Lead Poisoning Surveillance Coordinators

1. POSITION(S) VACANT: Lead Poisoning Surveillance Coordinators, Vital Strategies India Services Private Limited (VSISPL), 5 Vacancies: Madhya Pradesh: 1, Karnataka: 2 and Gujarat: 2

2. ORGANISATIONAL AND PROJECT BACKGROUND:

Vital Strategies India Services Private Limited (VSISPL), is a social enterprise focused on strengthening and revitalizing public health systems to address the leading causes of death, disease, and injury. VSISPL deploys unique world-class technical expertise and global experience to design and support scalable solutions that can bridge the gap between public health needs and their solutions, focusing on rapid, large-scale impact. It leverages its core strengths in the areas of public health intelligence to strengthen the collection and use of data for informed government action, strategic communication to build awareness and behaviour change, institutional strengthening, and innovative financing. In addition to our topical areas of focus – noncommunicable diseases, environmental health and climate change, injury prevention, and social determinants of health VSISPL also prioritize work that aims to strengthen the fundamental, foundational dimensions of public health practice that enable governments to tackle and respond to any public health challenge.

For more information about Vital Strategies, visit https://www.vitalstrategies.org/

Project Background:

Lead Poisoning Prevention Program: The Lead poisoning is a widespread but preventable crisis that affects millions—particularly children—leading to severe cognitive, developmental, and lifelong health consequences. Vital Strategies is expanding its program that addresses the issue of lead poisoning in low- and middle-income countries.

Vital Strategies plans to build upon existing efforts and interest by collaborating with governmental agencies in more Indian states to strengthen health systems and build local expertise in lead poisoning prevention to enact sound, cost-effective policies to address exposures.

3. JOB DESCRIPTION/ RESPONSIBILITIES:

Reporting to the State Program Manager, the Lead Poisoning Surveillance Coordinators- Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (LPSCs-LPPP) will be seconded into the local state health departments, or related health agency, and work closely with the state health department to design, support, and monitor state-wide blood lead surveillance and related activities. This position will provide programmatic and operational support, maintain partnerships with key stakeholders, and plan and organize state workshops.

Key Responsibilities:

(A) Stakeholder Engagement:

(1) Serve as a liaison between the government/state health department and Vital Strategies, facilitating communication and collaboration;
(2) Work with appropriate authorities to support the formation of a state technical working group;
(3) Coordinate with all key stakeholders to ensure regular and timely communication and progress of the project;

(B) Technical Support:

(1) Provide technical support for the state technical working group and other key stakeholders to develop a statewide blood lead surveillance framework;
(2) Seek and incorporate technical input from key stakeholders on the surveillance framework and support the standardization of surveillance procedures;
(3) Provide technical assistance to district-level health officials and frontline workers;
(4) Assist in developing state-level strategies and action plans for reducing lead poisoning;
(5) Coordinate and conduct training sessions for health staff, laboratory staff, and field teams on blood lead surveillance procedures.

(C) Program Management and Implementation:
(1) Monitor and oversee district and field surveillance teams, track data collection progress, and identify challenges for efficient implementation;
(2) Conduct field visits for on-ground supervision and to ensure data quality;
(3) Conduct data analysis and prepare presentations, technical and non-technical reports for routine review and decision-making;
(4) Coordinate state and district-level meetings and events (e.g., workshops, webinars);
(5) Support dissemination of surveillance findings to key stakeholders.

(D) Administrative and Operational:

(1) Manage program-related operations by assisting with project start-up, logistics, contracting, expense and activity monitoring and reporting, and procurement activities with support from the associate;
(2) Line reporting through the State Program Manager with technical guidance and direction from Vital Strategies;
(3) Assist with other duties assigned by the supervisor.

4. QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND COMPETENCIES:

Qualifications:
(1) Applicants with a postgraduate degree in Public Health, Environmental Health Science, Epidemiology, Health Policy, or a related field, shall be strongly preferred. An MBBS degree will be an advantage.

(2) Candidates with a Bachelor’s degree in Dental Science, Life Sciences, or Environmental Science, along with prior experience in public health programs, government health systems, or environmental health projects, may also be considered.

Experience:

Required:

(1) Six to seven years of relevant experience required, with at least two years at the state level;
(2) Two or more years of experience in data management and analysis related to public health or environmental health;

(3) Experience working with government health departments, health facilities and ability to navigate government systems;

(4) Experience working with statistical software such as R, SAS, SPSS, Stata;

(5) Experience in conducting training sessions for health officials, laboratory staff, and frontline workers;

(6) Experience in organizing meetings, workshops, and discussions.

Preferred:

(1) Proven capacity to work within the state health department and to interact with public servants and heads of department;

(2) Experience in designing or implementing surveillance or statewide health surveys;

(3) Experience in conducting and managing surveillance programs at the state level or experience in managing health-related surveys;

(4) Experience in large health data or data visualization tools;

(5) Experience in using project management platforms such as Monday or Airtable.

Skills and Competencies:
(1) Demonstrated familiarity with public health systems, health programs, and disease surveillance programs;

(2) Strong interpersonal and team-building skills to foster trust, facilitate collaboration among stakeholders, and communicate effectively with interdisciplinary teams;

(3) Proven ability to plan, execute, and monitor public health programs at the state level;

(4) Excellent verbal and written communication skills to engage diverse audiences.
(5) Professional oral and written proficiency in English, Hindi, and the state native language.

(6) Ability to interpret public health data, generate insights, and effectively communicate findings with stakeholders;

(7) Strong skills in managing multiple tasks and program logistics. Ability to anticipate challenges and develop solutions. Self-motivated, proactive, and able to work independently while coordinating with multiple teams;

(8) Passion for addressing environmental health challenges and improving community well- being;

(9) Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook).

Other Requirements:

(1) Flexibility to collaborate with colleagues across time zones;

(2) Willingness to work onsite at the State Health Department or other relevant health agency in close coordination with the government;

(3) Readiness to travel for in-person meetings and field visits as needed;

(4) Field-based role with a preference for local candidates with state-level experience; the position is expected to be based at the designated State Health Department and may involve work-from-home.

5. COMPENSATION OFFERED

Gross compensation budgeted for the position ranges from INR 19,77,500/- to 24,90,000/- Please note that the offer made to the selected candidate shall be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

6. LOCATION AND NUMBER OF VACANCIES: 5 Vacancies: Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh (1), Bengaluru, Karnataka (2) and Ahmedabad/ Gandhinagar, Gujarat (2)

7. REFERENCE: LPSC-LPPP-VSISPL

8. CONTACT INFORMATION:

Team SAMS
Strategic Alliance Management Services P Ltd.
1/1B, Choudhary Hetram House, Bharat Nagar 
New Friends Colony, New Delhi 110 025
Phone Nos.: 011- 4081 9900; 4165 3612

9. APPLICATION PROCESS:

Eligible candidates interested in the position are requested to submit their resumes along with a cover letter, at the earliest.

Due to the urgency of the position, interviews may be scheduled even before the closure of advertisement.  Hence, interested candidates are encouraged to apply at the earliest.

Vital Strategies is an equal opportunity employer that welcomes applicants from all backgrounds. The organization is committed to fostering a respectful and inclusive workplace, free from discrimination and harassment.

Vital Strategies maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy toward sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse by any employee, partner, or representative. All final candidates are subject to thorough vetting.

To support employee well-being, Vital Strategies offers a strong retirement plan, flexible reimbursement options, comprehensive healthcare, and generous paid leave.