District Consultants

1. POSITION VACANT: District Consultants, SAMS, Tamil Nadu and Telangana

2. NO OF VACANCIES: Total 04 Vacancies; Tamil Nadu: Nilgiri (1), Coimbatore (1); Telangana: Nagarkurnool (1), Sangareddy (1)

3. ORGANISATIONAL BACKGROUND:

Our Client, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities and exclusion, and build resilience so countries can sustain progress. As the UN’s development agency, UNDP plays a critical role in helping countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

UNDP has been working in India since 1951 in almost all areas of human development - from systems and institutional strengthening to inclusive growth and sustainable livelihoods, as well as sustainable energy, environment and resilience. With projects and programmes in every state and union territory in India, UNDP works with national and subnational government, and diverse development actors to deliver people-centric results, particularly for the most vulnerable and marginalized communities. As the integrator for collective action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the UN system, we are committed to support the Government of India’s national development vision and priorities and accelerate the achievement of the SDGs for the people and the planet.

For more information about UNDP India, please visit https://www.undp.org/india

PROJECT BACKGROUND:

UNDP India’s new Country Programme (2023-2027) builds on our prior work and aims to provide an integrated approach to development solutions in three strategic portfolios:

(1) Strong, accountable and evidence-led institutions for accelerated achievement of the SDGs;

(2) Enhanced economic opportunities and social protection to reduce inequality, with a focus on the marginalized;

(3) Climate-smart solutions, sustainable ecosystems and resilient development for reduced vulnerability ;

(4) South-South cooperation, gender equality and social inclusion are promoted across the pillars. The programme is supported by a framework of renewed partnerships and blended finance solutions, strategic innovation and accelerator labs, and data and digital architecture.

Under UNDPs Country programme document for India (2023–2027), Health Systems Strengthening is ensuring equitable access to basic healthcare services and leaving no one behind. Over the years, Health Systems Strengthening unit is contributing towards developing and implementing flagship initiatives with innovation and sustainability.

As India faces public health threats from infectious and zoonotic diseases, experiencing seasonal outbreaks in State of Tamil Nadu/ Telangana facing zoonotic diseases—there is an exigent need for a paradigm shift toward integrated and anticipatory health governance. In response, the proposed project envisages the operationalization of a holistic One Health framework that emphasizes disease prevention, predictive early warning systems, and synchronized multisectoral response mechanisms. The initiative aims to establish a scalable and replicable model that can be adapted for broader implementation.

Within this framework, the District Consultants will facilitate in localized deployment of One Health strategies. This includes strengthening real time epidemiological surveillance systems, geo-spatial hotspot identification and risk profiling, fostering interdisciplinary skill enhancement across veterinary, public health, and environmental sectors, and catalyzing community driven engagement mechanisms to mitigate zoonotic transmission at the animal-human-environment interface.

4. JOB PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF WORK:

Reporting to the Programme Analyst, the District Consultants – One Health Project (DCs-OHP) will work closely under the guidance of State Health Department and State Consultant at Telangana/ Tamil Nadu. The DCs-OHP will be directly responsible for the One Health Project related project activities in the allotted district.

Duties and Responsibilities:

(A) Programme Planning and Implementation:

(1) Support hotspot mapping of zoonotic disease risk areas using participatory and GIS-based tools;

(2) Coordinate cross-sectoral training and outreach activities at district and block levels;

(3) Facilitate data collection from health, animal, and environmental sectors for integration into the One Health portal;

(4) Assist in piloting a digital surveillance platform including data collection and early warning tools;

(5) Build and manage networks of “Community Champions” and local stakeholders for awareness and behavior change communication;

(6) Document field learnings, assist in district action plan development, and provide weekly progress reports;

(7) Planning, implementation and reporting of the Project activities, coordinate with the State;
(8) Project team and various State Departments involved in health risk associated parameters and other stakeholders at district level for the smooth implementation of project activities;

(9) Facilitate inter-departmental coordination among health, animal husbandry, forest, environment, and urban governance departments;

(10) Facilitate stakeholder consultations, state-level training, and cross-sectoral meetings;

(11) Support the design and implementation of a real-time digital surveillance and predictive modelling platform at district level;

(12) Coordinate with block level stakeholders and ensure consistency in project roll-out;

(13) Conduct field visits for hand-holding of project implementation partners at the District levels;

(14) Support the integration of disease surveillance data into existing district health systems and GIS mapping tools;

(15) Support the quality documentation of the project activities through field stories, photos, videos, case studies, etc.

