Job Details

Description

Pathfinder Overview

Pathfinder International is driven by the conviction that all people, regardless of where they live, have the right to decide whether and when to have children, to exist free from fear and stigma, and to lead the lives they choose. Since 1957, we have partnered with local governments, communities, and health systems in developing countries to remove barriers to critical sexual and reproductive health services. Together, we expand access to contraception, promote healthy pregnancies, save women’s lives, and stop the spread of new HIV infections, wherever the need is most urgent. Our work ensures millions of women, men, and young people are able to choose their own paths forward.

Program Advisor

Location: Washington D.C, Watertown, MA, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo, or Uganda.

The Francophone Program Advisor  will provide overall program management during the full project lifecycle by establishing or supporting sound project and program management practices to ensure successful outcomes. They’ll contribute to the development and monitoring of project workplans and helps to track project spending and Pathfinder’s new business development. They will work with a multi-disciplinary team and may serve as the Pathfinder spokesperson on behalf of the project to promote the project goals, achievements and strengths to key stakeholders. As appropriate, they will support Pathfinder’s technical workstreams. They will collaborate with project team on project activities that have a combined program focus. They collaborate with other members of the project team to ensure that deliverables meet the needs of intended populations. With capacity building and developing as a guiding principle, they will engage closely with government and/or local NGOs on the design, management and monitoring of all field-based programs. They will coordinate with in country agencies and programs to ensure linkages and to identify opportunities for integration between SRHR and technical services and broader health, educational, vocational, and other non-health interventions that meet the needs of intended populations. They will assess technical and training needs, reviews and adapts training materials, and contributes to scaling up successful experiences in implementing best practices in clinical and community settings that lead to increased use of family planning services. They will ensure that the project team draws on state-of-the-art knowledge and practices in the areas specific to the program area. They partner with other technical advisors to enable policy, research and programs that benefit women and female children.

Key Job Outcomes: 

• Project Work Plans and Execution: Contributes to content and design and provides oversight of execution on project work plans and revises as appropriate to meet changing needs and requirements. Identifies resources needed and assigns individual responsibilities. Provides guidance, tools and resources to manage day-to-day operational aspects of a project and scope. Reviews deliverables prepared by team before passing to client. Enforces organizational standards. Ensures all project documentation is complete, current and stored appropriately.
• Financial, Resource, and Risk Management: Provides oversight on project budgets, conducts monthly financial reviews and analysis to ensure compliance with Pathfinder and client requirements. Supports project staff to effectively procure and manage resources, following Pathfinders and/or client systems and processes. Troubleshoots and resolves unexpected issues in a timely fashion. Facilitates identification of issues and resolutions to mitigate risks.
• Communication: Identifies and communicates difficult/sensitive information in accurate and timely fashion.
• Project Meetings: Holds regular status meetings with project team. Ensures multi-directional communication between the project and country teams and other relevant organizational team members. Facilitates team meetings.
• Staff Development: Helps build the project management capacity of staff, including technical staff, as appropriate.
• Donor Compliance: Complies with and helps to enforce standard policies and procedures, serving as a Trainer of Trainer on specific USG and Pathfinder rules and regulations.
• Communication: Delivers engaging, informative, well-organized internal and external presentations.
• Business/Proposal Development: Directly contributes to Pathfinder’s proposals, including responses to competitive bids. Inputs into program designs, staffing plans, workplan and budget alignment, adherence to donor and RFA guidelines, as appropriate, and other tasks as assigned.
• Technical Assistance: Provides technical assistance to country offices, host country governments, local partners, and other agencies by contributing to report reviews; technical reviews; identification and provision of topic-specific technical assistance; and capacity building and working with local partners. As appropriate, supports technical excellence in design and implementation of programs, and participates in technical communities of practice or strategy teams. Reviews and provides input on project reports, data, and progress against project workplans
• Quality Assurance: Monitor and works with the technical team to ensure that best practices for services and service integration being implemented are well documented, evaluated and poised for scale up. Coaches and builds teams to optimize staff performance programming, target setting and project workplan and scale-up. Contributes as member of internal technical strategy teams.
• Partner Management: Supports the development of partner agreements, including supporting identification and tracking of deliverables and budgets.

Minimally Required Job-Specific Competencies:

• Country Specific Public Health System: Intermediate understanding of multiple countries and advanced knowledge in at least 3 countries; understanding of the countries’ public health systems.
• Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: Intermediate knowledge of contraception and reproductive health principles and rights, practices and services, including program strategies and indicators, and the latest developments in the field.
• Program Operations and Development: Advanced skills in implementing and managing global health program operations in the developing world.
• Proposal Development: Advanced skills in project management-related tasks within proposal development from concept to full proposal.
• Leadership: Advanced skills as a leader in program or project management as part of health and health service delivery strengthening in developing countries.
• Program and Project Planning and Management: Advanced skills in program and project management and planning to fulfill performance objectives, including the timely implementation and reporting of donor-funded program activities.
• Operations and Financial Management: Advanced knowledge of operations and financial management in developing countries.
• Change Leadership: Ability to demonstrate a high degree of flexibility in managing change across a broad group of stakeholders in an inclusive manner.
• Presentation Skills: Ability to make presentations on results and products to diverse stakeholder groups.
• Community Relations: Advanced skills in facilitating working relationships between project teams, donors, partners, government officials, and communities.

Minimally Required Organizational Competencies:

• Software Applications: Advanced knowledge of MS Excel, PowerPoint, Word and Outlook.
• Languages: Proven writing and speaking skills using English; Portuguese preferred.
• Communication and Influencing Skills: Proven ability to influence others through diplomacy and proven oral and written communication skills.
• Passion for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: Commitment to contraception, reproductive health services and rights, gender equality, maternal, and child health services.
• Self-Management and Teamwork: Ability to work independently or as a member of the team, ability to thrive in a matrix organization, ability to be detailed-oriented, and ability to manage stress effectively in a fast-pace environment.
• Confidentiality: Ability to maintain confidentiality on work related matters.

Required Education, Training and Experience:

• BS/BA required; Master’s degree strongly preferred
• 8 years’ experience in working in international development, preferably in implementing programs in developing countries
• Professional to native fluency level of spoken, written, and reading French required
• Prefer: Experience with USAID-funded projects
• Prefer: Experience in project design
• Prefer: Experience living or working in developing countries that aids in understanding of program context, field realities, and technical need

Other Information:

• Travel Required (approximately 30%)
• Uses cellular and desk phone; laptop or desktop computer