Chief of Party – Sierra Leone Integrated Health Activity At IMA World Health

Chief of Party – Sierra Leone Integrated Health Activity

Corus International is a family of organizations which believes that those who were born into impossible circumstances deserve the opportunity for a better life. Corus was formed through the strategic merger of IMA World Health (operating as a public health organization since 1960), and Lutheran World Relief (operating as a livelihoods organization since 1945), and today includes the smaller entities of Charlie Goldsmith Associates, Ground Up Investing, and Farmers Market Coffee. Corus International works in over 20 countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America, with a primary focus on health, livelihoods, and emergency response.

IMA World Health/Corus International is seeking a Chief of Party (COP) to lead an anticipated five (5) year USAID-funded Integrated Health Activity in Sierra Leone. The project will support the Government of Sierra Leone and the Ministry of Health and Sanitation to improve primary health care services and prevent child and maternal deaths. Through an integrated and systems approach, the activity will build local resilience, and provide technical assistance in the areas of malaria prevention, reproductive health, resilience, and the use of data, to improve the delivery of health care.

Summary of the Position:

The COP will have overall responsibility for the management and coordination of all project activities, staff, and leadership to achieve sustainable results in accordance with the contract and donor guidelines. S/he will serve as the primary liaison with USAID, the Government of Sierra Leone, IMA headquarters, and other relevant project stakeholders. S/he will ensure the project’s goals, objectives, and strategy are achieved and that contractual requirements are met on time and within budget. S/he is responsible for directing the project team with an integrated vision, applying effective leadership and strategic planning skills, management experience, outstanding interpersonal skills, and strong written and oral communication skills.

The COP also ensures that all management systems, from technical to M&E to finance actively support timely and accurate project reporting and cost effectiveness for successful implementation of the project. Additionally, S/he is responsible for ensuring compliance with Corus’s policies and procedures and USAID rules and regulations, including responsibility for ensuring sub-awardee compliance and monitoring the quality of program implementation. The position will be based in Freetown and will report directly to the Senior Regional Director, West Africa and Haiti.

Actual hiring is contingent upon successful activity award and USAID approval. Nationals of Sierra Leone are strongly encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities:

• Provide overall program, strategic, and technical leadership and supervision of all project activities, including sub-awardees and project personnel, to ensure program activities maximize project objectives
• Lead all project planning responsibilities, including the production of annual workplans and budgets, and performance monitoring plan, ensuring alignment of the budget to expected results and ensuring cost-effective use of resources
• Lead the Program Management Unit, providing overall leadership and supervision of all project activities, including sub-awardees/contractors and project personnel
• Evaluate program effectiveness and determine corrective action needed to improve goal achievement, in accordance with the Senior Regional Director and the Technical Program Manager at headquarters
• Identify lessons learned and best practices for external dissemination
• Serve as the primary point of contact with USAID, project partners, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, and key stakeholders
• Liaise with USAID partners and other donors, as well as implementing partners and stakeholders, to ensure coordination of and harmonization with other relevant activities in Sierra Leone
• Oversee responses to donor reporting, including periodic technical and financial reports specified in the award to ensure high-quality and timely deliverables
• Ensure compliance with USAID award and IMA World Health headquarters requirements, policies, and regulations
• Ensure the development and implementation of key project deliverables, including the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) plan
• Monitor staff performance and provide capacity strengthening support when needed
• Ensure visibility of project results, achievements, and lessons learned through presentations at conferences and workshops and/or by publishing articles through professional journals
• Recruit and directly supervise local project staff in line with IMA World Health HR policies and oversee the management and development of project office human resources to ensure a diverse, skilled, and productive workforce; an effective leadership team; and an organizational culture where IMA’s values are practiced
• Manage funds and subawards; closely monitor project expenditures
• Together with field and project staff, prepare annual budgets; ensure and supervise regular financial reporting; keep USAID apprised of significant variances
• Ensure project expenses are reasonable, allocable, prudent, and spent in accordance with USAID rules and regulations; support annual audit procedure
• Oversee property and equipment acquisition, management, and disposition

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or higher in Public Health, Business Administration, International development, or similar field is required
• 12 or more years of demonstrated experience in implementing, leading, and managing large health programs is required
• Familiarity with and expertise in overseeing financial and contractual management aspects of project management is crucial, requiring outstanding organizational skills
• A minimum of five years of prior experience as a COP, Deputy COP, or equivalent (preferably on a USAID-funded project) is required
• Experience with design, implementation, and evaluation of health systems strengthening projects and integrated health programs (malaria control and reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health)
• Experience overseeing development and implementation of M&E and knowledge management strategies relevant to international public health projects
• Experience overseeing sub-awardees to achieve project results
• Outstanding written and oral communication and interpersonal skills in English are required
• Deep knowledge of the health context of Sierra Leone required, with experience working in Sierra Leone strongly preferred
• Demonstrated experience leading diverse teams to achieve successful project implementation, financial management, and reporting
• Experience collaborating and coordinating with local and national host government agencies, and aligning program activities and results with national strategies
• Excellent diplomacy skills and a proven ability to establish and maintain interpersonal and professional relationships with regional/district governments, representatives from other key stakeholders (such as NGOs, CSOs, etc.), and the private sector
• Demonstrated ability to operate at advanced levels of authority and accountability for achieving results
• Awareness of USAID cooperative agreements, and the related policies, procedures, and regulations; deep understanding of USG federal compliance requirements and evidence of experience in their application

IMA/Corus International OR LWR/Corus International is an equal opportunity employer (EOE). As such, Corus makes employment decisions and provides equal employment opportunity without regard to an applicant’s or employee’s race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state, and local laws. If you need a reasonable accommodation in the application or hiring process, please notify Corus’s Human Resources department.