Project Manager - Health job at Action Against Hunger

Background

Action Against Hunger (Action contre la Faim) has been operating in Uganda since 1980, providing critical humanitarian aid and sustainable development programs. Under the leadership of Country Director Ritah Kabanyoro, the organization addresses both immediate nutritional emergencies and long-term food security across 16 vulnerable districts and multiple refugee settlements.

Summary of Position

The Project Manager – Health will provide technical leadership, management and oversight for implementation of the ILHA-Karamoja health interventions across the five target districts of Moroto, Amudat, Nakapiripirit, Nabilatuk & Napak. The role will ensure that integrated primary healthcare, maternal and newborn health, immunisation, disease surveillance, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), and health-facility readiness activities are implemented to the required quality and in coordination with District Health Offices and health partners. The position will oversee field teams, monitor performance, manage implementation risks and ensure timely reporting and compliance with Action Against Hunger standards and donor requirements.

Purpose

Lead effective, timely and accountable delivery of the project’s health component, improving access to essential health services and strengthening prevention, detection and response to priority health risks among crisis-affected populations.

Engagement

Work closely with District Health Offices, health facilities, district health teams, Ministry of Health structures, health partners, community health systems and ACF programme support departments to coordinate planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting.

Delivery

Ensure that health activities are delivered in line with approved workplans, technical standards, budgets, donor commitments and Ministry of Health protocols, with strong coordination across the integrated project.

Essential Job Duties

Technical Leadership and Programme Implementation

• Provide overall technical and operational leadership for health interventions across Moroto, Amudat, Napak, Nabilatuk and Nakapiripirit, ensuring integrated, equitable and quality delivery of primary healthcare, with particular emphasis on maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH).
• Lead the planning, coordination and implementation of integrated primary healthcare outreaches and essential outpatient services, ensuring access to timely and appropriate healthcare for vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities.
• Provide technical oversight of MNCH services, including antenatal care (ANC), identification and referral of high-risk pregnancies, skilled delivery, postnatal care (PNC), essential newborn care, child health, immunisation, management of childhood illnesses and referral of complications.
• Oversee sexual and reproductive health interventions, including family planning, adolescent-responsive services, health education, counselling and appropriate referral support.
• Strengthen linkages between communities, Village Health Teams (VHTs), Community Health Workers (CHWs), outreach teams and health facilities to improve early identification, care-seeking, referrals and continuity of care for pregnant women, newborns and children.
• Oversee immunisation and catch-up activities, including measles vaccination, DTP3 coverage improvement, identification of zero-dose and under-immunised children, defaulter tracing and follow-up.
• Provide technical oversight of disease surveillance, epidemic preparedness and response, particularly for measles and acute watery diarrhoea (AWD)/cholera, ensuring timely detection, notification, reporting, referral and coordination with relevant health authorities.
• Guide the integration of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) and Psychological First Aid (PFA) into primary healthcare, nutrition, maternal and reproductive health and community outreach services.
• Ensure health-facility readiness and quality service delivery through adequate staffing, functional equipment, essential medicines, medical supplies, infection prevention and control measures, and availability of priority maternal, newborn and child health supplies.
• Provide technical supervision, mentorship and capacity-building support to Health and Surveillance Officers, Health Assistants, outreach teams and community health structures to strengthen service quality and adherence to national health guidelines.
• Coordinate with District Health Offices, health facilities and relevant partners to address service delivery gaps, strengthen referral systems, align interventions with district health priorities and promote integration with other project sectors, including nutrition, protection and WASH.
• Conduct regular field monitoring and supportive supervision across the five target districts to assess implementation progress, service quality, identify challenges and recommend corrective actions.
• Monitor health programme performance against agreed targets and indicators, using routine health data, surveillance reports, outreach records and community feedback to guide programme decisions and improve service delivery.
• Ensure timely identification and escalation of emerging health risks, disease outbreaks, commodity shortages and operational challenges that may affect continuity and quality of services.
• Represent the health component in relevant district coordination meetings, health-sector technical forums and partner engagements, ensuring alignment with Ministry of Health guidelines, humanitarian standards, approved project plans and donor requirements.
• Document programme achievements, challenges, lessons learned and good practices, and provide recommendations to improve programme effectiveness, accountability and sustainability of health services.

Planning, Coordination and Partnership Management

• Lead development, review and implementation of health workplans, district microplans, outreach schedules and activity implementation plans.
• Coordinate with District Health Offices, facility in-charges, EPI focal persons, District Surveillance Focal Persons and District Rapid Response Teams.
• Represent or support ACF representation in relevant district and health coordination forums and maintain effective collaboration with UNICEF, CUAMM, Baylor, Welthungerhilfe and other relevant partners.
• Promote complementarity with government services, partner interventions and ACF complementary projects, using partner mapping to identify service gaps and avoid duplication.
• Support clear referral linkages between community platforms, health facilities, nutrition services, protection services and specialised care.

