What are the responsibilities and job description for the Technical Specialist in Project and Data Management position at VITASTRA?
Job Brief
Technical Specialist in Project and Data Management
Vital Strategies is an organization committed to promoting equal opportunity and the inclusion of historically underrepresented groups in the workforce.
This is a CLT (Brazilian labor law) position based in our Brasília office. Vital Strategies offers a highly competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package, including medical and dental insurance, meal vouchers, home office allowance, Wellhub (formerly Gympass), among others.
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. Please visit our website at www.vitalstrategies.org to find out more about our work. 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 the inclusion of groups historically underrepresented in the workforce. Applications must be submitted in English to be considered. This position will remain open until July 9. |
Job Purpose
The Specialist will coordinate activities across internal teams and external partners, engage with government and intersectoral stakeholders, and ensure compliance with organizational policies and regulatory frameworks. A key focus of the role is generating and applying evidence to inform public health policy by integrating and analyzing diverse data sources, developing indicators and monitoring frameworks, and producing high-quality technical documentation, reports, and data visualizations.
The Specialist will contribute to capacity building, support technical communication efforts, and assist in the administrative and financial coordination of project activities, ensuring the timely delivery of outputs, adherence to budgets, and the achievement of program milestones.The Technical Specialist in Project and Data Management will provide technical, operational, and analytical support to the implementation of Noncommunicable Disease (NCD) Program initiatives. The role ensures effective project cycle management including planning, execution, monitoring, and reporting in alignment with institutional objectives, donor requirements, and national priorities.
The Specialist will contribute to capacity building, support technical communication efforts, and assist in the administrative and financial coordination of project activities, ensuring the timely delivery of outputs, adherence to budgets, and the achievement of program milestones.he Specialist will coordinate activities across internal teams and external partners, engage with government and intersectoral stakeholders, and ensure compliance with organizational policies and regulatory frameworks. A key focus of the role is generating and applying evidence to inform public health policy by integrating and analyzing diverse data sources, developing indicators and monitoring frameworks, and producing high-quality technical documentation, reports, and data visualizations.
The Specialist will contribute to capacity building, support technical communication efforts, and assist in the administrative and financial coordination of project activities, ensuring the timely delivery of outputs, adherence to budgets, and the achievement of program milestones.
Duties and Responsibilities
Project and Technical Management
- Support the implementation of NCD projects, ensuring alignment with institutional objectives, timelines, and deliverables agreed upon with national and international partners;
- Support the development and execution of action plans, communication strategies, providing technical expertise in the formulation of strategies and outreach materials;
- Engage and coordinate with public sector stakeholders and intersectoral partners to present, monitor, and expand initiatives, fostering institutional dialogue;
- Organize and maintain project operational systems, including files, calendars, institutional accounts, and collaboration tools;
- Participate in technical meetings, workshops, and other programmatic activities, contributing to process systematization and the development of guidelines and technical frameworks;
- Collaborate with internal teams, global technical technical experts and external partners, ensuring consistent communication and alignment across projects and initiatives;
- Support the preparation of technical documentation of projects, including process records, technical and programmatic reports, institutional publications, and contributions to articles and technical communication products;
- Assist in the preparation and technical review of documents such as Terms of Reference (TORs), project proposals, work plans, and consultancy reports;
- Monitor the progress of deliverables outlined in contractual instruments, assisting in the technical reporting process;
- Ensure compliance with organizational policies, donor regulations, and national laws, including accurate documentation, financial tracking, and timely reporting of project activities and expenditures.
Monitoring, Evaluation and Evidence Generation
- Interpret primary and secondary databases such as population surveys and national health information systems to inform evidence-based public policies;
- Provide technical assistance to government officials, program managers and country, global and intersectoral teams in policy formulation, planning, and evaluation of NCD-related actions;
- Develop and maintain indicator frameworks and composite indices, conducting simulations and proposing technical updates for results monitoring;
- Map and systematize data sources and indicators with a focus on intersectionality and social determinants of health;
- Given imputs for the development of dashboards, data visualizations and analytical tools in coordination with public institutions (Ministry of Health, states, municipalities), promoting the strategic use of information;
- Plan and support technical capacity-building activities for stakeholders, including workshops, training sessions, technical meetings, and pedagogical support materials;
- Respond to media and institutional communication requests, providing data analyses and evidence-based information while ensuring quality control and appropriate messaging;
- Assist with scientific research conducted or supported by Vital Strategies, from methodological design through analysis and dissemination of results;
- Contribute to the development of new analytical studies, including exploratory analyses and health systems databases, with practical applications for policy development.
Administrative and Operational Management
- Support the logistical organization of meetings, technical events, training sessions, and workshops in coordination with Vital Strategies' administrative and operational teams;
- Track the processing and organization of institutional and contractual documents related to assigned projects;
- Coordinate the flow of information with financial and operational support teams, ensuring compliance with internal procedures;
- Support the monitoring and tracking of project-related expenses, ensuring adherence to budgets, timelines, and institutional guidelines;
- Utilize internal administrative management systems and platforms, contributing to the efficiency of work processes.
Qualifications
Education:
- Bachelor's degree in health sciences, Data Science, Statistics, Public Policy, Government Studies, or equivalent experience in a related field;
- Preffered: Postgraduate degree in a relevant area (e.g., Public Health, Epidemiology, Public Policy, Data Science, Government Studies, etc.).
Experience:
Required:
- Senior-level experience in managing public health initiatives, with demonstrated expertise in surveillance, monitoring, evaluation, and evidence-based policy-making;
- Proven experience in analyzing and using primary and secondary data, especially in contexts related to Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs);
- Technical experience working with government institutions, including support for decision-making, indicator development, and health action planning;
- Proven experience producing technical reports, programmatic documents, and strategic inputs for diverse audiences (institutional, academic, media);
- Practical knowledge of project management platforms (such as Airtable, Monday, Trello, or similar);
- Experience in collaborative, multidisciplinary, and intersectorial project environments.
Preferred:
- Previous work in project focusing on social determinants of health and risk factor intersectionality;
- Experience in providing technical support for data and evidence communication, including interaction with the media and the general public;
- Participation in scientific research, from methodological design to analysis and results dissemination;
- Experience in budget execution tracking or providing technical-financial support for public health projects.
Skills & Abilities:
- Ability to organize and coordinate multiple projects simultaneously;
- Clear and effective communication skills in both Portuguese and English (oral and written);
- Solid understanding of public health policies and the national NCD landscape;
- Ability to produce technical and institutional materials targeting various audiences (policymakers, civil society, media, academia);
- Strong ability to build and maintain institutional relationships with multiple stakeholders, including in intersectoral settings;
- Autonomy in technical decision-making in dynamic contexts, with strategic prioritization capabilities;
- Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion as part of the technical and institutional role;
Pro-activity, flexibility, and ability to work in collaborative environments.
Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:
- Full-time position, in accordance with the Brazilian labor law (CLT), with a hybrid work model based in Brasilia;
Occasional domestic travel may be required for in-person meetings.
