Research and Policy Officer, HIV Programmes and Advocacy

About the IAS:

The mission of the International AIDS Society (IAS) is to lead collective action on every front of the global HIV response through its membership base, scientific authority, and convening power.

Founded in 1988, the IAS is the world’s largest association of HIV professionals, with members from more than 180 countries working on all fronts of the global AIDS response. Together, we advocate and drive urgent action to reduce the global impact of HIV.

The IAS is the steward of the world’s two most prestigious HIV conferences – the International AIDS Conference and the IAS Conference on HIV Science. These conferences have established a gold-standard meeting that convenes the world’s top scientists, civil society members and policymakers to jointly discuss the fight against HIV.

The IAS promotes and invests in HIV advocacy and research on key issue areas through our strategic programmes, initiatives, and campaigns that advocate for urgent action to reduce the global impact of HIV, including increased investment in HIV cure research; optimizing treatment and care for infants, children and adolescents with HIV in resource-limited settings; preventing and treating HIV-related co-infections; and expanding access to prevention, treatment and care for key populations at higher risk for HIV – such as men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, sex workers and transgender individuals – including protecting their human rights by combatting punitive laws and discriminatory policies.

More information on IAS can be found at www.iasociety.org.

Details of Employment:

The Research and Policy Officer, HIV Programmes and Advocacy position will be based in Geneva, Switzerland. The position is open-ended and full-time to start as soon as possible.

Purpose of the Position:

The IAS HIV Programmes and Advocacy department works to promote the implementation of evidence-informed and human rights-based strategies for improving the lives of people living with and most vulnerable to acquiring HIV. This position will form a critical part of the IAS HIV Co-Infections and Co-Morbidities (HCC) portfolio which works to advance research, advocate for sound policies that allow equitable access to care, and remove structural barriers in at least three areas: HIV and hepatitis co-infection, tuberculosis co‑infection and co-morbidity with non-communicable diseases. HCC recognizes synergies as well as overlapping populations and service delivery needs across these diverse disease areas. In addition, this position will support work across a number of programme areas including on differentiated care that works to increase the scale up of differentiated service delivery to improve access to and quality of care services for people living with HIV.

The Research and Policy Officer will focus on HIV and co-infection, and address policy, research and structural barriers that impede uptake of and access to comprehensive integrated services. This includes providing technical guidance on a portfolio of activities in:

• HIV co-infections and co-morbidities (including hepatitis, non-communicable diseases, and tuberculosis)
• models of integrated service delivery (including integration of HIV, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and universal health coverage), and access to new diagnostic technologies, prevention and treatment, and
• research support for key programmes and cross-cutting themes of gender, human rights, and youth.

The incumbent will be responsible for organizing expert consultations and events, drafting policy statements/papers, developing and implementing research promotion and advocacy projects.

Main Responsibilities:

• HIV and global health integration
  • Develop and sustain IAS work on HIV and co-infections such as viral hepatitis, tuberculosis, and non-communicable diseases
  • Develop and sustain IAS work on HIV and sexual and reproductive health and rights
  • Develop and sustain IAS work on universal health coverage
  • Provide strategic advice on HIV, co-infections, harm reduction and sexual and reproductive health and rights
  • Maintain expertise on the latest research, science and debates in HIV, co-infections, harm reduction, sexual and reproductive health and rights, new diagnostic technologies and treatment pipelines
  • Build sustainable relations with key stakeholders and recruit new partners to align with evolving advocacy priorities
  • Report activities and progress through newsletters, conference calls, webinars, reports, and other tools
  • Write documents (briefings, reports, white papers, scientific articles) as needed and implement effective advocacy on priority issues and campaigns
  • Lead on policy advice and partner liaison regarding hepatitis, harm reduction and human rights relating to communities most affected by HIV co-infections
  • Mobilize resources to support this work (with the Development and Performance Department).

• Research, monitoring and evaluation for the HIV Programmes and Advocacy Department
  • Coordinate the development and updating of departmental of success measures and key performance indicators
  • Provide strategic, scientific input to IAS Staff
  • Coordinate the duties of interns, assistants and consultants, when necessary.

Perform any additional tasks requested by the Director and/or Deputy Director, HIV Programmes and Advocacy.

Academic Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or PhD in biomedical sciences, health sciences, public health or other relevant field aligned with IAS priorities.

Work Experience:

• Significant experience in a similar position working in HIV, tuberculosis, hepatitis, sexual and reproductive health and rights, harm reduction, and/or global public health
• Experience in organizing and facilitating events, roundtables etc
• Experience in managing complex project budgets and work plans
• Experience working with a diversity of community stakeholders and decision makers
• Experience in scientific research and academic writing and publishing.

Skills/Competencies:

• Strong stakeholder management and service-oriented approach
• Excellent communication, organizational, multi-tasking, problem-solving and project management skills, with the ability to maintain quality under pressure
• Ability to work independently and as part of a very diverse team
• Meticulous attention to details
• Solid understanding of scientific research, including capacity to understand and monitor innovations in research, development and new technologies HIV co-infections and co-morbidities
• Applied knowledge of HIV, models of integration, and/or co-infections (including the industry landscape) in a global health context.

Languages:

• Advanced level English. Knowledge of other languages is an asset.

How to Apply:

Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV and a cover letter, in English and by email only, to recruitment@iasociety.org. The applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Only candidates from Switzerland, from an EU/EFTA country or candidates already having a valid Swiss working permit will be considered.

IAS employees are evidence-based, human rights-focused, inclusive and accountable partners in the HIV response. Candidates should display genuine commitment to IAS values (learn more here).

The IAS is committed to recruiting and sustaining a skilled, effective, diverse and gender-balanced secretariat, and to the greater involvement of people living with HIV (GIPA) in all aspects of its work. People living with or affected by HIV are strongly encouraged to apply.