State Program Manager at Heartland Alliance

Project Background

Heartland Alliance Ltd-Gte is currently implementing a USAID funded Accelerating Control for HIV Epidemic (ACE) Project in Lagos, Edo, and Bayelsa States. Implementation is targeted at promoting new and underutilized partnerships to accelerate the achievement of the HIV epidemic control in Nigeria through the delivery of high impact HIV prevention, care, and support services to general populations who are living with HIV and those at risk of contracting HIV.

The program is intended to provide evidence-based services that will deliver measurable results by addressing programmatic and systems barriers to epidemic control, including but not limited to, the following areas: HIV Case Finding and Linkage (HTS), Adult Care and Treatment, Pediatric/Adolescent Care and Treatment, Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT), Cervical cancer screening, TB/HIV Care, Laboratory, Health Systems Strengthening to Support Clinical Services, Expertise with the Private Sector and Operations and Implementation Research.

Reports to:  Deputy Chief of Party

Job Summary

The State Program Manager is responsible for the design, implementation, and close-out of a portfolio of activities at the state level. The incumbent works with HALG Regional Office and community stakeholders to identify, prioritize and design activities that respond to community priorities to accelerate control of the HIV epidemic. The State Program Manager, working with state-level grants and program staff, is charged with oversight of project activities to ensure that all tasks are completed within timeframe and budget parameters.

Capacity building:

• Serve as a focal point for the capacity building of local partners and organizational development.
• Provide support to the HALG and local partners’ program staff through trainings, program coordination and management and effective communication in a right based environment.
• Responsible for the full implementation of HALG programming at the field level.
• Implement the capacity development plan of local partner’s program staff through conducting on-site, formal, and informal trainings, including training-of-trainers sessions and advising step-down trainings to meet program objectives.

Management and Supervision:

• Serve as the project's key liaison to HALG Country Office.
• In collaboration with Regional Office HR, Finance, IT, M&E, Program Departments, ensures State Office (field) supervisors adhere to and implement policies and procedures; engages all levels of staff in the strategic planning process; and provides feedback for improvements.
• Monitor progress towards and barriers from reaching project or program goals and objectives, provides timely updates and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Submits monthly and quarterly narrative reports on program updates and financial activities to the Deputy Chief of Party in a timely manner.
• Ensures the timely collection, collation, and submission of high-quality progress report data to the M&E unit at the Regional Office through HALG standard tools and software packages.
• Ensures timely and effective training and mentoring is provided to Peer Educators, Outreach Coordinators, and other relevant stakeholders on HALG service delivery models, which may include- counseling and psychosocial support for target population, distribute HIV educational materials, condoms, and other harm reduction materials.

Service delivery support:

• Maintain overall responsibility for the delivery of high-quality HIV prevention, care, and treatment services to target population in line with national and international best practices.
• Ensures timely and effective training and mentoring of service providers in conjunction with relevant Regional Office Technical staff.
• Ensures gender-based violence services, mental health counseling and psychosocial support for target population.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or competency required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience:

• First Degree in medical science, management, social science, or related field; Advanced Degree in Public Health or Social Science preferred.
• At least 6 years’ experience working with a NGO, must include project implementation, supervisory and capacity building experience in public health or social science program management.
• Previous experience working in the location and knowledge of local language is essential.
• Experience working with in collaboration with local partners, NGOs, and CBOs.
• Experience in capacity building, HIV/AIDS Advocacy, prevention, treatment, and care, STI management and or care.

Other Competencies:

• Time Management – Ability to prioritize tasks, manage time and complete projects in a fast-paced, changing environment with minimal supervision.
• Quality Management - Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness.
• Written Communication - Writes clearly and informatively; edits work for spelling and grammar; varies writing style to meet needs; presents numerical data effectively.
• Adaptability - adapts to changes in the work environment; manages competing demands; changes approach or method to best fit the situation; able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.
• Cultural Sensitivity – Respects cultural environment in which person is working and does not act in a manner that is outwardly offensive to the local community.
• Non-discriminatory- Does not discriminate persons based on sexual orientation or gender identity, age, preferred jobs or behavioral habits.

Language Skills:

• Excellent oral and written English communication skills.
• Knowledge of Local Language preferred.
• Demonstrated competency in public speaking.

Computer Skills:

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, Outlook/Exchange, Windows operating systems, Power Point.
• Other software routinely used by Heartland Alliance. 

Work Environment:

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• The employee will be required to co-locate with local partners usually in the same office.
• The employee is required to travel regularly to often insecure and limited resource environments.