
• Good Communication skills (verbal & written)
• Interpersonal skills
• Time management
• Attention to detail
• Planning and organizing skills
• Experience in training diverse audiences
• Presentation Skills
• Ability to work under pressure
• Knowledge of Notifiable Medical Conditions Legislation
• Computer literacy (word processing)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in project management
• Knowledge of SA DOH systems at district and local levels
• Experience in databases

• Establish NMC surveillance system networks and foster good working relationships with NMC surveillance key role players from provincial to district and facility levels, to ensure the smooth implementation and running of the NMC surveillance system within the provinces
• Play a key role in the implementation and establishment of an integrated national NMC surveillance system at facility and district levels
• Play a pivotal role in ensuring efficient information flow in data collection, collation, analysis, interpretation and dissemination of NMC data to the public and private sector information/data
• Maintain close liaison with all relevant NMC personnel such as the CDC directorate, environmental health practitioners, IPC teams, information management and disease specific programmes at district, sub-district and facility levels to enhance reporting of notifiable diseases and feedback thereof
• Strengthen the lab surveillance system within the provinces and facilitating linkages between private and public laboratories and health facilities
• Develop NMC surveillance related training materials together with the Notifiable Diseases Manager.
• Routinely train health staff in private, public and NGO sector on the legislation aspect of NMC regulation and the process of notification and the tools and systems thereof.
• Mentor and coach Health Care Workers in the notification process and use of the surveillance system
• Support and track performance of NMCSS process
• Establish efficient platforms to provide feedback to Health Care Workers and other relevant bodies
• Act as the liaison between local level DoHs and the NICD and ensure resources available at the NICD are made available to the local levels for smooth functioning of the NMC surveillance system
• Ensure that standard operating procedures (SOPs) and guidelines for implementation and management of the NMC surveillance system including SOPs for data collection, collation, analyses, interpretation and dissemination are adequately disseminated to all relevant users buy using the systems and channels already existing within the provinces.
• Provide support in the implementation of such SOPs by provincial DOH at district and facility level and to laboratories and the private health sector.
• Trouble shoot and provide guidance to various stakeholders on the implementation and use of the NMC surveillance system.
• In close collaboration with the NMC surveillance manager, ensure optimum data quality and timely analyses of surveillance data for early warning signs to detect outbreaks.
• Benchmark the NMC system against local best practice to ensure alignment with national standards and regulations