The Technical Advisor will be hired by Vital Strategies and seconded to the CDC Foundation, supporting lead poisoning prevention by strengthening laboratory capacity in Brazil.

About Vital Strategies

Vital Strategies is a global public health organization. Our programs strengthen public health systems and address the world’s leading causes of illness, injury and death. We currently work in more than 80 countries, supporting data-driven decision-making in government, advancing evidence-based public health policies, and mounting strategic communication campaigns. Vital Strategies’ priorities are driven by the greatest potential to improve and save lives. They include noncommunicable disease prevention, tobacco control, road safety, alcohol policy, food policy, overdose prevention, environmental health, and data for health. Our programs are primarily concentrated in low- and middle-income countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific; the Overdose Prevention Program is our first initiative in the U.S.

The Vital Strategies office in Brazil supports municipal, state, and federal governments in addressing the main causes of preventable illness and death. We have worked with the cities of Belo Horizonte, Fortaleza, Goiânia, Natal, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, São Paulo, Recife, and Campinas; the states of Ceará, São Paulo, Rio Grande do Norte, and Rio Grande do Sul; the Ministry of Health; state and municipal health secretariat consortia (respectively Conass and Conasems); the National Front of Mayors; and civil society partners.

Vital Strategies is committed to promoting equal opportunity and fostering the inclusion of groups historically underrepresented in the workforce. As part of our commitment to advancing racial equity in Brazil, we strongly encourage applications from Black candidates (pretos and pardos) and other individuals from historically underrepresented groups.

About CDCF

The CDC Foundation helps the public health system save and improve lives by unleashing the power of collaboration between government agencies, philanthropies, corporations, organizations and individuals to protect the health, safety and security of communities across the globe. The CDC Foundation is the go-to nonprofit authorized by the U.S. Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners and private-sector resources to support critical health protection initiatives. The CDC Foundation manages hundreds of programs each year impacting a variety of health threats from chronic disease conditions including cardiovascular disease and cancer to infectious diseases like rotavirus and HIV, to emergency responses, including COVID-19 and Ebola. Visit www.cdcfoundation.org for more information.”

About this Position

The Technical Advisor will be hired and employed by Vital Strategies and seconded to the CDC Foundation where they will work as an integrated member of the Lead Poisoning Prevention technical team. In this capacity, the role will collaborate closely with the CDC Foundation lead poisoning prevention team, subject-matter experts, and country partners to advance laboratory capacity building and lead exposure prevention efforts in Brazil.

Applications must be submitted in English to be considered.

Job Purpose

The Technical Advisor, Lead Laboratory Capacity Building in Brazil provides technical support and ensures in-country coordination for a global initiative aimed at strengthening laboratory capacity for blood lead level testing. The initiative supports improvements in systems, standards, and practices for blood lead level testing to enable early detection and monitoring of lead exposure, particularly in countries with a high burden of lead poisoning.

The Technical Advisor will work closely with national and subnational laboratories, government counterparts, implementing partners, and regional or international reference laboratories. They will ensure effective implementation of laboratory capacity building activities in Brazil, facilitate alignment among partners, and serve as a key liaison among country partners, laboratories, and the CDC Foundation technical team based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Duties and Responsibilities

Technical Advisory and Laboratory Capacity Strengthening

• Serve as the primary in-country technical specialist for laboratory capacity building related to blood lead level testing.

• Lead or support technical assessments of laboratories, including systems, workflows, quality assurance practices, standards, and technical gaps.

• Provide hands-on technical guidance on testing protocols, quality management systems, equipment use, and laboratory data practices.

• Support the development and implementation of laboratory strengthening plans, technical roadmaps, and continuous improvement initiatives.

National Coordination and Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as the main country focal point for the program in Brazil, ensuring alignment among government counterparts, laboratories, implementing partners, and global technical teams.

• Facilitate regular coordination meetings with national and subnational stakeholders and technical partners.

• Strengthening linkages between participating laboratories and regional or international reference laboratories, including coordination of proficiency testing and external quality assurance activities.

Implementation, Monitoring, and Reporting

• Support logistics and preparation for technical assistance activities, trainings, workshops, and site visits across Brazil.

• Monitor progress against program milestones, benchmarks, and deliverables.

• Identify implementation risks and challenges and propose mitigation strategies in coordination with the technical team.

• Prepare technical reports, briefing notes, presentations, and other materials for internal leadership, donors, and partners.

Global Technical Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing

• Work closely with senior technical specialists and global teams to ensure alignment with overall technical strategies and international standards.

• Contribute to documentation of lessons learned, best practices, and technical knowledge to inform regional and global initiatives.

• Represent the program in relevant national, regional, and international meetings related to lead poisoning prevention and laboratory systems.

• Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor to support effective program delivery and organizational objectives.

• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education and degree

• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree in public health, laboratory sciences, clinical chemistry, environmental health, toxicology, or a related field strongly preferred.

Skills & abilities

Required

• Ability to translate complex analytical findings into clear, actionable recommendations for diverse audiences.

• Effective communication skills for both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• Strong understanding of laboratory operations, quality management systems, and clinical testing workflows.

• Ability to provide independent technical guidance while aligning with global strategies and senior leadership direction.

• Proven coordination, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement skills.

• Strong analytical, organizational, and technical documentation abilities.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Ability to work effectively in multicultural and cross-sector environments.

• Ability to fluently communicate in both Portuguese and English.

Preferred Skills

• Strong epidemiological analysis skills, including data cleaning, validation, and interpretation.

• Proficiency in analytical and statistical software (e.g., Power BI, R, SAS, Stata, Tableau, Markdown).

• Ability to design and manage analytical datasets, dashboards, and data visualization tools.

• Understanding of database architecture, data integration, and information management workflows.

Experience

Required:

• Minimum of eight years of relevant experience with a bachelor's degree or 5 years of relevant experience with a master's degree or higher. Relevant experience includes public health, laboratory systems, environmental health, or global health programs.

• Demonstrated experience providing technical assistance and supporting capacity strengthening initiatives.

• Experience working with government counterparts, national laboratories, and public health institutions.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:

• This position is based in Brasilia, Brazil, under a hybrid work arrangement.

• Full-time position under the Brazilian Labor Law (Consolidation of Labor Laws) framework.

• Flexibility to collaborate with colleagues across time zones.

• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally (estimated up to 25%).

#LI-Hybrid