USAID’s Strengthening Systems for Better Health (SSBH) Activity is a 5-year project aimed at improving health outcomes in Nepal, particularly for the most marginalized and disadvantaged groups in the country. This will be accomplished through supporting the Government of Nepal’s efforts to expand access to and use of quality maternal, newborn and child health and family planning services, with a specific focus on newborn care. Strengthening Systems for Better Health was initiated in January 2018 and will achieve three outcomes:

• improving access to and utilization of equitable healthcare services,
• improving the quality of health services at facility and community levels and
• improving health system governance, within the context of decentralization and federalism.

The project is implemented in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Population, the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, provincial and municipal governments, facility and community level health service providers and other key stakeholders. SSBH is implemented in all 79 municipalities of Karnali Province, and in all municipalities of Banke, Bardiya, Dang, Kapilvastu, Rupandehi and Nawalparasi West districts of Lumbini Province.

The Activity is seeking applications from qualified professionals for the position listed below.View Less

Position: Program Coordinator

Position No: 1

Locations: Surkhet, Karnali Province

Supervisor: Deputy Provincial Team Lead

Under the direct supervision of Deputy Provincial Team Lead, the Program Coordinator is responsible for guiding a large team of field-level staff (Health System Officers) in the timely implementation of technical assistance plans in districts and municipalities in the assigned province. In coordination with Technical Specialists, MDT, and Officers, the Program Coordinator will identify priority capacity building & technical assistance areas/interventions, and accordingly facilitate preparation of monthly plans and reports. The Program Coordinator will provide backstopping, capacity building, trouble-shooting and coordination support to field-level staff (HSOs) to facilitate smooth and timely implementation of municipal-level public health interventions/activities. S/he will also maintain coordination with other organizations working in the assigned province, promoting project learning and scale-up of best practices through collaboration and joint initiatives.   

Specific Duties and Responsibilities 

Under the guidance of Deputy Provincial Team Lead, the Program Coordinator will: 

• Support field-level staff (HSOs) for smooth and quality implementation of planned activities in the districts and municipalities, ensuring that these staff members are aware of their roles, responsibilities, and deliverables. 
• Coordinate with Technical Specialists and MDTs of respective districts to determine monthly and quarterly priorities and deliverables and provide support accordingly to HSOs in preparation of monthly and quarterly plans.  
• Work closely with technical team at provincial office and HSOs to ensure the quality and timeliness of the project deliverables.
• Work closely in team with SSBH province and central team in preparation of workplan and periodic project progress reports
• Conduct monitoring/backstopping visits to districts and municipalities to ensure that program interventions are being carried out in accordance with agreed standards; engage proactively with GoN counterparts during these visits to represent the project and receive feedback on the relevance and quality of project technical assistance. 
• Support development and maintenance of strong, sub-national working relationships with other USAID partners, NGOs/INGOs and UN agencies; support in functional networking and promoting synergy in planning and implementation. 
• Review program advance requests, process/recommend it and support financial settlements in alignment with monthly plans 
• Participate actively in all feedback and capacity building sessions for staff, along with work planning and routine program reviews to ensure in-depth understanding of program interventions; maintain adequate working knowledge of health systems strengthening, health information and MNCH/FP interventions in the federal context and provide support and backstopping to HSOs in performance of their assigned duties accordingly.
• Work with Deputy Provincial Team Lead to ensure that HSO staff develop and work towards annual performance objectives based on their job descriptions; contribute to evaluation of their performance, per the requirements of their respective organizations, and provide feedback and recommendations for their performance improvement and capacity building. 
• Work with SSBH finance and operations team to ensure adequate and timely logistic and procurement support to program operations in districts and municipalities, in compliance with project policies and regulations.
• Track HSOs movements and activities, ensuring full compliance with project and USAID rules and regulations, financial norms, values, and approved COVID-19 risk mitigation measures. 
• Periodically update the provincial management team and SSBH Security Focal Point on safety and security concerns and issues faced by field teams.
• The Program Coordinator will be expected to spend a minimum of 50% of his or her time traveling to field locations in project districts and municipalities. 

Required qualifications include:

• Master’s Degree in Public Health, Public Policy or Administration, International Development or a related field.
• Minimum of six (6) years of relevant experience, preferably with public health programs implemented/funded by international development agencies (INGOs/Bilateral partners and UN agencies) in a program and team management role. 
• Thorough knowledge and understanding of Nepal’s health systems, health information system and delivery of quality MNCH/FP services in the federal context. 
• Proficiency in of MS-Excel, MS-Word, MS-PowerPoint; experience with databases a plus.
• Ability and willingness to travel and work in remote areas of the project working districts/municipalities.
• Strong networking and team mobilization skills.
• Proven experience in maintaining close working relationships and coordination with other team members, partners and local stakeholders, including USAID implementing partners 
• Experience in identifying and resolving complex challenges and issues and skills in delegation and independent decision-making.
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills in both Nepali and English. 

SSBH is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender and culture. Individuals from minority groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. Only the shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the further selection process. Canvassing at any stage of the process shall lead to automatic disqualification.

APPLICATION PROCESS: MEROJOB.COM