Senior Program Manager (SPM) at Catholic Relief Services (CRS)

Job Summary

• The position of Senior Program Manager (SPM) will provide management and oversight functions to the 3 SRs, including (but not limited to) coordination of SR activities; planning for effective oversight and monitoring; providing technical support to SRs; and participating in direct implementation as required.
• In addition to the above program management roles, the Senior Program Manager will directly oversee the implementation of Case Management activities on the grant (working closely with NMEP and SRs), ensuring that targets are met, and activities efficiently implemented, in accordance with the Detailed Implementation Plan (work plan).
• Implementation of grant activities will be carried out within the approved budget provisions, and in strict adherence to agreed timelines and donor guidelines.
• S/he will oversee the SR reporting process, monitor SR training, facilitate training as required, and provide technical support to SR staff, and liaise with counterparts in Federal and State Ministries of Health to ensure adherence to national strategies and guidelines for malaria prevention, testing and treatment.

Specific Job Responsibilities
Program and Case Management:

• Represent CRS in relevant coordination and planning meetings, including (but not limited to) the Malaria Technical Working Group meeting, Programme Management and Case Management Subcommittee meetings
• Manage the relationship with and oversee the work of 3 SRs (Management Sciences for Health, Malaria Consortium and Society for Family Health) under the Global Fund Malaria Grant
• Oversee the implementation of iCCM by the iCCM SR under the Global Fund Malaria Grant while coordinating with the other iCCM stakeholders
• Oversee the implementation of Malaria Case Management by the SRs under the Global Fund Malaria Grant while coordinating with the other Malaria Case Management stakeholders
• Work closely with the ACSM team in overseeing the implementation of ACSM activities by the ACSM SR under the Global Fund Malaria Grant while coordinating with the other ACSM stakeholders
• Ensure that CRS Nigeria’s “cashless” approach and policies are being respected by all CRS Global Fund Malaria partners
• Ensure proper monitoring and supervision of program activities implemented by the SRs and the elaboration of the various trip reports with the assistance of the multidisciplinary team
• Support in managing SR program implementation, budget tracking and reporting, and ensure that the SRs are adhering strictly to the SR Agreement as well as the Global Fund policies and guidelines
• Conduct program-wide quarterly programme and operational review meetings with the SRs and follow up with appropriate actions and feedback

Budget Management:

• Actively participate in activities to ensure appropriate budget planning and financial reporting by SRs, including budget management, forecasting and analysis of burn rates
• Actively participate in reviewing actual financial performance against the budget for the various SR budgets, and explain variances on a regular basis
• Actively participate in activities to ensure sub-recipients remain in compliance with CRS and Global Fund donor rules and regulations for management of resources
• Participate actively in the monthly CRS Budget Comparison Report (BCR)/budget review meetings

Partnership Management:

• Act as Case Management contact/support for CRS sub-recipients, including sharing new information and ensuring healthy relationships are maintained between the sub-recipients and the state governments
• Represent CRS at national level technical meetings with other malaria partners as delegated by the Deputy Chief of Party and/or the Chief of Party
• Carry out any other duties assigned by the supervisor
• Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL)
• In collaboration with the MEAL team, track progress towards relevant performance indicators, analyzing reasons for shortfalls and adapting program strategies as needed
• Support the design and implementation of feedback and response channels to enhance accountability of malaria program services
• In collaboration with program and SRs staff, provide guidance and technical oversight to partners and other collaborating agencies to ensure that lessons learned and best practices for malaria programming are documented and disseminated
• Facilitate learning exchanges among SRs and between SRs and government ministries on malaria program management and support quality improvement initiatives
• Management and Administration
• Support elaboration of Program Update/Disbursement Requests (PU/DR) in collaboration with other program staff
• Review SRs program reports and provide feedback on implementation progress and performance, identifying solutions to address challenges and weaknesses
• Ensure implementation of activities in compliance with all CRS and Global Fund administrative and operational procedures and policies, as well as applicable donor regulations

Qualifications and Skills

• MBBS/MD and/or post graduate Degree in Public Health/Health Management; with significant field experience in clinical and/or community-based malaria prevention, diagnosis and treatment
• At least 8 years' relevant experience in public health with a strong preference for candidates with at least 5 years’ experience in malaria programming
• Experience in health-related community development
• Experience in managing developmental programs and providing technical assistance to partner organizations; knowledge and experience of programmatic and technical service delivery challenges highly desired.
• Ability to work both in a team and independently, and ability to transfer knowledge through formal and informal training.
• Experience with, and a demonstrated commitment to, community-based approach to development.
• Experience with Global Fund ATM Grant implementation
• Excellent analytical and information seeking skills; and good decision-making skills
• Experience with participatory planning and evaluation methods
• Strong inter-personal and public relations skills
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly and at short notices
• Excellent English language (oral and written) communication skills
• Proficiency in MS Office, including Word, Power Point, Excel and Outlook
• Willingness and ability to travel in-country (sometimes on short notice) up to 50%.

Key Working Relationships:

• Internal: Global Fund Malaria Program Team, Deputy Country Representatives, Country Representative, Head of Operations, Finance, Procurement and Administration Staff, Regional and Senior Technical Advisors, Deputy Regional Directors for PQ and MQ
• External: Global Fund’s Fund Portfolio Manager and Nigeria Country Team, SRs, State Ministries of Health (SMOH), National Malaria Elimination Program (NMEP) within the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), Technical and Financial Partners, supported health facilities, Local Fund Agent (LFA)