Job purpose

This is an exciting time and opportunity to join a large-scale integrated program to provide technical assistance to the Government of Malawi to implement an integrated mass deworming and IFA supplementation program at scale to tackle intestinal worms and anemia among children. With the deworming program expected to reach scale in Year 1 of implementation and IFA supplementation to gradually scale up over the next 2-3 years, we aim to reach 3.5 million Malawian children annually with one or both interventions, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Education.

The Program Manager is responsible for program delivery, including execution of the program model, and has a highly sophisticated understanding of the opportunities and challenges involved in delivery of technical assistance to the Government of Malawi. The Program Manager should be driven by impact and capable of translating program strategy into high quality implementation in a cost-effective manner while emphasizing Evidence Action’s commitment to evidence-based decision making, cost-effectiveness, and transparency to internal and external stakeholders.

The Program Manager will work closely with the Deputy Country Director to support the Country Director manage program delivery and operations, and grow the Deworm the World & Equal Vitamin Access program in Malawi.

Duties and responsibilities

Manage Program Design and Implementation:

• Systematically identify critical gaps in the government’s school health programs where Evidence Action’s DtW and EVA programs can support, which may include, but are not limited to: driving policy change, improving data collection, mobilizing funding, supporting supply chain management, designing teacher/health worker training and job aids, and monitoring and evaluation.

• Co-develop country-wide, large-scale strategies to address identified gaps in collaboration with key partners (both governmental and non-governmental) leveraging best-practices developed by Evidence Action across programs
• Support the facilitation of the procurement, storage, and distribution of commodities (deworming medicines, IFA, and other materials) as they arrive in the country, including the reception and transfer of commodities to local stakeholders and district warehouses.
• Prepare work plans and budgets for the program to facilitate quality project management and decision making in an ambiguous environment. Manage program expenditure in line with agreed budgets adhering to budget limits, always considering cost-effective implementation. Iterate flexibly as circumstances change, including during quarterly budget revisions.
• Support the MoH with national forecasting, procurement, product registration, and consumption monitoring for DtW and IFA commodities
• Support the MoH with filling out and processing drug requisition and treatment reporting forms to access deworming medicines through the WHO drug donation program.
• Work with MoH and other stakeholders to identify and address stockout challenges in-country.
• Manage preparation of training materials and ensure all stages of the training cascade are executed in time and effectively, including engaging the right government partners throughout the development and review process
• Develop school and Health Surveillance Assistant (HSA) reporting forms and government data aggregation plan, including determining how/if DtW and IFA indicators can be integrated in DHIS2
• Work with the MoH and MoE to develop and disseminate a community mobilization strategy including relevant content and messages to raise awareness and demand for deworming and IFA supplementation
• Collaborate with the Monitoring, Learning, and Evaluation (MLE) Strategy and Delivery teams to develop and implement an ML&E plan and monitor and analyze program data and KPIs to track program performance and generate insights on programmatic improvements.

Team Management:

• Manage members of the program team by providing the necessary support for specific program tasks, observation of program standards and protocols, adherence to reporting timelines and mentorship and guidance on career growth.
• Set short- to medium-term objectives to be achieved by the program team.
• Consult with Deputy Country Director, Monitoring Learning & Evaluation, and Global team members on key implementation-related issues and advise the team on the way forward.
• Support staff to understand and comply with organizational policies and procedures.
• Coach and mentor staff who are seconded to work alongside Malawian government colleagues, as applicable.
• Support recruitment for the program team and any other staff as required.
• Nurture a team that reflects a healthy work environment and reinforces Evidence Action mission, vision, and values.

Partner Relationships and Engagement Within Evidence Action

• Build relationships with key partners, including critical government stakeholders, development partners, non-profit organizations, and research firms. Ongoing management of these relationships in close consultation with the Deputy Country Director will be a central component of the role.
• Coordinate among units, divisions, programs, and teams within the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education to improve interdepartmental communication and create more efficient working processes among the relevant government entities.
• Identify domestic or other partner resources which can be leveraged for commodity procurement & capacity building of healthcare providers.
• Work closely with the Global team, the Africa Regional, Africa Sub-Regional and in-country teams in the development of policies, work plans, and budgets.
• Collaborate and share learnings with the program teams across Evidence Action
• Attend program relevant conferences and meetings as assigned to create visibility for the program, generate new innovations and lessons, and gather feedback about the program.
• Provide support to related programs as needed.
• Carry out other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a Health-related field is required, Masters is an added advantage;
• A minimum of 6 years’ working experience in program implementation within the health sector, working in an INGO preferably;
• Familiarity with the Malawi public health context and relevant stakeholders.
• Experience working with government programs, including collaborating with senior government officials at national and sub-national levels;
• Experience facilitating trainings and working with trainers;
• Organizational and time management skills to handle complex projects under tight deadlines and in a fast-paced environment;
• Experience working with strong monitoring and evaluation teams and integrating that information into decision-making practices;
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and navigate politically-sensitive terrain;
• Strong written and oral communication skills;
• Demonstrated mastery of organizational procedures and willingness to model compliance;
• Ability to lead by example, demonstrating adaptability, flexibility, and teamwork.

Note: This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the Program Manager. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of qualifications, skills, duties, or responsibilities associated with the role.

Other Requirements

The candidate must be able to travel by various modes of transportation and must be able to endure long periods of sitting or standing during travel. They must also be able to navigate unfamiliar environments and adapt to different cultural norms.

In addition, the candidate should have the ability to work in less developed rural areas, which may have limited access to modern infrastructure and amenities. This may require the candidate to adapt to basic living conditions, such as limited electricity or running water, and be comfortable with potential challenges such as extreme weather conditions, insects, or wildlife.

The position will be based at our Country Office in Lilongwe. The Program Manager, School Health will supervise 2 Senior Associates and multiple regional coordinators and will report directly to the Deputy Country Director.

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