Animal Health Specialist - Volunteer Position - Onsite in Sierra Leone

Project description

Population Services International Sierra Leone (PSI SL) has requested the support of a Peace Corps Response Volunteer (PCRV) to serve as an Animal Health Specialist. The Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpiC) project is designed to provide strategic technical assistance and direct service delivery to achieve control of the HIV epidemic and promote self-reliant management of national HIV programs by improving HIV case finding, prevention, treatment programming, and viral load suppression. In April 2023, EpiC was modified for a broad range of Global Health Security preparedness and response, and the current objective is to gather data on the types of information already being collected for wildlife in targeted border areas and forests to enhance routine data sharing with the national One Health Platform, strengthen laboratory capacity in the animal health sector and improve service provider and consumer understanding of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

The PCRV will work in collaboration with the Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) Manager to collect, analyze, and synthesize information relating to the country’s animal health systems and identify opportunities and concrete entry points for PSI to contribute to the country’s efforts to identify and reduce risks of zoonotic disease spillover and AMR. The PCRV will also develop materials and innovative approaches to effectively build capabilities at assigned animal laboratories surveillance sites and other important sites.

Candidates selected for this position will be arriving in Sierra Leone together as a group, so while the departure dates for the whole group could change, dates cannot be changed for individual candidates.

Required Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in a field related to Environmental Studies and Climate Change.
• 2-3 years of experience supporting teams to deliver conservation projects and climate change interventions.
• Proficient communication skills
• Proficiency in English
• Interest in learning local languages and ability to adapt to regional settings
• Project development and management skills
  
  

Living conditions

Learn more about the Volunteer experience in Sierra Leone: Get detailed information on culture, communications, housing, and health/crime statistics in order to make a well-informed decision about serving.

Medical considerations

Before you apply, please review medical clearance and legal clearance to learn about the process.