Team Management and Capacity Strengthening

• Provide line management, coaching and performance support to Health and Surveillance Officers and other health project staff in accordance with ACF policies.
• Identify capacity gaps and coordinate training, mentorship and on-the-job coaching for field teams and frontline health workers.
• Promote effective teamwork, staff accountability, duty of care and adherence to organisational policies and technical protocols.

Monitoring, Quality Assurance and Reporting

• Monitor implementation progress against approved targets, indicators, budgets and workplans and take timely corrective action where required.
• Review health activity reports, outreach records, immunisation data, surveillance reports and facility service information for completeness and quality.
• Work with MEAL colleagues to support routine monitoring, data-quality checks, quarterly service-delivery monitoring and documentation of lessons learned.
• Prepare and review timely, accurate narrative and technical reports and contribute to donor reporting and project review meetings.
• Conduct regular field monitoring and supportive supervision visits to assess service quality, access, functionality and implementation challenges.

Risk Management, Compliance and Accountability

• Identify operational, clinical, access, supply and implementation risks and escalate issues with appropriate mitigation measures.
• Ensure health activities comply with Ministry of Health guidance, relevant humanitarian standards, ACF policies and donor requirements.
• Promote accountability to affected populations, safe feedback and complaints channels, disability inclusion, gender sensitivity and protection mainstreaming.
• Ensure confidentiality and responsible management of beneficiary and health information, including sensitive referral data.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Directly supervise health project staff as assigned and provide technical oversight to field teams. Support coordination and performance management of health personnel and community-level structures involved in project delivery.

Gender Equality Commitments

Ensure women, men, girls, boys, older persons and persons with disabilities can access health services equitably. Promote gender-sensitive and culturally appropriate service delivery and address barriers affecting vulnerable groups. Ensure respectful, non-discriminatory engagement with patients, caregivers and communities.

Fiscal Responsibility

Oversee use of health project resources in line with approved budgets and ACF financial and procurement procedures. Monitor activity expenditure and support forecasting, budget follow-up and timely justification of costs. Ensure appropriate accountability for medicines, medical supplies, equipment and project assets.

Physical Demands

Extensive field travel across the five target districts, including visits to remote health facilities, outreach sites and hard-to-reach communities.

Working Conditions, Travel and Environment

Work will be based in Moroto with regular travel to Amudat, Napak, Nabilatuk and Nakapiripirit. The role may involve work in remote locations and challenging climatic, access and security conditions.

Required Qualifications and Professional Experience

• Degree in Public Health, Medicine, Nursing, public health nutrition, Health Systems Management or another relevant health-related field. A postgraduate qualification in Public Health added advantage.
• At least 5 years of relevant experience in health programme implementation, preferably in humanitarian or emergency settings.
• Demonstrated experience managing or coordinating integrated primary healthcare, maternal and child health, immunisation or disease surveillance programmes.
• Experience working with district health systems, health facilities, Ministry of Health structures and humanitarian partners.
• Experience in staff management, work planning, budget monitoring, donor reporting and programme quality assurance.

Required Skills & Competencies

• Strong technical leadership, programme management and coordination skills.
• Excellent communication, report-writing, facilitation and representation skills.
• Ability to analyse programme data, identify implementation gaps and take corrective action.
• Good understanding of Ministry of Health systems, primary healthcare, EPI, IDSR and humanitarian principles.
• Strong organisational, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office and relevant digital data-management tools; ability to work in remote and challenging environments.

Safeguarding and Accountability

Uphold Action Against Hunger safeguarding, Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), anti-fraud, data protection and Code of Conduct policies. Promote safe, dignified, inclusive and accountable services; ensure informed consent, confidentiality and the do-no-harm principle. Report safeguarding concerns, fraud risks, misconduct, complaints and protection concerns through established organisational channels.

