Program Director/ Chief of Party

The Role

At Last Mile Health (LMH), we make bold commitments that inspire innovation. Do you have past experience in successfully directing large international donor-funded projects? If so, you may be our next Program Director/Chief of Party for the USAID-funded Community Health Activity (CHA).

Last Mile Health is seeking a Program Director/Chief of Party for an expected 5-year, estimated $10-$24.999 million Community Health Activity (CHA) project in Liberia. The purpose of this USAID-funded Community Health Activity (CHA) will be to result in, achieve and/or deliver:

1. Increase access to quality health, nutrition, and surveillance services. (↑ Access)
2. CHAs can confidently provide quality services including diagnostic services through robust supervision and training. (↑ QoC)
3. New approaches to messaging around nutrition, family planning, immunization and other MCH services using the required tools and supplies. (↑ SBCC messaging, tools and supplies for FP, vaccines and MCH)
4. Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs) capacity increased for early detection and reporting of priority diseases. (↑ One health capacity and ↑ disease notification)
5. Provide Support to the Government of Liberia’s National Community Health Assistants
6. Program through capacity building of key program units and County Health Teams and personnel. (↑ systems/HRH building for NCHAP and CHTs)
7. Provision of stipends to Community Health Assistants (CHAs), Community Health Promoters (CHPs), and Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs). (↑ Payment platforms/systems for community health)

The Program Director/Chief of Party (COP) will be responsible for overall technical leadership and management of the activity and will serve as the principal institutional liaison to USAID and the MOH.

The PD/COP leads and manages the project and is accountable for project deliverables and results, with full accountability and authority for the development, execution, and monitoring of the project, including vision and technical strategy; project management; documentation and communication; client(s) stakeholder(s) relationships; and coordination and synergy with other Last Mile Health projects. This accountability includes effective contribution to business and resource development activities.

This position is project-funded, located in Monrovia, Liberia, and is open to both Liberian nationals and International Candidates. This position will be hired on a fixed-term contract and is contingent upon a successful award.

What You’ll Do

Project Results

• Oversee implementation of program activities and provide high quality technical, financial and strategic leadership, managerial oversight, and administration of the project.
• Serve as the primary project liaison from the project to the donor and is accountable for the achievement of results, ensuring quality of services is maintained at the highest standard, and that all project objectives and deliverables are met on time.
• Safeguard the project’s reputation by ensuring that financial, contractual, technical, and political integrity is maintained and strengthened.

Technical Strategy and Vision

• In partnership with the Deputy Program Director/DCOP-Technical Director, lead development (or update and adapt as needed) and execute project results framework, performance monitoring plan, technical strategy, MERL plan and annual work plans as per contract/agreement requirements, LMH technical frameworks and standards.
• Ensure appropriate and timely documentation and dissemination of key results and deliverables for maximum project impact and business development using a variety of communication strategies and media.
• Continually review and analyze project impact and challenges to adaptively manage the project to meet or exceed results.

Project and People Management

• Ensure effective contract/agreement implementation in strict compliance with contract/agreement clauses, LMH and donor policies and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Ensure project staffing, structure and reporting relationships are aligned with project needs, local context and available resources.
• Manage and mentor the project team as per LMH policies and guidelines and implement an effective performance-management program including regular check-ins, annual appraisals, supportive supervision, rewards, training, coaching and career development support.
• Ensure Identify and analyze risk and other, make more concrete decisions leading on management strategies and regular assessment and reassessment
• Ensure sound/appropriate financial principles and practices and an effective supply chain management including procurement, logistics, and assets management to meet the needs of the project are followed
• Ensure Internal control processes and policies are followed to promote effective and efficient operations, increasing the reliability of project outcomes, and promoting compliance. Thus helping to protect the project resources and reduce the risk of fraud and corruption.

Client and other Stakeholder Relationships

• Build and maintain strong working relations with key internal and external stakeholders, beneficiaries, prime and subcontractors, suppliers and partners. Provide effective and timely responses to inquiries and concerns.

What You’ll Bring

• A recognized degree in social or medical science, public health, management, or other relevant areas is required.
• At least 10 years of progressively responsible, relevant experience is required with demonstrated leadership and management abilities.
• At least 5 years of supervisory experience of teams and fostering collaboration in order to achieve goals, meet milestones, and produce high-quality written qualitative, quantitative, and narrative deliverables.
• Prior experience and success directing similar or larger international donor-funded projects.
• Proven record of aligning diverse, multi-level teams with project mission and vision. Track record of strong commitment to sharing knowledge, documenting experiences, supporting creative initiatives, and sharing credit.
• Demonstrated strategic planning and visioning skills.
• Familiarity with USAID regulations and administrative procedures in the implementation of donor-assisted projects is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with senior-level colleagues, particularly interacting productively, proactively, and comfortably with government agencies, NGOs, private sector groups, USAID, and donor organizations.
• Demonstrated strategic agility, diplomacy, conflict management, team building, written and oral communication, and negotiation skills.
• Fluency in English is required.

You’ll Impress Us If

• You have a strong commitment to advancing locally-led and locally-owned programs and solutions.
• You can manage multiple projects across different teams, cultural contexts, time zones, work habits, etc.
• You are an effective process manager (develops processes necessary to get things done; knows how to organize people and activities; understands how to separate and combine tasks into efficient workflow; can see opportunities for synergy and integration where others can’t; can simplify complex processes; gets more out of fewer resources)
• You have the ability to work as a team with program staff at all levels without holding any direct line management authority
• You can work independently and proactively develop solutions with limited guidance and direction
• You are mission-driven with a commitment to health, social justice and gender equity
• You have strong communication, facilitation and interpersonal skills; the ability to interface with diverse stakeholders in a range of multidisciplinary settings

Compensation information

At Last Mile Health, we strive to reward our employees equitably and transparently. This means that we pay our employees based on a clear and consistent methodology and without regard to identity or personal relationships. We have made this model fully transparent so that everyone has access to all information related to compensation. We hope this helps you better understand Last Mile Health’s values and commitments to our employees. We look forward to answering any questions you may have during the hiring process.

Before applying to this role, please take a moment to learn more about our approach to compensation and how compensation works in each of the countries where we operate. Please find the link to our compensation model and benefits overview below:

OVERVIEW OF LAST MILE HEALTH’S COMPENSATION MODEL

Compensation for this position:

The Band for this position: SLB-6

The salary range for this role is $122,000 to $160,017 USD dependent upon experience doing an equivalent role. Please note that the compensation is subject to statutory taxes.

Benefits for this role will be within and in accordance with USAID salary bands, allowables and parameters. Specifics of this will be transparently communicated to candidates who are shortlisted for this role and in line with our compensation policies.

About Last Mile Health

Last Mile Health partners with governments to design, scale, strengthen, and sustain high-quality community health systems, which empower teams of community and frontline health workers to bring life-saving primary healthcare to the world’s most remote communities. LMH is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. For more information, visit www.lastmilehealth.org.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at LMH. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.