JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
Position: Food Safety Technical Advisor; Program Research Officer; Senior Advisor
Project: Building Healthy Cities

The East Meets West Foundation (EMWF), “the foundation for learning, healing and health", is a US-based non-governmental organization that assists disadvantaged communities in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia through programs in education, health, clean water and sanitation. Founded in 1988, EMW has a 32-year track record of innovative and effective work in Vietnam and a vast portfolio of completed projects. EMW projects and programs are known for their high quality, long -term sustainability, emphasis on results, and significant scale.

East Meets West Foundation is in partnership with John Snow Inc. (US), a health care consulting and research organization dedicated to improving the health of individuals and communities in the U.S. and around the world, to implement the “Building Health Cities (BHC)” project in Da Nang city.

Building Healthy Cities (BHC), a five-year project funded by USAID, aims to embed a health equity lens into city policies, planning, and services while improving data flow for existing Smart Cities in India, Indonesia and Vietnam. Health and Smart Cities planning are related; decisions about transport, environment, sanitation, education, recreation, information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure, and the built environment can have a major impact on health, despite being outside of the health sector. When this decision-making is harmonized, it can improve access to health services, decrease lifestyle and environmental risk factors for poor nutrition and non-communicable diseases, reduce speed of transmission during infectious disease outbreaks, and increase availability of usable data for urban health decision-making.

Building Healthy Cities will work in partnership with Smart Cities initiatives and urban health coordination structures to add value via improved health goals and metrics in proposed infrastructure and ICT projects, enhance interoperability of data systems, and increased efficiency of multi-sector urban spending. In addition, Building Healthy Cities can help Smart City citizens of every demographic have a voice in the process through integration of a mobile citizen reporting system. Our goal is to integrate health within the Smart City context, reduce time and costs of producing data for decision-making, and empower citizens to demand better health-related services.
I. Position: Food Safety Technical Advisor
As laid out in the work plan, BHC will provide technical support to the city of Da Nang in the following key actions: food safety, health surveillance in the Education system, and tourism (air pollution and waste management). BHC will work with the Departments of Information and Communication (DIC), Education and Training (DOET), Natural Resources and Environment (DONRE), and Tourism (DOT) as well as the Food Safety Management Authority to complete these activities. Under the sector of food safety, BHC will support evidence-based decision-making through mapping processes to improve food safety and hygiene across the city as well as support trainings and the creation of new materials on food safety for teachers and students.

East Meets West Foundation is seeking a BHC Food Safety Technical Advisor based in Danang to provide specialized expertise in food safety to the Da Nang city team as well as the Project Director (PD, USA) and Deputy Director (DD, India). Work can be completed in Da Nang or remotely.

BHC’s purpose in completing this activity is to improve BHC capacity to deliver on the objectives of its work plan, specifically to:
• Healthier city policies, planning, and services provided with an increased focus on equity
• Knowledge transfer created to inform a scalable, sustainable urban health and food safety approach
Specific for Food Safety, the workplan puts forward the following proposals:
• Use data on food safety, making it public for locals and tourists to select “qualified” restaurants and suitable dishes.
• Support to develop a thematic webpage on food safety in schools on the website of Department of Education and Training or of Food Safety Management Authority
• Support to create video animations to provide instructions/guidance on school food safety
• Support to conduct training and ICE sessions on food safety for teachers and students in schools

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

A – Key Duties and Responsibilities:

The incumbent is supposed to fulfil the following key duties and responsibilities which include but are not limited to:

• Provide technical expertise in consumer and retail food safety and hygiene for BHC Danang activities.
• In concert with Senior Advisor, Liaise with FSMA and other departments to finalize TORs for food safety activities.
• Assist in developing memorandums of understanding with government, private sector entities, and local institutions partnering with BHC.
• Comply with rules and regulations of the Project Authorities and comply with local laws.
• Keep the Senior Advisor, EMWF leadership, and Deputy Project Director apprised on complex and/or sensitive issues and work closely with the country support team to troubleshoot these and identify the appropriate course of action.
• Monitor progress of assigned activities against targets; take corrective action where necessary to realize project commitments.
• Attend BHC staff meetings on regular basis to share and receive information across country teams.
Specific technical activities would include:
• Create and manage content and consultants on activity relating to making data on food safety public for locals and tourists.
• Create and manage content and consultants on activity relating to develop a thematic webpage on food safety in schools that aims to increase awareness and action for health
• Create and manage content and consultants on activity relating to content design of food safety messages with illustrative images, etc. suitable for student age.
• Create and manage content and consultants on activity relating to developing video animations (3-5 minutes each) to provide guidance on food safety in schools
• In concert with FSMA and DOET, design and carry out training and ICE sessions in schools to increase awareness about food safety and advocate for a good foundation for health (prevention against food related diseases such as cholera or food to increase child nutrition (iron/calcium-rich food, etc.)

