Program Manager, Laboratory System & Diagnostics at eHealth Systems Africa

Purpose of the position 

• The Program Manager oversees the coordination and administration of projects including planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling program activities.
• Other responsibilities include supporting communications activities, attending meetings, and establishing and maintaining relationships with all stakeholders and partner agencies.

What you’ll do

• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. 

General Management

• Provide leadership and supervision to direct reports including leading team meetings, providing individual supervision, coaching and goal setting, managing workload, and helping staff troubleshoot challenges.
• Provide effective management and oversight of services and activities including supervision of several direct support staff and consultants.
• Ensure compliance as well as quality and timely services to all partners.
• Provide appropriate training, coaching and development for all direct reports and interns. Conduct timely annual performance evaluations.
• Coordinate with the Deputy Director on the direction and management of the program team, including grant-writing activities, resource development activities and the strategic action plan.

Program Planning, Management and Implementation

• Provide leadership in the development of project plans and budgets for all projects in their respective portfolio.
• Provide technical inputs to Global health security priorities across Surveillance, IHR, One health, risk communication and other areas
• Provide leadership to the Project Teams towards achieving the specific project results 
• Review and ensure alignment of program priorities, strategies and plans to the eHA broader strategies, plans and goals. 
• Ensure programme activities are grounded, strongly inter linked, and consolidated at the org-wide level in line with P&I Program Result Framework. 
• Ensure quality implementation of all projects and learning are documented by the project team in the most effective way demonstrating value for money. 
• Ensure best practices in project management plans and procedures and checklists are maintained. 
• Develops and delivers project presentations to diverse audiences as the subject matter expert in their assigned program.
• Work with cross-functional teams to develop, manage and track classic project management deliverables (schedules, budget, scope, change management, status reports, resource allocation plans, risks, issues logs, etc.).
• Will adhere to the eHA Program Management Life Cycle (PMLC) framework and all policies, procedures, and guidelines as applicable.

Business Development & Donor Relationship Management

• Support the Deputy Director (Programs and Impact), in developing and managing relationships within country donors. 
• Design roadmap for laboratory systems strengthening investments in Africa.
• Lead on development of programme ideas into quality grant proposals through a co-design based, participatory approach contributing to an increment in eHA’s annual investment target. 
• Collaborate with the eHA’s Business Development team to respond to potential funding opportunities in the assigned portfolio.
• Manage administration, stewardship and implementation of fund agreements, including working across teams to ensure the coordination and accuracy of all agreements and documentation, maintaining fund agreement templates and seeking ways to improve and make the processes more donor friendly, and monitoring and updating documents as needed to reflect current policies.
• Manage donor engagement and recognition through creation and implementation of touchpoints such as donor events, creating published lists, and coordinating special opportunities for direct contact.

Program Reviews, Monitoring, Evaluation, Program Learning and Reporting

• Ensure close monitoring of the program works in the field to ensure alignment and contribution to country strategy, monitor flow of information and systemic documentation of quantitative and qualitative achievements in the field and lessons learned thereof 
• Provide technical support for lab systems strengthening investments in line with the eHA strategic framework.
• Ensure quality and timely submission of quarterly and annual or required Programme and Project Performance Reports as per desired standards and guidelines. 
• Ensure compliance to approved Programme and Project work-plans. 
• Promote evidence-based learning and the agenda of advancing innovations 
• Represent the eHA in various programme-related knowledge sharing and learning forums, with significant numbers of knowledge products developed and disseminated 
• Track trends in contemporary development programming and programme management practices, document and provide advice/ recommendations on key developments to the DDPI
• Lead in the conduct of after action reviews, retrospective and quarterly portfolio reviews
• Facilitate knowledge management coordination, development and resource retention for the project, including lead communication external and internal
• Contribute to scientific writing for development of manuscripts for publication and presentations as necessary

