Community Health Department Project Manager, PIH Rwanda

Organizational Profile:

Partners In Health (“PIH”), co-founded by Paul Farmer and Ophelia Dahl and headquartered in Boston, MA, is an internationally recognized non-profit organization whose mission is to provide a preferential option for the poor in health care. Through its service delivery, training, advocacy and research, PIH works globally to bring the benefits of modern medical science to those most in need and to serve as an antidote to despair. PIH has major programs in Haiti, Peru, Guatemala, Mexico, Russia, Rwanda, Lesotho, Malawi, Burundi, Kazakhstan, the Dominican Republic, and Boston, working tirelessly to lessen the joint burden of disease and poverty.

This is an exciting time for PIH, as the organization is going through a period of significant growth. PIH has played a vital role in the response and reconstruction of Haiti following the 2010 earthquake, and these efforts are resulting in both a broadened scope of work and heightened visibility for the organization. As the work continues to expand, PIH seeks individuals committed to the mission and values of the organization (see PIH values) to join the team.

IMB, PIH’s sister organization in Rwanda, has the goal of supporting the Rwandan Ministry of Health at the district and national levels, to improve the health and promote the rights of the people of Rwanda by ensuring universal access to high quality, comprehensive care.

Overall Responsibilities:

The Community Health Project Manager will support the Community Health Deputy Director and team with the management of the community health program, including financial management. In particular, the Community Health Project Manager will focus on:

(1) Supporting the Deputy Director on all workstreams, particularly for finance, communications, operations, and strategy;

(2) Building program management capacity with district hospital community health supervisors, district program coordinators and assistants through formal and informal trainings; and

(3) Ensuring smooth cross-district coordination and operations.

The successful candidate will develop tools and processes to facilitate efficient management practices, providing mentorship as appropriate for district hospital community health supervisors and counterparts in the Ministry of Health at all levels.

Qualified candidates will have significant experience managing a team of professionals--in a for-profit or non-profit organization--in a developing world setting. It is imperative that the candidate have strong interpersonal skills, as s/he will be coordinating with a host of managers and directors s/he does not directly manage. Success is predicated on forming high-trust relationships with colleagues, providing cogent advice, and being persistent.

Ability to commit 2 years is preferred.

Specific Responsibilities:

Support Deputy Director

Support Community Health Department to manage the administration of community health programs, including: coordination, communication, finance and administration.
Support Community Health Department in reviewing and analyzing community health programs’ reports on program performance metrics, status of activities as compared to work plan, and actual spending as compared to budget in order to anticipate, identify, and address potential challenges.
Support Community Health Department’s engagement with key partners, donors, and government partners on all administration, management, and finance issues.
Assist Community Health Department in preparing, writing and editing reports; help prepare abstracts and manuscript submissions to professional journals.
Support coordination of community health and cross-cutting programs, helping to ensure interdepartmental community health priorities and projects steadily move forward.
Other special projects as assigned by Country Director.

Build Community Health Program Management Capacity

Facilitate program management by supporting community health staff to develop strategic goals, and to create work plans and budgets.
In close collaboration with M&E team, ensure each manager or coordinator has defined, clear and applicable performance metrics for their program, and that they are being monitored on a regular basis and part of the decision-making process.
Assist program staff to gather and analyze programmatic and financial data used in management reports for improved decision-making.
Ensure communication across programs runs smoothly, including planning meetings, providing frequent updates and ensuring information is appropriately shared throughout the organization, both within IMB and with colleagues in Boston.
Develop the managerial capacity of program coordinators through one-on-one coaching and implementation of management training curricula that are directly applicable to managers’ daily work.
Work with IMB government partners – district health unit, hospital, and health center leaders— to improve managerial capacity and implement new systems [e.g. pharmacy supply chain issues, financial reporting, planning].
Support community health leadership and managers more generally with major projects as necessary.

Cross-site Coordination and Operations

Travel frequently to each of three districts of Rwanda that IMB supports.
Coordinate district-based community health activities across three districts, disseminating best practices.
Support quality improvement initiatives across the district hospitals—particularly with respect to supervision.

Location:

This position is based in Rwanda and requires frequent travel throughout the country.

Qualifications:

MBA or equivalent graduate degree with 5-10 years of work experience in management, finance, or consulting, or Bachelor’s degree with >10 years of applicable work experience.
Medical, clinical, or public health background strongly preferred.
English fluency required; French proficiency strongly preferred.
High degree of proficiency with Excel and PowerPoint.
Strong communication, writing and presentation skills.
Experience with financial management; analytical skills required.
Proven ability to exercise good judgment and diplomacy.
Ability to work under pressure, handle multiple assignments, prioritize work flow, adapt to fluctuating workload, and meet deadlines.
Prior experience working in resource-poor settings preferred.
Willingness to travel frequently within Rwanda and work long hours.
Genuine gratification with working in a collaborative team atmosphere.
Ability to commit 2 years is preferred.
Commitment to health and social justice.