Program Officer, Africa Region
Position is in Africa. Preferable regions: Tanzania, Burundi, Uganda, and Malawi. Remote work is available within the region.
Who We Are:
Seva is a global non-profit eye care organization that transforms lives and strengthens communities by restoring sight and preventing blindness. We train local eye care providers and develop self-sustaining eye programs around the world. Together we provide critical eye care to underserved communities, especially women, children, and indigenous peoples. Seva has helped more than 5 million blind people regain their sight in more than 20 countries.
Function:
This position is within the Program Department. The Program Department is tasked with the implementation of all program efforts, including the quality of program work, identification of new initiatives, day-to-day management of program activities, building and maintaining partnerships, and evidencing our work. Within the Program Department, the role sits on the program implementation team. The program implementation team oversees operations, partner relations, fund utilization, new initiatives and measurement of impact. A responsive process of planning, implementing, and assessing guides the program implementation work.
Role:
The Program Officer plays a vital role within the Program Implementation Team that supervises an expanding portfolio of programs across four countries in Africa. Seva is currently working with partners in: Tanzania, Burundi, Uganda, and Malawi. Based in a location to be determined, the Program Officer works under the supervision of the Chief Program Officer. The Program Officer is responsible for coordinating and providing support to the implementation of programs in collaboration with two partners. He/she is responsible for preparing donor reports and communication, documenting the learning of hospitals that are part of the Global Sight Initiative network in the region, as well as representing Seva at key coordination meetings. An important piece of this role is to identify areas for potential growth of Seva’s work in this region. The officer will have frequent travel to partner hospitals and potential partners across the region.
a) Program Management and Implementation
- Strengthen and promote the GSI network by inculcating collective learning among partners and key stakeholders.
- Support in facilitating and monitoring Seva-supported programs/activities against deliverables as per key program drivers.
- Conduct field visits to program sites to understand progress and develop feedback systems with partners to achieve the goals.
- Identify problems or obstacles that may interfere with program implementation and work with staff and partners to address the issues appropriately.
b) Monitoring, Evaluation, and Impact Assessment
- Strengthen the M&E system to ensure data-driven decision-making.
- Track and update the key performance indicators and activities to monitor and examine the progress toward desired outcomes.
- Consolidate, analyze, synthesize, and disseminate key programmatic insights with the team and partners monthly and quarterly.
c) Program Development and Reporting
- Prepare and contribute to concept notes and proposals related to primary eye health, health policies, and eye hospital management.
- Draft and contribute to donor reports, overseeing the information prepared to ensure accuracy.
d) Growing the network in the region
- Represent Seva across the region when meeting with multiple stakeholders.
- Establish relationships with the MoH in the countries where Seva works.
- Participate in national and regional meetings.
- Building from the landscape Seva commissioned, identify potential opportunities for new partnerships in the four countries where Seva currently works.
Skills and qualifications:
- Master’s or advanced degree in public health, management or economics, community ophthalmology or related field.
- Strong administrative and managerial abilities.
- 5+ years of work experience in public health research/project management/ Impact Assessment.
- Relevant training and/or certifications or experience in public health.
- Working knowledge of SPSS, STATA, or any other statistical packages, PowerBi, or other data visualization platforms is preferred.
- Knowledge of Microsoft Office (advanced excel, PowerPoint, Word) data analysis skills, and experience in report writing in English is essential.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to collaborate, develop and maintain strong relationships with other teams.
- Experience representing an organization at the national and regional level
Attributes:
The incumbent should be capable of managing multiple and complex tasks; thrive under pressure, time and complexity; have strong people skills and the ability to develop a strong team spirit; and be capable of interfacing successfully with internal actors, donors, and partners to resolve program issues. They should also feel comfortable in a representational role, speaking on eye health issues with internal and external audiences. The Project Officer should be well-organized and self-motivated with demonstrable writing, management, and creative problem-solving skills.
Seva Values:
· Compassion in Action – We do not observe suffering, we address it.
· Selfless Service – Service is its own reward.
· Respect – We believe in the fundamental dignity and value of every person.
· Equity – We serve the underserved to ensure all people have access to quality care.
· Fun – We never take ourselves too seriously. When you stop laughing, you’ve stopped living.