Position Title:

Health and Social Protection Senior Program Manager

Position Location:

Kigali, Rwanda

Department/Division:

Programs

Reporting to:

Country Director

General Function

The HSP Senior Manager provides technical leadership and management of health, nutrition, and social protection programs in alignment with the overall strategic direction of WRR. HSP Senior Program Manager will lead the development of new programming, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of all projects within his/her protfolio. He/she will specifically be responsible for the implementation of  Abarinzi b’imikurire myiza project whose objective is to improve Maternally, Infant and Young Child Nutrition(MIYCN) practices through the creation of evidence-based peer support derived from existing best practices and social support individuals or systems already in place in Rwandan households or communities.

Specific Job Duties:

1. Provide strategic and technical leadership, team leadership, and quality assurance to the project teams and all stakeholders involved in the implementation of World Relief Rwanda’s health, nutrition, and social protection programs.
2. Actively engage all stakeholders at the national, district, sector, cell level listed in the programme documents and others relevant to the projects to solicit ownership and insights towards the successful implementation of the programmes.
3. Ensure that all tools required for the programme implementation are timely developed and all concerned staff and stakeholders understand how to use them.
4. Equip, empower and support the program managers, field officers in program planning processes to ensure quality programming, the proper understanding of program goals, objectives and intermediary results, and engagement and buy-in of all key stakeholders.
5. Programme documentation, monitoring, evaluation, learning, and assessment are major responsibilities of the HSP senior manager and he/she will work with the program staff to ensure data is collected, shared, analyzed, and appropriately used.
6. Ensure complete, timely, and accurate programme documentation for all interventions.
7. Closely work with World’s Reliefs health technical advisors and consultants to ensure their role and support are sufficiently and timely provided to the programme.
8. Take lead in the  coordination of field visits for joint supervision and monitoring of  the project implementation at the community level
9. Lead the overall project planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation process, timely reporting, and provide leadership for the implementation of Abarinzi b’imikurire myiza programme.
10. Through the Abarinzi b’imikurire myiza project empower mothers and fathers with practical skills to improve nutrition practices and behaviors, including increased demand for and utilization of nutrition services in a friendly environment without fear of judgment.
11. Lead the review of local, regional and global models of peer support activities impact on promoting MIYCN. Map out ongoing peer support programming on  MIYCN in Rwanda.
12. Identify positive deviant actors who are or might become linked to these peer support systems.
13. Identify positive deviant behaviors and child feeding practices of these actors and support them to provide peer support by sharing their good practices through identified support systems.
14. Lead the testing and roll-out of peer to peer support activities at the community level within the Abarinzi b’imikurire project.
15. Lead the documentation process of establishing peer support activities and the impact of these activities on MIYCN practices within the Abarinzi b’imikurire project.
16. Monitor project financial reports and expenses according to the budget in conjunction with the project staff and the Finance Manager and to assist in writing the quarterly and annual budget projections for the programme.
17. Timely report to the supervisor on all matters that may hinder or affect the successful implementation of the programme.
18. Actively participate in resource development efforts on needs assessments and design of concept notes and proposal development
19. Represent the Country Director in national or district meetings related to the programme whenever he is not available to participate.
20. Carry out other activities assigned by and mutually agreed on with the line manager

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Master’s degree in Public Health, Social sciences, or International Development or any related field.
• Minimum experience of  5 years implementing health, nutrition, and social protection projects, preferably within a country office setting.
• Excellent knowledge and experience of project design and management of grants funded by UN Agencies,  bilateral and multilateral donors.
• Cross-cultural sensitivity, flexible worldview, and ability to work with a wide range of people from different backgrounds.
• Able to model exemplary moral and social behaviors acceptable in the Rwandan culture through their own actions.
• Strong capacity building and facilitation skills.
• Ability to support those they lead in the midst of adverse circumstances.
• Conscientious, well organized, attentive to detail, and able to handle multiple complex tasks at once.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision, self-starter, proactive, and a good communicator.
• Ability to maintain performance expectations in conditions with limited resources.
• Data-driven decision-making skills, strong program, and financial reporting skills.
• Excellent speaking and writing skills in English and Kinyarwanda. French is beneficial but not required.
• Computer skills in word processing, spreadsheets, and electronic communications.

Experience Required:

• At least 5 years of experience working in senior management positions and managing programs that involve partnerships.
• Good understanding of UN Agencies, external development environment, and expertise of organizational strategic planning.
• Expertise in developing proposals, logical frameworks, and capacity to network with high-level government officials and donors.
• Good understanding of national health policies and strategies.

Physical demands

• Willingness to travel and supervise program activities outside of Kigali.