• Provide overall technical and operational leadership for health interventions across Moroto, Amudat, Napak, Nabilatuk and Nakapiripirit, ensuring integrated, equitable and quality delivery of primary healthcare, with particular emphasis on maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH).
• Lead the planning, coordination and implementation of integrated primary healthcare outreaches and essential outpatient services, ensuring access to timely and appropriate healthcare for vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities.
• Provide technical oversight of MNCH services, including antenatal care (ANC), identification and referral of high-risk pregnancies, skilled delivery, postnatal care (PNC), essential newborn care, child health, immunisation, management of childhood illnesses and referral of complications.
• Oversee sexual and reproductive health interventions, including family planning, adolescent-responsive services, health education, counselling and appropriate referral support.
• Strengthen linkages between communities, Village Health Teams (VHTs), Community Health Workers (CHWs), outreach teams and health facilities to improve early identification, care-seeking, referrals and continuity of care for pregnant women, newborns and children.
• Oversee immunisation and catch-up activities, including measles vaccination, DTP3 coverage improvement, identification of zero-dose and under-immunised children, defaulter tracing and follow-up.
• Provide technical oversight of disease surveillance, epidemic preparedness and response, particularly for measles and acute watery diarrhoea (AWD)/cholera, ensuring timely detection, notification, reporting, referral and coordination with relevant health authorities.
• Guide the integration of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) and Psychological First Aid (PFA) into primary healthcare, nutrition, maternal and reproductive health and community outreach services.
• Ensure health-facility readiness and quality service delivery through adequate staffing, functional equipment, essential medicines, medical supplies, infection prevention and control measures, and availability of priority maternal, newborn and child health supplies.
• Provide technical supervision, mentorship and capacity-building support to Health and Surveillance Officers, Health Assistants, outreach teams and community health structures to strengthen service quality and adherence to national health guidelines.
• Coordinate with District Health Offices, health facilities and relevant partners to address service delivery gaps, strengthen referral systems, align interventions with district health priorities and promote integration with other project sectors, including nutrition, protection and WASH.
• Conduct regular field monitoring and supportive supervision across the five target districts to assess implementation progress, service quality, identify challenges and recommend corrective actions.
• Monitor health programme performance against agreed targets and indicators, using routine health data, surveillance reports, outreach records and community feedback to guide programme decisions and improve service delivery.
• Ensure timely identification and escalation of emerging health risks, disease outbreaks, commodity shortages and operational challenges that may affect continuity and quality of services.
• Represent the health component in relevant district coordination meetings, health-sector technical forums and partner engagements, ensuring alignment with Ministry of Health guidelines, humanitarian standards, approved project plans and donor requirements.
• Document programme achievements, challenges, lessons learned and good practices, and provide recommendations to improve programme effectiveness, accountability and sustainability of health services.
• Lead development, review and implementation of health workplans, district microplans, outreach schedules and activity implementation plans.
• Coordinate with District Health Offices, facility in-charges, EPI focal persons, District Surveillance Focal Persons and District Rapid Response Teams.
• Represent or support ACF representation in relevant district and health coordination forums and maintain effective collaboration with UNICEF, CUAMM, Baylor, Welthungerhilfe and other relevant partners.
• Promote complementarity with government services, partner interventions and ACF complementary projects, using partner mapping to identify service gaps and avoid duplication.
• Support clear referral linkages between community platforms, health facilities, nutrition services, protection services and specialised care.
• Provide line management, coaching and performance support to Health and Surveillance Officers and other health project staff in accordance with ACF policies.
• Identify capacity gaps and coordinate training, mentorship and on-the-job coaching for field teams and frontline health workers.
• Promote effective teamwork, staff accountability, duty of care and adherence to organisational policies and technical protocols.
• Monitor implementation progress against approved targets, indicators, budgets and workplans and take timely corrective action where required.
• Review health activity reports, outreach records, immunisation data, surveillance reports and facility service information for completeness and quality.
• Work with MEAL colleagues to support routine monitoring, data-quality checks, quarterly service-delivery monitoring and documentation of lessons learned.
• Prepare and review timely, accurate narrative and technical reports and contribute to donor reporting and project review meetings.
• Conduct regular field monitoring and supportive supervision visits to assess service quality, access, functionality and implementation challenges.
• Identify operational, clinical, access, supply and implementation risks and escalate issues with appropriate mitigation measures.
• Ensure health activities comply with Ministry of Health guidance, relevant humanitarian standards, ACF policies and donor requirements.
• Promote accountability to affected populations, safe feedback and complaints channels, disability inclusion, gender sensitivity and protection mainstreaming.
• Ensure confidentiality and responsible management of beneficiary and health information, including sensitive referral data.
• Directly supervise health project staff as assigned and provide technical oversight to field teams.
• Support coordination and performance management of health personnel and community-level structures involved in project delivery.
• Ensure women, men, girls, boys, older persons and persons with disabilities can access health services equitably.
• Promote gender-sensitive and culturally appropriate service delivery and address barriers affecting vulnerable groups.
• Ensure respectful, non-discriminatory engagement with patients, caregivers and communities.
• Oversee use of health project resources in line with approved budgets and ACF financial and procurement procedures.
• Monitor activity expenditure and support forecasting, budget follow-up and timely justification of costs.
• Ensure appropriate accountability for medicines, medical supplies, equipment and project assets.

• Strong technical leadership, programme management and coordination skills.
• Excellent communication, report-writing, facilitation and representation skills.
• Ability to analyse programme data, identify implementation gaps and take corrective action.
• Good understanding of Ministry of Health systems, primary healthcare, EPI, IDSR and humanitarian principles.
• Strong organisational, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office and relevant digital data-management tools; ability to work in remote and challenging environments.

• Degree in Public Health, Medicine, Nursing, public health nutrition, Health Systems Management or another relevant health-related field. A postgraduate qualification in Public Health added advantage.
• At least 5 years of relevant experience in health programme implementation, preferably in humanitarian or emergency settings.
• Demonstrated experience managing or coordinating integrated primary healthcare, maternal and child health, immunisation or disease surveillance programmes.
• Experience working with district health systems, health facilities, Ministry of Health structures and humanitarian partners.
• Experience in staff management, work planning, budget monitoring, donor reporting and programme quality assurance.