Partnerships and Networking

• Build strong relationships with key stakeholders in the Laboratory space, including with the Ministry of Health, subnational level laboratories and testing sites and health partners and other relevant actors that play a role on diagnostics and testing services particularly on HIV, TB, COVID-19 and Malaria
• Support Project Managers to strengthen and scale partnership in the existing project areas/countries.
• Lead public sector partnership efforts and provide support to the institutions in the form of building capacity. 
• Identify and act as lead in strengthening our relationship with the strategic networks and alliances 
• Represent eHA and participate in network and alliance meetings, events and forums at national, regional and international levels 
• Ensure effective information flow and communication with other stakeholders including partners and international partners 
• Initiate and nurture networks and alliances with digital health partners, academia, and research institutions 
• Ensure effective partnerships at all levels as per standard procedures and guidelines of the organization. 
• Coordinate and support review of eHA partnerships framework and build capacity of project team to provide support as required.
• Ensure follow up of partners after reviews and reflections.

Program Financial Management

• Develop, monitor, review and update the project activities, work plan to ensure that it attains its objectives as cost-effectively and efficiently as possible 
• Review project concepts, financial requests as per organizational process and procedures. 
• Manage the expenditure and disbursement of resources allocated to projects 
• Review project expenditures from the project team to ensure conformity to Financial Policies and Procedures Manual (FPPM) 
• Monitor and advise on programme and project spending and variance report as per organizational process and procedures.

Human Resource Management

• Lead in the development and review of all job description for approved recruitment in assigned portfolio  
• Serves as Lead in the conduct of first level shortlisting, screening and interview in assigned portfolio. 
• Responsible for  achieving an empowering work environment and team building in compliance to eHA‘s values, principles and culture 
• Facilitate a motivation work culture for staff performance, recognition and reward of the project team to encourage staff productivity, innovation and performance (e.g. facilities, equipment, duty facilitation, team building etc.) 
• Participate in the review of human resource needs for P&I and setting of performance standards 
• Assigns performance objectives to supervised staff, conducts comprehensive performance appraisal of supervised staff and provides / obtains feedback when necessary 
• Ensure that performance records of staff under supervision are submitted to HR on time  
• Collaborate with HR to facilitate comprehensive onboarding, training, coaching, mentoring and professional advice to supervised staff to ensure that they understand and carry out their responsibilities effectively 
• Liaise with HR to identify training needs and development opportunities for supervised staff and ensure gained knowledge are demonstrated in staff assigned functions. 

Who you are

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required to successfully perform this job.

• Minimum of 10 years of relevant multi-country programming experience, at least 7 years in a managerial role NGO experience is essential.
• Advanced Degree or equivalent experience in Public Health, Sociology, or related Health, Medical, or Social Science discipline; Masters-level Degree preferred
• Familiarity with global health issues, particularly Public Health, HIV, TB, COVID-19 and Malaria
• Exposure to health care and/or health systems strengthening and/or experience working on public sector projects and programs under government ministries and external donors
• Knowledge and demonstrative practical experience good Laboratory Practice and/or Clinical Practice regulations.
• Lab and diagnostics-related experience, either in a programmatic or clinical setting
• Knowledge and experience in supporting national laboratory systems and networks
• Familiarity with laboratory support systems (e.g. supply chain management, lab information system and effective use of DHIS2, Ag-RDT quality assurance program, specimen transportation)
• Exhibit skill to develop and design Strategic objectives and clear direction for the entire department
• Excellent relationship management, goal and result oriented.
• Adherence to defined policies and procedures, monitor and evaluate direct report
• Ability to coordinate and ensure workforce work in line with organizational value and culture to meet goals and perform well in the future
• Demonstrated ability in working and collaborating with a wide range of local and international partner organizations
• Strong project management skills, including experience in agile practices and frameworks e.g. Lean, Scrum, Agile PM, and Kanban.
• May frequently travel between company worksites/countries . 
• Approaches others in a tactful manner. Reacts well under pressure. 
• Treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position. 
• Strong leadership skills that include the ability to build effective teams, the ability to motivate others, delegation, and timely/quality decision making. Training and presentation experience is preferred.
• Must possess the ability to organize, instruct and supervise staff while promoting group effort and achievement.
• Must be able to work as a leader and member of a team and possess good problem-solving skills.
• Must have the ability to manage conflicts and resolve problems effectively.
• Advanced computer skills, including google drive, Microsoft Windows, and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Proficiency in working within specialized software utilized in the program