Health & Nutrition Program Manager

Location: Freetown, Sierra Leone

Direct Report: Country Director

Background:

World Hope International (WHI) is a global, Christian relief and development organization operating in 8 countries, including an affiliate fundraising entity in Canada. WHI’s expertise is in global health, water and energy, and social protection, serving approximately 1 million people per year regardless of ethnicity, gender, race, and religion.

For over 25 years, WHI has pursued a vision of a just, safe, and equitable world. Our history demonstrates that effective and practical solutions exist to complex problems. Transformative change happens when marginalized communities experience opportunity, hope and dignity supported by innovative community, church, government, and private sector partnerships.

Job Purpose:

Building on WHI’s two decades of public health experience in Sierra Leone, the Health & Nutrition (H&N) Program Manager will expand WHI’s health strategy in Sierra Leone while working closely with the Ministry of Health. This approach may include having staff and technical experts embedded in the MoH to engage in systems, policy, and capacity strengthening.

WHI’s health programs in Sierra Leone include CHAMPS (long-term research on infant mortality), strengthening Community Health Workers, cervical cancer screening, piloting new technologies in diagnostics, programs for children living with disabilities, and supplying health related gifts-in-kind to partner health organizations. The current annual budget is $2 million USD with a team of 55 staff.

The role ensures technical leadership in WHI’s approach to health outcomes. This includes a coherent Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) framework, maintaining an innovative program team, and active engagement with research publications, universities, and professional associations. As program lead for Health and Nutrition, the position supervises the health team, manages program budgets, and ensures staff and activities are compliant with global WHI policies and processes. This role also contributes technical skills to the global programs of WHI as needed including support to humanitarian emergencies and enabling the expansion of health programs in Liberia.

Key Responsibilities:

Partnership building (20%): The Health & Nutrition Program Manager leads external public and private partnerships that ensure a leading role of WHI in transforming Sierra Leone’s health system. Current partnerships include the MoH, Christian Health Association of Sierra Leone (CHASL), CHAMPS, WHO, UNICEF, and WHI’s financial partners.

Program Resourcing: (30%): To enable growth, the Health & Nutrition Program Manager leads the design and writing of technically sound health and nutrition concepts/proposals in collaboration with WHI’s grant and fundraising teams. They also support marketing and communications for health.

Technical Leadership: (30%) This role is responsible for developing coherent Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) frameworks and providing strategic oversight of people and programs in the Health and Nutrition portfolio in order to promote evidence for WHI’s impact. They must maintain documented health strategy guidance, tools, system for data collection, and resource acquisition. This role also ensures the regular publication of academic research and engages in national policy formation. This technical role also supports the expansion of health programs as needed in Liberia.

Team Leadership: (20%) This role must build the capacity, accountability, and teamwork within the health and nutrition team that enables growth and evidence-based impact. It facilitates health outcomes in other program areas of WHI in Sierra Leone, such as early childhood education, WASH, anti-human trafficking, and media. It actively participates in the WHI Sierra Leone Leadership team.

Success Factors

Successful WHI staff are highly self-motivated, thrive in changing and challenging environments, demonstrate passion for ever-improving outcomes and are comfortable innovating with new technologies. They will demonstrate diplomacy and interpersonal skills to engage in both public sector systems strengthening and private sector partnerships. The Health & Nutrition Program Manager must have excellent business development skills and experience in maintaining partner relationships. They must effectively lead diverse teams, mentor leaders, and hold all staff to high levels of professional accountability. They will prioritize clear, honest, and effective written and verbal communications.

Accountability

The Health & Nutrition Program Manager reports to the Country Director, works within standards set by WHI leadership, and collaborates extensively with grant writers, fundraising, and M&E roles.

The Health & Nutrition Program Manager is accountable to local authorities, standards guiding international humanitarian work, and effective safeguarding protocols while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in designing, monitoring, and evaluating projects.

Job Requirements

• Master’s degree in Public Health or equivalent experience in international public health.
• Ten years of progressive management experience in humanitarian programs.
• Experience with market-based approaches and private-sector partnerships.
• Evidence of innovative initiatives and competence in deploying new technologies or strategies.
• Evidence of strong technical writing skills with academic publications and grant writing.
• Experience with program budget and financial management skills.
• Experience in West Africa is preferred.
• Experience in leading cross-functional and cross-cultural teams in a complex working environment is highly preferred, highlighting an ability to manage diverse teams with different delivery mandates across various grants.
• Strong interpersonal and diplomatic skills are necessary.
• Proven ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines in a fast pace, complex, decentralized, and geographically diverse organizational culture.
• Fluency in English.
• Strong communications skills, oral and written.
• Proficient computer skills – especially the Microsoft Suite of applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, SharePoint).
• Commitment to the values and mission of WHI as a faith-based organization.

Working Environment / Conditions:

Standard office environment. Some travel required within Sierra Leone.

Benefits include paid national holidays, sick leave, paid vacation, parental leave, and medical benefits.

Salary: $45,000 – $70,000 USD

Submit applications by February 27th, 2024.