B- Qualifications and Required Competencies:

The successful candidate is required to have:
• Advanced (MS or Phd) degree in food science, agribusiness, agriculture economics, or relevant field; or Bachelors with 10+years of experience
• A minimum of five years of experience in technical assessment, design and implementation of food safety/hygiene projects in Vietnam;
• Prior experience leading food safety and hygiene assessments, trainings, or projects is strongly preferred;
• Strong understanding of assessment of food safety context in Danang and behavior change methods for improving food safety and hygiene among food handlers and consumers;
• Experience in childhood education programs/school-based food safety education;
• Demonstrated experience in working with DOET, FSMA, or other related government partners preferred;
• Demonstrated strong interpersonal skills and the ability to develop collaborative relationships;
• Strong networking skills with senior government officials, NGOs and private sector.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills required (excellent in Vietnamese, proficient in English) and ability to make high quality presentations to senior officials.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office required.

Salary and benefits will be determined based on experience and qualifications.

II. Position: Program Research Officer
East Meets West Foundation is seeking a Program Research Officer based in Danang, to support the BHC operations in the city. S/he will be primarily responsible for supporting the BHC Project Manager on all aspects of project research, reporting, and coordination with key officials in various sectors including Smart City Project authorities, Municipal Corporation, health, urban development, environment, transport, data systems, NGOs/CSO and other stakeholders. The Research Officer will be a member of the team in the project. Day-to-day oversight will be provided by BHC Project Manager under the directions of the EMWF/ Thrive Networks CEO/Country Director and in her absence the Deputy Country Director.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

A – Key Duties and Responsibilities:

The incumbent is supposed to fulfil the following key duties and responsibilities which include but are not limited to:

1. Project research, data collection, reporting (60%)

• Be a lead focal point in conducting (primary/secondary/monitoring) data collection, preliminary data analysis and management, and reporting; Ensure to uphold the quality and standards expected of USAID projects during these assignments;
Specifically:
o Conduct quarterly Journey maps;
o Facilitate/support Systems map processes
o Conduct policy briefs, literature review
• Conduct other research related to program activities in line with the donor’s requests.

2. Project Management, Coordination, Communication, and External Relationship (30%)
• Support the management of day-to-day activities of the Project aligned with project expectations and approved global and city work plans;
• Assist in developing memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with government, private sector entities, and local institutions partnering with BHC.
• Keep the City Project Manager and the BHC/ JSI Deputy Project Director apprised on complex and/or sensitive issues and work closely with the country support team to troubleshoot these and identify the appropriate course of action.
• Support in identifying effective communication mechanisms to ensure proper brand identification at the city level and increase visibility of BHC work and success stories at both local and State level.
• Assist to monitor progress of assigned activities against targets; take corrective action where necessary to realize project commitments;
• Provide day-to-day support for Communication, Admin. and Finance Assistant
• Support the facilitation of project events such as meetings and workshops, study tours, donor/guests visit(s) and the like.

