Project Officer needed to coordinate day-to-day implementation for an upcoming UNITAID project to expand access to preventive chemotherapy for pregnant women in Democratic Republic of the Congo. This project aims to scale up an innovative, community-based approach to expand coverage of intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp), with quality assured sulfadoxine-pyrimithimine (SP), for pregnant women. The project will operate over a five-year period.
Required Qualifications: Advanced degree in public health, health administration, international health or a related field.
- 5+ years' experience successfully supporting the implementation of large, multi-year international health sector development projects (approximately $10M per year) that have implemented successful activities in areas such as maternal, newborn and child health, malaria prevention, care and treatment and health systems strengthening
- Demonstrated experience and knowledge in establishing systems, implementing project start-up and using project management tools
- Understanding of the Democratic Republic of Congo social and political context, and developments in the health sector
- Excellent diplomacy skills and a proven ability to establish and sustain interpersonal and professional relationships with host-country counterparts and representatives from other key stakeholders such as NGOs, PVOs, the private sector and international donors
- In-depth knowledge of donor projects, regulations, compliance and reporting.
- Programmatic experience in maternal, newborn and child health, malaria prevention, care and treatment, or health systems strengthening
- Expertise in research to practice—identifying best practices and adapting them to project realities
- Proven understanding of key monitoring and evaluation principles and the ability to analyze and utilize data to direct project activities and track project progress.
- Previous experience working in Democratic Republic of the Congo, with intimate understanding of local health systems, malaria prevention, care and treatment, and maternal, neonatal and child health care gaps and opportunities. Established relationships with government agencies, key health personnel, and health partners
- Excellent skills in facilitation, team building and coordination
- Experience managing a budget
- Excellent verbal, written and presentation skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Demonstrated programming, management and technical skills
- Experience developing strategic and tactical plans in cooperation with others who represent a wide range of interests and needs
- Strong change management, results oriented and decision making skills
- Proven expertise in providing technical assistance
- Ability to coach, mentor and develop technical capacity in national programs and technical staff
- Ability to work in a complex environment with multiple projects/tasks, short deadlines, competing deadlines and intense pressure to perform
- Ability to coordinate activities with multiple project partners, MOH staff and CSOs.
- Ability to interact with established networks of senior level international health professionals, donors, universities and other partners
- Appreciation for socio-cultural differences in countries, preferably having lived and worked in one or more low resource settings
- Awareness of, sensitivity to, and experience working in multiple socio-economic settings and with multi-cultural staff and groups
- Ability to develop productive working relationships with counterparts in other agencies and organizations nationally
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office
- Fluent in written and spoken French and English
- Ability to travel nationally