(B) Capacity Building and Technical Assistance:
(1) Partners at the state and district level on Project activities under close guidance of the National Centre for Disease control, MoHFW, State Governments and UNDP team;

(2) Participate in various National/State level Project trainings and meetings and contribute to their successful execution;

(3) Based on the assessed needs support in undertaking capacity-building at the district level.

(C) Ensure Data quality:
(1) Field visits to monitor the implementation of the activities and providing technical inputs to address gaps and bottlenecks;

(2) Assist, support and monitor the identified implementing agency in the implementation of the activities at the district and sub district level;

(3) Document to the implementation process and analytical learnings from the implementation.

5. QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND COMPETENCIES:

Qualification:

Bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Science, Public Health, Environmental Studies, Social Work, Epidemiology or related field.

Experience:
(1) Minimum 2 years of relevant experience in health systems, zoonotic disease management, or public health policy;

(2) Prior experience working with government stakeholders or multilateral agencies on One Health or disease surveillance is desirable;

(3) Strong analytical, coordination, and documentation skills.

Skills and Competencies:
(1) Experience in managing and implementing programmes in close coordination with National or State Governments is must;

(2) Should have analytical, negotiating, communication and advocacy skills;

(3) Experience in capacity building of State and district level functionaries on social welfare programmes ;

(4) Experience of working in international development organization will be an asset.

(5) Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web based management systems;

Languages:
(1) Good knowledge of written and spoken English is required;

(2) A good working knowledge of Hindi will be needed;

(3) A good knowledge of local language (will be appreciated).

Competencies:

Functional Competencies:

(1) Identifies problems and proposes solutions;

(2) Ensure Gender inclusion and Gender parity in team.

(3) Generates new ideas and approaches, researches best practices and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things;

(4) Makes the case for innovative ideas from the team with own supervisor;

(5) Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;

(6) Promotes a knowledge sharing and learning culture in the office;

(7) Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;

(8) Demonstrates ability to conceptualize, innovate, plan and execute ideas, as well as to impart knowledge and teach skills;

(9) Ability to manage stakeholder relationships, perform status reporting, and managing / resolving project issues;

(10) Ability to prioritize assignments and requirements, and multitask as needed;

(11) Ability to work independently with limited instruction;

(12) Ability to advocate and provide policy advice;

(13) Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting;

(14) Aptitude for technical innovations and data analytics.

6. CONSULTANCY FEE:

The monthly consultancy fee for the position shall be commensurate with the Government norms, as applicable for the position. The professional fee will be subject to withholding taxes, as applicable.

7. NATURE OF ENGAGEMENT:

The selected candidate shall be engaged as a Consultant on the rolls of SAMS, a third-party payrolling agency, for a full-time consultancy engagement for a period of one year. It is explicitly clarified that this consultancy engagement does not constitute a promise or guarantee of future employment, with SAMS, or our client, or any other organization associated with the project. 

8. LOCATION: Tamil Nadu: Nilgiri (1), Coimbatore (1); Telangana: Nagarkurnool (1) and Sangareddy (1)

9. REFERENCE: DC-OHP-SAMS

10. CONTACT INFORMATION:

Team SAMS
Strategic Alliance Management Services P Ltd.
1/1B, Choudhary Hetram House, Bharat Nagar
New Friends Colony, New Delhi 110 025
Phone Nos.: 011- 4081 9900; 4165 3612

www.sams.co.in

11. APPLICATION PROCESS:

Eligible candidates interested in the position are requested to apply by or before October 23, 2025.