EMPLOYMENT
Posting No.: 69-08

POSITION AVAILABLE

TITLE: Senior Associate and Country Director, Vietnam, International Programs

REPORTING TO: Regional Director, South and East Asia

LOCATION: Hanoi, Vietnam

SALARY: Depends on qualifications and experience

ASSIGNMENT LENGTH: Two years, renewable by mutual consent and availability of funding

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Population Council is seeking a professional to serve as country director for its office in Vietnam. In close collaboration with the National Committee for Population and Family Planning, the Maternal and Child Health and Family Planning Division of the Ministry of Health, universities, and other Vietnamese institutions interested in reproductive health service delivery, HIV and AIDS, and poverty, gender, and youth studies, this professional will develop and implement a program of research, training, and technical assistance in Vietnam. The focus of these activities will be to improve the quality of reproductive health and family planning services; enhance service access; expand contraceptive choice; prevent HIV and AIDS and improve access to treatment, care, and support services for those affected; address the needs of young people, especially those vulnerable because of gender and poverty; and achieve optimal coordination of policy and service-delivery efforts.

This position requires substantial knowledge of HIV and AIDS; poverty, gender, and youth; and reproductive health issues. It especially requires the ability to work well with professionals and staff from a wide range of national and international organizations, and excellent communication and management skills.

For the past several years the Population Council has worked in collaboration with a very broad range of Vietnamese institutions. The Council's program includes policy- and program-relevant research, training, and institutional strengthening, and is supported by a range of donors. In 1996, the Council established a country office that is registered as an international nongovernmental agency in Vietnam.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Represent the Population Council in all of its activities in Vietnam. This includes interacting with all the major organizations, including donors, government institutions such as the National Committee for Population and Family Planning, the Ministry of Health, universities, medical institutions, the Women's Union, and others.
2. Organize and manage the Population Council's country office in Hanoi.
3. Direct programs that will enhance reproductive health service access; improve the quality of service delivery; expand the range of contraceptive choice; prevent HIV and AIDS and provide treatment, care, and support for those affected; and address the needs of adolescents and young people.
4. Raise funds for program activities of the Population Council in Vietnam.
5. Collaborate with Population Council colleagues in Asia, other regions, and New York.
6. Oversee a graduate fellowship program established to send Vietnamese health professionals abroad for public health training and help the fellows who have returned to integrate in Vietnamese institutions.
7. Implement systems for the effective management of the Council’s programs in Vietnam.
8. Provide technical assistance to researchers studying various aspects of reproductive health, HIV and AIDS, gender, and poverty issues in Vietnam. This assistance includes research design, data collection, analysis, report preparation, dissemination, and utilization.
9. Liaise with donor organizations and other external assistance agencies in Vietnam to encourage optimal coordination of policy formation and efforts to improve service quality for reproductive health, family planning, poverty, gender, and youth programs.

QUALIFICATIONS

1. Doctoral degree in social science, medicine, public health, or related field with training relevant to reproductive health, family planning, HIV and AIDS, poverty, gender, and youth.
2. Minimum of ten years' relevant postdoctoral professional experience.
3. Demonstrated ability to design, implement, analyze, publish, and disseminate research in developing countries.
4. Proven ability to manage and administer a country-level program on HIV and AIDS; reproductive health; or poverty, gender, and youth. This qualification requires considerable experience in recruiting, monitoring, evaluating, and supervising local staff; managing project resources; fundraising and donor reporting; as well as the ability to work well with all levels of national and international staff within a complex technical assistance organization.
5. In-depth, substantive knowledge of HIV and AIDS; reproductive health; and poverty, gender, and youth issues, as well as an international reputation for excellence in developing such programs.
6. Understanding of bureaucratic systems in Asia and a demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment.
7. Excellent English written and oral communication skills. Knowledge or willingness to learn Vietnamese desirable.
8. Willingness to travel both within Vietnam and overseas on a regular basis.

APPLICATIONS

The Population Council is an international, nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that seeks to improve the well-being and reproductive health of current and future generations around the world and to help achieve a humane, equitable, and sustainable balance between people and resources. The Council conducts biomedical, social science, and public health research and helps build research capacities in developing countries. Established in 1952, the Council is governed by an international board of trustees. Its New York headquarters supports a global network of regional and country offices. We are seeking an individual to fill the position described. If you know of a qualified candidate or are interested in applying for this position, please send resume and cover letter referencing Job #69-08, Vietnam Country Director, to the attention of:

Benjamin Bilbao
Recruitment Manager
Population Council
One Dag Hammarskjold Plaza
New York, NY  10017

Fax: +1 646 277 8243
E-mail: jobs@popcouncil.org

The Population Council provides equal opportunity; it does not discriminate against any person with regard to age, color, creed, national origin, disability, political belief, veteran status, religion, marital status, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Decisions on employment are based on an individual’s qualifications as related to the position for which s/he is being considered. The Council has an affirmative action program and especially encourages applications from qualified women and members of minority groups. The Population Council is international in the composition of its board of trustees and its staff, as well as in the nature and deployment of its activities.

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