3. Other support (10%)

• Attend BHC/EMWF/partners meetings on regular basis to share and receive information across country teams.
• Comply with rules and regulations of the organization (EMWF), donors and comply with local laws.
• Be ready to act as a substitute or temporary focal point as designated
• Other tasks that are requested from time to time

B- Qualifications and Required Competencies:

EMW seeks a results-oriented individual with the ability to produce high quality deliverables, managing multiple concurrent tasks, and meet tight deadlines with attention to detail. The successful candidate is required to have:
• Postgraduate degree in Public Health, Sociology, Social Work, Economics, Health Management, Administration or related fields;
• Three to five years of experience of working in public health, urban development, administration or related fields desirable;
• Ability to network with senior government officials, NGOs and private sector;
• Substantial experience in basic (quantitative and qualitative) research activities primarily in the societal and environmental field that include but are not limited to data collection, analysis, synthesis; literature/desktop review; command of statistics Software like STATA or SPSS;
• Excellent oral and writing skills (both in English and Vietnamese) and analytical thinking;
• Proficiency in Computer skill (MS Office Suite) required;
• Proven ability to work independently to create relationships and networks with government entities and utilize them to achieve objectives;
• Hands-on experience and strong facilitation and presentation skills, especially in workshops, group discussions, etc.
• Very strong team spirit
• Based in Danang with occasional travel as needed.

Salary and benefits will be determined based on experience and qualifications.

III. Position: Senior Advisor
As laid out in the work plan, BHC will provide technical support to the city of Da Nang in the following key actions: food safety, health surveillance in the Education system, and tourism (air pollution and waste management). BHC will work with the Departments of Information and Communication (DIC), Education and Training (DOET), Natural Resources and Environment (DONRE), and Tourism (DOT) as well as the Food Safety Management Authority to complete these activities.

In order to manage the operations of BHC project in Da Nang city, East Meets West Foundation is seeking a BHC Senior Advisor based in Danang. S/He will coordinate with key officials in various sectors including city authorities, municipal bodies, health, urban development, environment, transport, data systems, NGOs/CSOs and other stakeholders. The Senior Advisor will be the lead staff member of a team of three in Danang, under the direction of the Deputy Project Director, with terminal oversight provided by the BHC Project Director and technical connections to other global staff.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

A – Key Duties and Responsibilities:

The incumbent is supposed to fulfil the following key duties and responsibilities which include but are not limited to:

• Manage day-to-day activities of the Project in Danang, aligned with project expectations and approved global and city work plans.
• Actively create and seek out positive government interactions and build relationships as senior technical representative of the Project in Danang. Primary sectors to be engaged include Departments of Information and Communication (DIC), Department of Foreign Affairs (DOFA), Education and Training (DOET), Natural Resources and Environment (DONRE), and Tourism (DOT) as well as the Food Safety Management Authority .
• Assist in developing memorandums of understanding with government, private sector entities, and local institutions partnering with BHC.
• Comply with rules and regulations of the Project Authorities and comply with local laws.
• Provide technical expertise to BHC leadership on best ways to engage city government on key topics.
• Keep the EMWF CEO, Deputy Project Director, and Project Director apprised on complex and/or sensitive issues and work closely with the country support team to troubleshoot these and identify the appropriate course of action.
• Monitor progress of assigned activities against targets; take corrective action where necessary to realize project commitments.
• Work in conjunction with local university partner (Danang University) to support dissemination of systems mapping research results.
• Attend BHC staff meetings on regular basis to share and receive information across country teams.
• Travel as needed to participate in global BHC events (pending relaxation of COVID-19 travel restrictions).

B- Qualifications and Required Competencies:

The successful candidate is required to have:
• Advanced (MS or Phd) degree in urban planning, urban health, education, environment & natural resources, environmental health, and food safety, tourism
• A minimum of 15 years of experience, and minimum 5 years in municipal government in Vietnam;
• Demonstrated experience in leading teams in the areas of urban planning, urban health, education, environment & natural resources, environmental health, and food safety, tourism etc.
• Demonstrated experience in working within Danang city government from one of the BHC-related departments;
• Demonstrated strong interpersonal skills and the ability to develop collaborative relationships;
• Strong networking skills with senior government officials, NGOs and private sector.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills and ability to make high quality presentations to senior officials.
• Demonstrated ability to interact with key stakeholders in the city.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office required
• Very strong team spirit
• Based in Danang with occasional travel as needed.

Salary and benefits will be determined based on experience and qualifications

All interested candidates are welcome to contact and submit their applications to: Service Center for Da Nang Foreign Affairs - 19A Le Hong Phong Street, Hai Chau District, Da Nang City
Or to email address: quanlylaodongscedfa@danang.gov.vn; Tel: (0236) 3552343
The deadline for the above position is 29th October 2020.