VACANCY ADVERTISEMENT

 Family Health Services (FHS), formerly known as PSI Malawi, has partnered with the government of Malawi through the Ministry of Health (MoH) since 1994 in safeguarding the health of Malawians by using private sector approaches to reconfigure healthcare delivery – (i) through directly delivering innovative social and behaviour change communications, social marketing, and social franchising across a wide range of health areas including Reproductive Health, HIV, Malaria and waterborne disease prevention (ii) by playing a market facilitation role, approaching market challenges and opportunities with a system-wide lens that unlocks a self-sustaining market with multiple players that can prioritize, adapt and ultimately thrive without external assistance and funds.

While a local organisation with deep roots in Malawi, Family Health Services is globally connected; mainly through affiliation to Population Service International (PSI), a Washington DC-based non-governmental and non-profit making organization that boasts a global network of members across over 50 countries through which FHS continues to leverage capacities, learnings, and best practice to enhance activities in Malawi. To accomplish its mission, FHS is inviting applications from suitably qualified candidates to fill the following vacant position.

DISC PROJECT MANAGER

Job Summary

 Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Head of Reproductive Health, the DISC project Manager works closely with the RH team to manage successful implementation and scale up of empathy-based self-care interventions specifically for DMPA SC in Malawi. S/he will be responsible for overseeing Delivering Innovation in Self Care (DISC) project implementation and manage the expansion of empathy-based self-care interventions specifically for DMPA SC, thereby making contraceptive self-care more accessible in Malawi. The DISC Project Manager also work in close collaboration with finance and programs to ensure that project expenditures are within the budget. S/he is responsible for donor relations and donor management including timely development and submission of project reports to the donor.

Specific Responsibilities:

Management of the program 

• Facilitate and manage the development of work plans (annually, quarterly, and monthly), program activities including monitoring activity implementation for impact.
• Based on their expertise in self-care, take leadership of service delivery, demand creation and learning workstreams in line with DISC priorities.
• Work closely with key internal (within FHS) and external stakeholders (including RHD) to build mutually beneficial relationships that will advance the key objectives of the DISC project and FHS.
• Prepare quarterly reports for the donor on project progress and status.
• Identify, document, and disseminate appropriate evidenced-based practices and incorporate into ongoing project implementation.
• Support project documentation including contributions to knowledge management for the project across the different technical streams and facilitate sharing of learnings to     inform decision-making.
• Facilitate timely completion of project deliverables by DISC project team through proactive communication and follow-up.
• Work with in-country DISC partnerships to ensure that they deliver DISC interventions according to approved standards.
• Prepare and make presentations during all internal project meetings, donor, and stakeholder meetings.
• Represent FHS during stakeholders’ meetings.
• Oversee recruitment and staff management of project team ads appropriate.
• Provide input into proposal development.

Capacity Building

• Work with Reproductive health directorate and district management teams in identifying training needs of public sector family planning providers in DMPA SC and empathy-based training (Moment of Truth).
• Through their expertise in self-care interventions, facilitate implementation of Moment of Truth trainings for FHS providers and MOH staff by working closely with RHD.
• Identify gaps for MoH and FHS providers, and mentor them on proper data management and reporting that comply with FHS and Ministry of Health guidelines.
• Based on their experience in self-care, facilitate monitoring, supervision, and assessment of FHS and MOH staff trained Moment of Truth to ensure compliance with standards.

 Financial Management 

• Develop and monitor workplan budget (annual, quarterly, monthly) and reports according to FHS standard operating procedures.
• Closely work with project team to ensure timely implementation of project activities including development of acceleration plans where necessary to improve burn rate.
• Closely monitor project expenses and make budget re-alignments as necessary to avoid over or under expenditures.
• Review and approve all financial requests/documents for the project.

Supply Chain Management

• Develop a procurement plan for DISC project and execute it in a timely and costeffective manner.
• Facilitate capacity building of project team as well as MoH and FHS providers in supply chain management to ensure consistent and adequate availability of commodities in the health facilities and at outreach clinics.
• Closely work with project team to track availability of commodities at the service delivery points on weekly basis to ensure continuous access of self-care by clients.
• Participate and contribute to national quantification meetings.
• Facilitate redistribution of commodities in the districts of implementation as well as from central medical stores.
• Participate in supply chain meetings conducted at national level.

 Program Monitoring and Evaluation.

• Monitor all project activities to ensure effective and smooth running.
• Work with MERL team to ensure proper management of all program data for the districts and utilize it for decision making.
• Work with project team to ensure timely entry/submission of program data according to program timelines.
• Regularly review data progress in DHIS2 and project dashboards for decision making.
• Review performance reports from project team and make appropriate decisions.
• Collaborate with MERL team and ensure data verification for all service delivery points (outreach and MOH) is routinely conducted in collaboration with Ministry of Health personnel and make programmatic decision based on the findings.
• Evaluate and report the periodic performance of project indicators and devise strategies for improvement.

Qualifications and Experience: 

• Master’s degree in public health, reproductive health, or project management and minimum 5 years of experience leading a project. Or Bachelors’ Degree in Reproductive Health or Nursing with 7 years’ experience in leading a project.
• Demonstrated experience in implementing self-care programs including DMPA SC.
• Experience working in a fast-paced work environment.
• Experience working in a family planning project.
• Demonstrated experience in managing donor relationships.

Key competencies

• Excellent analytical and quick problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated successes in using data to make strategic decisions, deploy budgets and resource to deliver results in a cost-effective way.
• Self-reliant with strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present complex information in a clear and concise manner to a variety of audiences.
• Advanced Computer Skills with high level of proficiency in Microsoft Office Software Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
• Creative, dynamic, and out of the box thinker.
• Demonstrable skills in working across multiple teams with multiple stakeholders within and outside of the organization.
• Very strong organizational skills with the ability to deliver across competing timebound priorities.
• Stakeholder engagement, coordination, and relationship management
• Some knowledge in procurement
• Programmatic reporting and communications
• Development of activity budgets and workplans
• Prior knowledge and experience in training others in Moment of Truth for DMPA SC self-injections.

Mode of Application

 Qualified candidates with the specified qualifications and experience should submit their electronic application letters and updated CVs with names and contact details of three traceable referees, through jobs@fhs.org.mw. indicating the job title for the position you are applying in the email subject line. All applications must be submitted by 12th June 2024 to The Head of Human Resources, Family Health Services, Box 30132, Lilongwe.

 Family Health Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of religion, color, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, personal appearance, political affiliation, family status or responsibilities, ger identity, or expression, pregnancy, or related medical conditions. Family Health Services maintains zero tolerance for child abuse, sexual abuse, or exploitative acts or threats by our employees, consultants, volunteers, contractors, or anyone associated with the delivery of our programs and services and takes seriously all complaints of misconduct brought to our attention.

 Disclaimer!

 Family Health Service has become aware of scams involving false job offers. Please be advised: Family Health Services will never ask for a fee during any stage of the recruitment process. All active jobs are advertised directly in the newspapers or on vetted career websites. Official FHS emails will always arrive from a @fhs.org email address.

Please report any suspicious communications to safeguarding@fhs.org.mw If you are suspicious of anything, please report through  email to safeguarding@fhs.org.mw or  reportsqm@tip-offs.com;  or write a letter to TipOffs anonymous, P.O. Box 1726, Blantyre; or call/send SMS using Airtel/TNM/Access to 847