Clinical Advisor

JOB DETAILS

Position Title:  Clinical Advisor

Location: Hanoi, Vietnam

Duration: January 1, 2025 – September 30, 2025

ABOUT UCSF 

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It is the only campus in the 10-campus UC system dedicated exclusively to the health sciences. We bring together the world’s leading experts in nearly every area of health. We are home to five Nobel laureates who have advanced the understanding of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, aging and stem cells.

 

About GSI: The Center for Global Strategic Information and Public Health Practice (GSI) believes that the road to achieving the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets – by the year 2030, 95 percent of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status, 95 percent of all people with diagnosed HIV will receive antiretroviral therapy, and 95 percent of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression – begins by translating the right knowledge into the right decisions. Since 2000, we have furthered data-driven science in the countries where we work. We help strengthen the capacity of stakeholders to collect, synthesize and use strategic information to inform, guide and monitor evidence-based responses to the HIV epidemic. Our support helps countries control their HIV epidemics to reach the 95-95-95 targets by 2030.

 

About IGHS: UCSF’s Institute for Global Health Sciences (IGHS) is dedicated to improving health and reducing the burden of disease in the world’s most vulnerable populations. It integrates UCSF expertise in all of the health, social, and biological sciences, and focuses that expertise on pressing issues in global health. IGHS works globally to achieve these aims. IGHS seeks to improve health worldwide, especially in developing countries, through research that informs policy.

 

IGHS is committed to ensuring a diverse, equitable and inclusive work environment as we work towards becoming an anti-racist organization. We strongly encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds. Please see our statement on anti-racism here: https://globalhealthsciences.ucsf.edu/aboutus/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/statement-structural-racism

This position will be hired through a third-party employment organization.

 

PROJECT SUMMARY (FOR PROGRAM STAFF) 

At UCSF, the Alliance for Country-led Control of the HIV Epidemic by Leveraging Efficient Resource Allocation To achieve Equity (ACCELERATE) project is housed in GSI and within the larger IGHS. ACCELERATE in Vietnam aims to leverage a global network of HIV expertise and peer learning that supports the translation of HIV science in Vietnam through innovations, policy, and leadership; enhances systems and capacity for high quality equitable care; and provides stop-gap support for new medicines, best practices, and technologies, with the goal of catalyzing excellence in Vietnam’s HIV program through visionary, supportive, and proactive collaboration. This project will promote person-centered HIV services through targeted technical assistance (TA) and building local capacity within the Ministry of Health (MOH) at the national and policy level and its provincial and site affiliates for adoption and implementation. The scale-up of HIV biomedical innovations and technologies and community-facility linkages and engagement will be critical to advancing health equity and person-centered care.     

 

SUMMARY OF ROLE

The Clinical Advisor should be an experienced physician who will work closely with the Government of Vietnam (GVN) and U.S. CDC Vietnam staff to provide technical support to provincial health agencies (e.g., provincial technical teams [PTTs], provincial CDCs, departments of health, etc.) and clinical staff at care and treatment and prevention sites across the country. Under direction from the Clinical Lead at UCSF, this position is expected to work and liaise closely with a wide array of HIV contributors in the health sector, including community advisory boards (CABs) and community partners in Vietnam as well as faculty from UCSF. Comprehensive knowledge of current HIV/AIDS issues, care and support, counseling and interventions, behavior change, testing, treatment and prevention strategies such as PrEP is required. The technical support from the Clinical Advisor will inform activities in support of increasing rapid adoption of international evidence and best practices into Vietnam’s national HIV programs and policies, increasing GVN’s use of innovative approaches for access, testing, and linkage to HIV prevention services, and increasing GVN’s ownership of durable HIV program quality. This will include providing TA to the MOH to incorporate WHO guidelines, U.S. CDC guidelines, and international best practices into national treatment, PrEP, and prevention guidelines; supporting MOH and healthcare workers to adopt updated national treatment, case finding, and PrEP guidelines; presenting and supporting the implementation of the latest scientific updates, best practices, and innovations in care and treatment and prevention; and identification of and TA to respond to service quality issues. 

 

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

Technical: 

• With support from UCSF Clinical Lead, develop and present quarterly scientific innovation or best practices webinars to sensitize MOH, CDC implementing partners, and other stakeholders on the latest evidence-based strategies
• Provide TA and support to MOH to incorporate new WHO guidelines, U.S. CDC guidelines, and international best practices into Vietnam’s policies and guidelines for care and treatment and PrEP (e.g., 3^rd line ARVs, CAB LA, etc.)
• Provide TA and support to MOH to operationalize and adopt guidelines
• With support from UCSF Clinical Lead, develop training curricula and materials on 1) mental health and Chemsex to support key population (KP) groups such as men who have sex with men (MSM), and 2) latest advances in PrEP and HIV clinical care management
• Co-lead clinical trainings for healthcare workers and district/provincial/national MOH staff
• Provide TA to MOH to monitor, strengthen, and ensure program quality through clinical continuous quality improvement (CQI) Support MOH and PTTs to implement virtual and in-person TA to sites and district staff
• In collaboration with the Community Liaison, support engagement of CABs and community partners to incorporate clinical and scientific advancement into improving HIV clinical care
• Provide training and mentorship to PTT staff on data use, CQI, and TA skills as needed and in accordance with national guidelines.This may include but is not limited to:
  • Care and treatment strategies for PLHIV
  • Case finding
  • KP prevention approaches, including PrEP

Communications: 

• Preparing written and verbal reports
• Establish, strengthen, and build capacity of a national TA network of clinical experts throughout the country to establish and maintain a functioning TA system to review program data, identify issues, and effectively deliver TA to sites to improve service quality

Administrative:

• Organize logistics for clinical trainings for healthcare workers and district/provincial/national MOH staff
• Attend internal and external meetings

       

REQUIRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Doctor of medicine (MD)
• 7 years of experience developing, training on, and advising on clinical policies and guidelines
• 5 years of experience in managing patients living with HIV/AIDS
• Detailed knowledge of the public health system in Vietnam
• Familiarity with the national HIV treatment and prevention guidelines and other MOH policies, programs, and regulations
• Ability to analyze, understand, and discuss clinical cases, site management, and implementation approaches
• Ingenuity and tact in applying guidelines to unique and different settings
• Considerable innovation will be required to support sites and district/provincial staff to adopt new guidelines and appropriate strategies for their program activities
• Excellent conceptual, analytical, documentation and presentation skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including report writing and communicating with high-level stakeholders, UCSF headquarters, partners, and donors
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary, multicultural, and multilingual team
• Proficient in the use of computers and software, including Microsoft Office Suite and email
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Strong communication skills in English and Vietnamese

 

ADDITIONALPREFERRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Post-doc experience
• Specialist training in public health, epidemiology, infectious diseases, or immunology

 

WORK LOCATION (Define if position required in office, if telework is allowed, if hybrid work arrangements are allowed)

• This position is primarily office-based
• Hybrid work arrangements may be negotiable

 

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

• This position will be based at the UCSF Office in Hanoi, VIetnam
• This position may be required to travel approximately 20% of time domestically
• This position may require attending in-person meetings as requested by GVN, donors, and other stakeholders

 

HOW TO APPLY

• Email Cover Letter and Resume (CV) to Alex Ernst: [email protected]