Ethiopia: Deputy Country Director
Country: Ethiopia
Closing date: 30 Apr 2014
OVERALL RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Deputy Country Director (DCD) assists the Country Director in providing overall management of the SCMS project for the Ethiopia Ministry of Health, including technical and administrative support in strengthening the procurement and quantification systems; improving warehousing and distribution capacity; health systems strengthening field support; logistics management information systems development and implementation; business process optimization; monitoring and evaluation, and; project communications. Responsibilities include supporting the Country Director in i) development of vision and technical strategy, work plans, and performance management plans; ii) adherence to administrative, procurement, and financial procedures; iii) documentation and communications, and; iv) development and management of productive relationships with clients and stakeholders, in particular with the Federal Ministry of Health, and coordination with other public health supply chain projects.
The DCD is responsible for directly managing the Logistics Management Information System (LMIS) Project Manager, the M&E / Communications Manager, the Deputy Director for Technical Operations and, in close collaboration with the Country Director is responsible for ensuring effective collaboration, coordination, and integration of program activities across all of the SCMS Program technical areas. This means working closely with the other Deputy Directors of Finance and Administration, and Procurement Operations, and with the IT Project Manager, who report directly to the Country Director.
The position requires an experienced technical person who has a broad view of supply chain management system implementation and strengthening, who can be innovative, and who can take initiative on new ideas and strategies, taking into account the prevailing or changing circumstances. As a technical leader s/he is able to delegate “hands-on” technical issues to the technical team and provide management oversight and direction. Specific emphasis will be placed on program management.
SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:
SCMS Project Management and Leadership:
1.Work closely with the SCMS Country Director to ensure that all areas of the project are integrated, including Procurement Operations, Finance and Administration, Technical Operations of Warehouse & Distribution, Health Systems Strengthening Field Support, Logistics Management Information Systems, IT Projects, Monitoring and Evaluation, Communications, and Program Management, making the most effective and efficient use of all project resources.
2.Serve as a member of the Senior Management Team and assist the Country Director in ensuring that all project deliverables are met and that capacity building and supply chain strengthening goals are achieved.
3.Manage the efforts across all program areas to ensure that transition and close-out plans are integrated into the project work and are implemented, monitored, and effected in a coordinated manner toward successful TO close-out and follow-on activity.
4.Liaise with other MSH projects in-country, and with the MSH Country Leadership Team, to maximize integration and coordination of technical initiatives of MSH One. Liaise with MSH Country Operations Management Unit (COMU) as needed to ensure optimal operational support for technical activities.
5.Proactively and continuously provide technical and management oversight across all program areas to ensure that strategies, budgets, work plans, expenditures, data collection, performance monitoring, and reporting are planned and executed to support program deliverables. Identify and resolve challenges, prioritize competing demands for resources, manage competing time constraints.
6.Oversee technical reports, trip reports, performance reports, deliverables, STTA SOWs and ensure effective communication with PMO, MSH HO, USAID, and other partners; develop innovative methods to capture and demonstrate project impact through communication and information sharing.
7.Work closely with the Country Director to ensure that the Joint Work Plan with PFSA is managed and implemented.
8.Act as the designated alternate SCMS representative to the Country Director with USAID, the FMOH, PMO, and SCMS HO. Serve as Acting Country Director in the absence of the Country Director.
9.Represent the SCMS project at various technical meetings with other cooperating agencies, collaborating with partners, senior government officials, and donor agencies. Participate in various working groups as required.
10.Conduct field monitoring visits across all program areas.
11.Report regularly to the Country Director in regard to progress, results, and challenges.
12.Prepare and deliver presentations on key project activities and achievements across all program areas as needed.
13.Participate in staff planning, budgeting, recruitment, and development.
14.Carry out additional responsibilities as may be assigned by the Country Director.
Technical Operations, LMIS, M&E, and Communications Supervision:
1.Supervise the LMIS Project Manager, the M&E / Communications Manager, and the Deputy Director of Technical Operations to ensure that they have updated, relevant job descriptions, work plans specific to their role, conduct performance reviews, provide on-going mentoring and coaching, manage all personnel issues.
2.Oversee work planning and activities to ensure that budgets and expenditures are managed and deliverables are met.
3.Ensure staff are trained on and follow SCMS and MSH policy, procedures, and SOPs.
QUALIFICATIONS:
1.Post Graduate education in logistics, supply chain management, pharmacy, medicine, public health, or business, or in a field of study closely related to the responsibilities, with a background in public health, is required.
2.Minimum of eight years relevant experience in program management in public health, supply chain, or health systems strengthening, including budget management, project design and management, capacity building, monitoring and evaluation, and administration operations, of which at least 5 years of supervisory experience is required; and cultivating strategic relationships with executive stakeholders. An Ethiopian national is preferred.
3.Demonstrated strategic planning expertise is required.
4.Experience with USAID or other donor agencies is required. In-depth work experience with the Federal Ministry of Health, including demonstrated ability to maintain productive relationships with executive management, is required. Familiarity with USG procurement rules and regulations highly preferred.
5.Ability to manage multiple tasks within tight deadlines and to prioritize effectively while delivering high quality work.
6.Expert ability to present complex data in a clear and concise manner. Expert ability to deliver presentations and speak in public forums. Ability to identify potential problem areas, perform root cause analysis, and alert appropriate parties for corrective action.
7.Expert written and verbal skills required. Fluency in English and Amharic is required. Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Familiarity with Microsoft Project is a plus.
8.Experience working in international public health in a field office of a developing country is required; experience in east Africa is preferred.
9.Excellent interpersonal skills, sound judgment, communication skills, training experience is required. Demonstrated ability to effectively organize, manage, and communicate across different layers within a team-oriented, culturally diverse environment and partner organizations, and ability to identify and resolve policy and operational constraints.
10.Self-motivated, strong initiative is required. Ability and willingness to travel locally and internationally as required.
Management Sciences for Health is an equal opportunity employer offering employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, citizenship, physical or mental handicap, or status as a disabled or Vietnam Era veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces.
How to apply:
**To apply for this position, please submit a resume to https://jobs-msh.icims.com/jobs/7229/deputy-country-director/job. For more information about MSH, please visit our web site at www.msh.org. If you cannot apply online or have difficulty doing so, please email an explanation of your problem to iRecruiterproblem@msh.org .
