Country: Burundi
Closing date: 30 Apr 2013
To be considered for this position, please apply online at: http://www.pathfinder.org/about-us/careers/employment-opportunities/ Pathfinder Overview
Pathfinder International is a global leader in sexual and reproductive health. We place reproductive health care at the center of all that we do—believing that it is not only a fundamental human right, but is critical for expanding life opportunities for women, families, communities, and nations, and paving the way for transformations in environmental stewardship, decreases in population pressures, and innovations in poverty reduction. Pathfinder provides women, men, and adolescents with a range of quality health services—from contraception and maternal care to HIV prevention and AIDS care and treatment. Pathfinder strives to strengthen access to family planning, ensure availability of safe abortion services and post-abortion care, advocate for sound reproductive health policies, and, through all of our work, improve the rights and lives of the people we serve.
Program Overview
The Burundi country office is in the process of closing two USAID-funded projects that Pathfinder has been leading for approximately five years. The first is a Maternal Child Health Project that is implemented in two provinces—Kayanza and Muyinga--in Burundi. The second is a Family Planning project that is implemented in the same two Burundian provinces as well as in South Kivu in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. In addition to the USG funded activities, Pathfinder Burundi is implementing two other projects: Performance Based Financing, through a contract with the Ministry of Health, and a nutrition project that is funded by UNICEF.
As the Maternal Child Health project has been implemented in Burundi since 2007, the program has seen significant success in increasing the percent of deliveries attended by skilled professionals, substantial decreases in the number of underweight infants, and a noticeable rise in the number of women reported as using modern methods of contraception. The project has also piloted a community approach to addressing malaria, through home-based management and referral.
The Flexible Family Planning Project for Transition Situations identifies flexible approaches for family planning and gender-based violence services during emergency and transition situations. The project operates in Muyinga and Kayanza provinces in Burundi, and Walungu in eastern DRC, which are sites that host significant refugee and displaced populations, in an effort to develop appropriate packages of pre, mid, and post-crisis models of service provision. Training topics have included healthy images of manhood and healthy timing and spacing of pregnancy.
The Performance-Based Financing project, which Pathfinder has implemented for the last three years through two contracts with the Ministry of Health, improves health services by focusing on productivity, results, and outputs—rather than just inputs—to the health system. The project has increased the use and quality of health services via performance-based payments to health facilities, continual expansion and improvement of services, development and support of mechanisms to manage performance-based financing at the provincial and district levels, and community surveys to assess the satisfaction of community beneficiaries with the quality of health services.
A nutrition project, recently awarded to Pathfinder by UNICEF, is contributing to the reduction of chronic and acute malnutrition in children under five years of age in the provinces of Muyinga and Kayanza. Position Purpose
The Interim Country Representative will essentially fulfill the duties of a Country Representative during a period of transition for Pathfinder Burundi/DRC possibly for up to six months. While the outgoing country representative will oversee final project activities and evaluation of the USAID-funded work until March 31st, the Interim Country Representative is needed to ensure proper achievement of final closeout tasks and to continue ongoing management of the Pathfinder office and two smaller projects that continue beyond March 2013. Periodic managerial oversight might also be needed for the newly-awarded family planning project based in Kinshasa. In addition, Pathfinder Burundi/DRC is positioning itself for possible new funding from the USG and/or other donors, so the Interim Country Representative may be engaged in a proposal development process.
The Interim Country Representative coordinates, manages and increases visability and funding for Pathfinder International programs in Burundi/DRC. S/he prominently positions Pathfinder as a leader in the field of Maternal Child Health and Family Planning and as a successful partner in the development and cost effective implementation of USG government, UN, and privately-funded programs. The Interim Country Representative works closely with Pathfinder International’s in-country and headquarters staff to conceptualize and plan program development activities, diversify funding resources, and build on country and international best practices.
The Interim Country Representative also provides strategic leadership and managerial oversight of the administrative, programmatic, technical, financial and operational aspects of Pathfinder International’s Burundi/DRC Program. S/he ensures that program objectives are met, all activities are responsive to the needs of the host country, in compliance with donor requirements, and that the program continues to advance and play a key role in contributing to Pathfinder International’s development within Burundi/DRC.
Pathfinder International’s Burundi/DRC current program activities include maternal child health, family planning, performance-based financing, reproductive health services for refugee/displaced persons, nutrition, and malaria.
Key Responsibilities
Organizational Representation
- Serve as the primary representative for Pathfinder International on all matters related to the Country Program. Meet regularly with donors, partners, local Government agencies, and other key stakeholders to share progress, accomplishments, and challenges.
- Be a vigilent voice for justice for reproductive rights and health and work strategically to incorporate into our implementing partners integrity and committment to relevant parties both within country and Pathfinder. Work to remove policy impedements in reprodiuctive health and rights and to foster and forge improvements.
- Use the Theory of Change to guide country strategies; create a timeline to implement strategy; contribute to organizational TOC goals and continuously evaluate country level progress for achieving organizational strategic goals.
- Provide periodic updates to the Pathfinder staff worldwide on the progress made, technical direction, approaches, challenges, successes, and lessons learned in managing the country Program.
- In all matters, develop and foster a strong partner relationship with headquarters to build a unified organization working in concert to achieve organizational goals.
Strategy
- Utilize a participatory approach to developing and updating the country strategic plan, ensuring that programmatic directions are technically sound, evidence-based and consistent with Pathfinder’s country priorities.
