National Data Use and Quality Improvement Advisor

Company Overview:

About Palladium:

Palladium is a global company working to design, develop and deliver positive impact on the lives and livelihoods of people around the globe; broaden access to health, water, power, and infrastructure; build enduring, sustainable, and transformative institutions and market systems to address global challenges; and conserve the natural world. We operate in over 90 countries and have a workforce of 3,000 talented, motivated, and diverse staff of all religions, races, languages, and gender identities.

Palladium Americas:

Our Americas’ business team has brilliant and passionate colleagues working in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and North and South America as well as the Caribbean, fulfilling projects and assignments for clients from institutions, corporations, governments, and foundations based in the Americas. We have offices in Washington, DC, New York City, and Raleigh-Durham, NC.

Project Overview and Role:

Palladium is currently seeking a Data Use and Quality Improvement Advisor, Guatemala to support implementation of the Translating Data for Implementation (Data.FI) award. Data.FI is a five-year global project funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Data.FI partners with PEPFAR programs to accelerate and sustain access to high-quality data to expedite HIV and COVID-19 epidemic control and maintenance. Data.FI supports host country governments to enhance existing health information systems (HIS) and conduct in-depth analysis of epidemiologic and program data to inform management responses to gaps in programming and sustain impact by supporting local partner transition.
In Guatemala, Data.FI will lead a team of technical advisors with expertise in digital health and data analytics to support the government through USAID to better monitor and mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 and HIV epidemics. The Data Use and Analytics Advisor will be responsible for overseeing and providing expertise in strengthening the use of data for decision making. The Advisor will lead activities to develop high-impact analytical products (including dashboards, models, and maps) and strengthen and support the implementation of high impact data review structures (such as emergency operations centers or situation rooms), with a focus on COVID-19 vaccination and surveillance.
This position is based in Guatemala City, Guatemala. The initial position term is 12 months, with an extension dependent on continued project funding.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:​

• Serve as the Data.FI lead in technical working group meetings with the government and other stakeholders to review priority indicators, identify and define priority information needs, gather stakeholder requirements, and map data for data analysis and visualization products.
• Develop and/or strengthen a methodology for data review and use which identifies the root cause of performance problems and engages multiple stakeholders in corrective action planning.
• Leverage adult learning principles to create interactive sessions intended to engage critical thinking skills, encourage accountability, and be highly systematized for ease of replicability.
• Work with a team of data analysts, system architects, and data visualization specialists to apply a user-centered approach design, prototype, and iterate user-friendly on data analytic and visualization products
• Identifying and advise on mitigation strategies to address data limitations and data quality issues .
• Provide training, mentoring, and technical support to government counterparts, local partners and teams to strengthen capacity to manage, analyze and visualize data to inform program decisions
• Recruit, mentor and supervise field-based Data Use Officers
• Promote knowledge management efforts aimed at tracking impact of data use strategies. (Data Use Briefs).

Required Qualifications:

• A Master’s degree in public health, statistics, health informatics required; a Medical Degree with clinical experience preferred.
• At least 5 years’ experience promoting evidence-based decision making within health management or facility settings.
• Demonstrated skills in building the capacity of national, department, and municipality stakeholders in data demand and use, data communication, and advocacy for evidence-informed decision making. This includes strong skills in facilitating the interpretation and use of data by program managers.
• Familiarity working with data from national health information systems in Guatemala
• Experience working with government staff (at sub-national and national levels) in working in strategic information for health in Guatemala
• Demonstrated understanding of the COVID-19 data streams in Guatemala, and the information needs of stakeholders from the facility level through to the national level.
• Experience working at different levels of the health system, from the district to the national level, in Guatemala, including strong working relationships with government staffing working in strategic information, monitoring and evaluation, and informatics.
• Key competencies and professional experience required
• Strong cross-cultural, interpersonal, management and collaboration skills in highly complex structures involving multiple teams and stakeholders, with flexibility to work across time zones.
• Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational, stakeholder management and people skills required; existing relationships with USAID, MSPAS/SIGSA, PAHO, and other stakeholders an asset
• Highly self-motivated and able to work independently as well as in team settings
• Well-honed active listening skills, combined with a desire to actively coach, mentor, and provide thoughtful feedback to colleagues, peers, and subordinates
• Detail-oriented and deadline-driven with strong organizational skills and ability to work in a dynamic, fast-paced, and solution-focused environment with changing requirements and priorities.
• Ability to effectively write technical documents, lead meetings, conduct trainings and deliver presentations.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, TEAMS), experience with Global Goods and Business Intelligence tools an advantage.
• Professional level of oral and written fluency in both Spanish and English.
• Willingness to travel within Guatemala at least 25-30% of the time.
• Current legal authorization to work long-term in Guatemala.