ABT

Abt Associates is a specialist international health and social sector consulting company that provides services to public and private sector clients.  Abt Associates is a wholly owned Australian subsidiary of Abt Associates, regularly ranked as one of the top 20 global research firms and one of the top 40 international development innovators.  We provide a comprehensive range of services from policy to service delivery in the public and private sectors, contributing to long term benefits for clients and communities.  Abt Associates is an organisation that has a personal commitment to its staff and as such we value the long-term relationships that we build with the people who work for us.

Program Overview

Abt Associates is supporting the Ministry of Health to implement the ADB-funded Systems Strengthening for Effective Coverage of New Vaccines in the Pacific project. The project will introduce three new vaccines: HPV vaccine to prevent cervical cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) to prevent pneumonia and other diseases caused by the pneumococcal bacteria, and RV vaccine to prevent diarrhoea caused by rotavirus (RV).

The introduction of the three new vaccines into Tonga’s routine immunisation strategy is an important move in preventing disease and promoting health in the Tongan population. The position will be located within the Ministry of Health, working closely with counterparts in the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance, and UNICEF.

The Opportunity

Abt has two opportunities available in the IPM team in Tonga, one Public Health Officer and one Finance and Procurement Officer. The positions are full time until April 2023, with the possibility of extension to November 2023.

Key Duties

Public Health Officer

The officer will implement the project at the national level and support the Ministry of Health reporting primarily to the Project Director through the Chief Medical Officer Public Health and IPM Team Leader. The officer will perform a variety of implementation, monitoring, technical and administrative services in support of program activities. The officer will lead the national level implementation after the international expert’s contract has ended to support transition to Ministry of Health and sustainability of outcomes.

Finance and Procurement Officer

The officer will provide oversight on administrative, procurement, accounting and financial support to ensure national-level implementation of the Project. The officer will follow the Government of Tonga Treasury Instructions and the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) policies and operating procedures ensuring that funds used in Tonga are spent in alignment with Government of Tonga and ADB rules to allow enough financial resources for the successful implementation of the project. The officer will report primarily to the Deputy Director Budget & Finance within Ministry of Health and the IPM Finance and Procurement Specialist.

Both officers will comply with Ministry of Health, Abt Associates and ADB policies on gender, disability, fraud and anti-corruption, HIV and AIDS, child protection and the environment.

Further information regarding other key duties is included in the Information for Applicants in the ‘View Position Description’.

Key Requirements

Public Health Officer

  • Medical, or nursing and/or public health degree.
  • 5-8 years of experience working in a public health related field with a strong understanding of the maternal and child health and immunization programs;
  • Experience in immunization is preferable;
  • Fluent in English and capable of report writing;
  • Applicants who have been a Tongan public servant within the past 12 months are not eligible for this position.

Finance and Procurement Officer

  • 3-5 years’ experience in donor funded project in procurement and financial management;
  • Recognized graduate level qualification (Bachelor or master’s degree in Accounting);
  • Good English language skills (both written and spoken);
  • Familiarity with working on ADB projects will be an advantage; and
  • Experience working with government departments.
  • Applicants who have been a Tongan public servant within the past 12 months are not eligible for this position.

Further Information & Application

Further information regarding these opportunities can found on the Careers page of the Abt Associates website: https://www.abtassociates.com/careers

Applications should be submitted online via the Careers page of Abt Associates’ website and MUST include a CV and covering letter addressing the key requirements listed above.

Applications close: Monday 18th May – midnight (AEST)

We welcome and thank all applicants however; only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.