- Ensure local organizations are developed and strengthened to become successful, sustainable bodies to promote RH/FP in their respective communities and countries.
Administration
- Implement administrative and financial operations of the Program, ensuring compliance and ethical standards, corporate philosophy, local laws and with Pathfinder International’s policy and contract provisions.
- Develop management policies and procedures to ensure efficiency, quality, and all resources are in place, adhered to, and in compliance with local laws, donor rules and regulations.
- Contract and manage local individuals/organizations for identified tasks according to donor and Pathfinder International procedures. Negotiate consultancy agreements, provide training and/or develop capacity of local partners in mandated program areas.
- Ensure that security guidelines and procedures are established, maintained, updated regularly and adhered to by the Country team. Monitor the security situation and provide leadership for staff in emergencies.
- Protect the organization’s resources and assets and ensure that they are used efficiently in furtherance of Pathfinder’s mission and programs
Human Resources Management
- Build a culture and a work environment where every employee regardless of role/title feels s/he contributes to the larger purpose of reproductive health and rights.
- Build a high performing team focusing resources on employee retention, professional development, organizational culture and staff morale.
- Manage the HR function in the country ensuring Pathfinder policies and standards are maintained.
- Supervise the HR Manager in the development and maintenance of local Handbooks, staff morale, customized policies, HR reports, procedures, systems, maintenance of personnel files and other legally required documentation.
- Ensure compliance with local labor laws and practice.
- Select, hire and supervise staff and subcontractors; assign roles and responsibilities, manage performance and monitor the efficiency and effectiveness of the work.
Program Management
- Directs the successful programmatic, technical and financial implementation of the country’s programs and awards including the timely completion of high quality reports, work plans, performance objectives and other mandated deliverables.
- Undertake travel within the country and the region as necessary for the development of new projects and monitoring of ongoing program activities.
- Partner successfully with Pathfinder’s Program Director and and country management team and Headquarters financial and technical staff by providing accurate and timely reporting and updates on the Program progress and difficulties.
- Contribute to other country programs, provide technical assistance, support and foster cross country collaboration and fertilization.
- Serve on the Country Representative Council.
- Promote and enable in-country staff to travel and assist other countries in service to professional growth and development as well as organizational capacity building.
- Oversee all subgrantee relationships to ensure that subgrantees are accomplishing programmatic objectives and that both Pathfinderand the subgrantees comply with applicable rules and policies.
- Document technical components of materials and Program achevements for communications materials such as annual reports, brochures, and website updates.
- Monitor the country program progress and achievements vis a vis the goals and objectives utilizing tools and methods developed by Pathfinder and in alignment with donor requirements.
Financial Management
- Develop and prepare the budget and manage expenses within approved budget.
- Maintain all internal controls and ensure that the controls are operating effectively.
- Report on financial results. Approve the monthly operating report.
Fundraising/Development
- Maintain close working relationships with the Headquarters Director of Business Development and Director of Foundation Relations to implement regional program development strategies and to diversify funding resources.
- Gather information/intelligence from the field on future and current funding opportunities and communicate these to Headquarters.
- Monitor, identify, pursue and negotiate funding opportunities with various donors and partners to expand Pathfinder's in-country activities in close colaboration with New Business and Resource Development.
- Maintain an awareness of the programs conducted by other international NGOs including but not limited to RH/FP, Maternal Child Health, and HIV/AIDS.
- Promote Pathfinder International by attending meetings, delivering presentations and cultivating positive, productive relationships with donors, partners, Ministry of Health, and other governmental agencies.
- Assist with the creation of proposal teams, and lead, manage and/or respond to proposals.
Basic Requirements
- Master’s degree in public health, social sciences or related field.
- Minimum of 5 years of experience managing mid-large scale donor funded Reproductive Health projects in developing and transitioning countries, including operations and financial management experience in developing countries.
- Hands-on experience working effectively with local, regional and central-level government authorities.
- Demonstrated experience in successfully fulfilling performance objectives, including the timely implementation and reporting of donor-funded program activities and completion of deliverables.
- Experience working with a major donor and their requirements.
- In-depth knowledge of public and/or private health systems and, decentralization of services in one of Pathfinder’s core program areas.
- Excellent diplomatic, interpersonal and communication (written and verbal) skills.
- Proven ability to create and maintain effective working relations with senior government personnel, international organizations, NGO partners, host country governments, and U. S. government agencies.
- Demonstrated ability to manage, motivate, mentor and direct staff while creating a positive team environment.
- Excellent knowledge of the political, social, economic, and cultural context of working in Central Africa, ideally Burundi and/or DRC, and francophone African countries.
- Ability to present results and products to USAID, other donors, and key stakeholders.
- Thorough understanding of and ability to analyze finanical documents, projections, expenditures and accruals.
- Expert computer skills in Microsoft Office Suite applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
- Must be fluent in English and French.
- Position requires up to 40% in-county or regional travel depending upon project needs.
- Occasional travel to the US Headquarters or other Pathfinder field operations may be required.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience managing USAID and UN-funded activities desirable.
- Knowledge of accounting software helpful.
Pathfinder International is proud to be an Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity Employer
How to apply:
To be considered for this position, please apply online at: http://www.pathfinder.org/about-us/careers/employment-opportunities/