Program Officer job at FHI 360

Job Summary:

The Program Officer will work with and assist the Program Manager to provide effective program management support and coordination to project leadership and other team members to ensure that the various aspects of the STRengthening Infectious Disease DEtection Systems (STRIDES) activity in Uganda are implemented efficiently, on schedule and within budget and compliance requirements. This includes project planning, execution, monitoring, and tracking program inputs and contractual deliverables, reporting and streamlining communications, identifying and resolving project issues, implementing improvement plans, and ensuring adherence to project scopes budget, and other contractual requirements. S/He will coordinate the efforts of team members and other stakeholders to deliver results according to plan and collaborate with other actors to integrate work plans, budgets, and multi-sector interventions, which are essential for the success and sustainability of the project. S/He will assist the Program Manager to ensure compliance with internal and external regulations and policies, evaluate and track project implementation progress across program, operations and finance dimensions regularly.

Accountabilities:

Project Management:

• Provide support to program management including development of annual workplans, ensuring smooth program implementation, track performance against project timelines, budget, objectives, and deliverables.
• Serve as a point of contact and interact independently with project colleagues using good judgment to monitor and address issues in a timely manner and keeping the project team appraised of activity progress.
• Coordinate routine and adhoc internal project management meetings, and proactively follow up with various managers to ensure actions agreed upon are accomplished.
• Assist the Program Manager to provide support to the Project Director and HQ backstops to ensure that donor and HQ requests are appropriately responded to and deliverables duly submitted.
• Assist the Program Manager to constantly troubleshoot, identify and elevate project implementation and management emerging issues to Project Director, Technical Director(s), and Director for Finance and Administration, as appropriate.
• Assist with the preparation of project deliverables (including reports, etc.) and documenting program activities.
• Proactively build and maintain a collaborative internal working relationship between operations, finance and program teams to ensure that logistics support tasks (payments for allowances and sub-grants) are seamless and fast.
• Assist the Program Manager to effectively and efficiently maintain and update project tracking sheets for deliverables, budget analysis, and tracking dashboards and meeting notes, as well as maintaining relevant project files.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Project Administration:

• Establishes a communication schedule to update stakeholders, including appropriate staff in the organization on the progress of the project.
• Determines the resources (time, money, equipment, etc.) required to complete the project activities.
• Develops a schedule for project completion that effectively allocates resources to activities.
• Builds and implements or socialize best practices for performing all tasks.
• Reviews the project schedule with senior management and all other staff that will be affected by project activities; revise the schedule as required.

Applied Knowledge & Skills:

• Experience working on and managing USG-funded contract awards
• Works independently and with other agencies to build local community acceptance.
• Comprehensive knowledge of concepts, practices, and procedures related to project management, process development and execution.
• Strong knowledge of project management software and other technologies.
• Strong negotiator and problem solver.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated project and personnel management skills.
• Ability to influence, motivate, and collaborate with others.
• Ability to adapt and resolve problems/issues to bring project to completion.
• Creating and Managing Systems and Processes.
• Recognizes the need for standardization and balances client and organization needs in systems design.
• Anticipates the effects of process change on people while optimizing task efficiency and simplicity.

Problem Solving & Impact:

• Decisions and actions have serious implications, including delays in project schedules and operations and may affect overall business activities.
• Problems are complex and require analysis of situations and data with evaluation of a range of factors.
• Exercises judgment within broadly defined practices and policies to select methods and techniques to obtain results.

Supervision Given/Received:

• Manages staff and external project members to achieve goals and vision of project from initiation to completion.
• Coordinates project plans, budgets, training, and resources with management to achieve strategic goals.
• Reports to STRIDES Project Director.

Education:

• Bachelor's Degree or its International Equivalent in Health, Nutrition, International Development, Social Science or a Related Field.
• A Master's degree in management studies, public health or a related field is preferred.
• Project Management Certification is of added advantage.

Experience:

• Typically requires a minimum of 6+ years of relevant experience with projects management principles and practices, 2+ years of line management experience required.
• Prior work experience in a non-governmental organization (NGO), government agency, or private organization.
• Previous experience working on global health projects including USG funded programs.
• International or domestic (US) program development or project management preferred.
• Prior work experience in Global Health Security and other key health areas such as malaria and nutrition, desirable.

Typical Physical Demands:

• Typical office environment.
• Ability to spend long hours looking at computer screen and doing repetitive work on a keyboard.
• Ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time.
• Ability to lift/move up to 5 lbs.

Technology to be Used:

• Personal Computer/Laptop, Microsoft applications (i.e., Office 365, SharePoint, Skype/Zoom/Teams), cell phone/mobile technology, and standard office equipment.

Travel Requirements:

• Ability to travel 10% - 25%

• Provide support to program management including development of annual workplans, ensuring smooth program implementation, track performance against project timelines, budget, objectives, and deliverables.
• Serve as a point of contact and interact independently with project colleagues using good judgment to monitor and address issues in a timely manner and keeping the project team appraised of activity progress.
• Coordinate routine and adhoc internal project management meetings, and proactively follow up with various managers to ensure actions agreed upon are accomplished.
• Assist the Program Manager to provide support to the Project Director and HQ backstops to ensure that donor and HQ requests are appropriately responded to and deliverables duly submitted.
• Assist the Program Manager to constantly troubleshoot, identify and elevate project implementation and management emerging issues to Project Director, Technical Director(s), and Director for Finance and Administration, as appropriate.
• Assist with the preparation of project deliverables (including reports, etc.) and documenting program activities.
• Proactively build and maintain a collaborative internal working relationship between operations, finance and program teams to ensure that logistics support tasks (payments for allowances and sub-grants) are seamless and fast.
• Assist the Program Manager to effectively and efficiently maintain and update project tracking sheets for deliverables, budget analysis, and tracking dashboards and meeting notes, as well as maintaining relevant project files.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Establishes a communication schedule to update stakeholders, including appropriate staff in the organization on the progress of the project.
• Determines the resources (time, money, equipment, etc.) required to complete the project activities.
• Develops a schedule for project completion that effectively allocates resources to activities.
• Builds and implements or socialize best practices for performing all tasks.
• Reviews the project schedule with senior management and all other staff that will be affected by project activities; revise the schedule as required.

• Experience working on and managing USG-funded contract awards
• Works independently and with other agencies to build local community acceptance.
• Comprehensive knowledge of concepts, practices, and procedures related to project management, process development and execution.
• Strong knowledge of project management software and other technologies.
• Strong negotiator and problem solver.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated project and personnel management skills.
• Ability to influence, motivate, and collaborate with others.
• Ability to adapt and resolve problems/issues to bring project to completion.
• Creating and Managing Systems and Processes.
• Recognizes the need for standardization and balances client and organization needs in systems design.
• Anticipates the effects of process change on people while optimizing task efficiency and simplicity.

• Bachelor's Degree or its International Equivalent in Health, Nutrition, International Development, Social Science or a Related Field.
• A Master's degree in management studies, public health or a related field is preferred.
• Project Management Certification is of added advantage.