Senior Project Officer

ABOUT VILLAGEREACH 

VillageReach transforms health care delivery to reach everyone. We are driven by a vision of a world where each person has the health care needed to thrive. VillageReach’s goal is to reduce inequities in access to quality primary health care for 350 million people by 2030. We work with governments, the private sector, partners and communities to build responsive primary health care systems that deliver health products, information and services to the most under-reached. As a locally driven and globally connected organization, VillageReach has offices in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique and the United States.   

Summary 

Following national assessments carried out in 2022, VillageReach and its partners are implementing customized programs in 15 countries at risk of polio epidemics, aimed at strengthening laboratory systems (for routine disease surveillance and epidemic preparedness and control) by improving the speed and quality of transport of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) and environmental surveillance (ES) samples from communities or health facilities to testing laboratories. The Senior Project Officer Laboratory System Strengthening, working under the supervision of the Supply Chain & Lab Systems Program Manager and in collaboration with the Program, M&E and Operations team staff, will play a key role in the management of the laboratory sample transport program. 

Description 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time.  

• Support the implementation of laboratory system activities in collaboration with project focal points in the provinces, under the supervision of program manager.  

• Support national and provincial laboratories in setting up quality sample transport systems, biosafety/biosecurity systems and good laboratory practices; 

• In collaboration with specialized programs, plan and organize training sessions on biosafety and biosecurity for health personnel and other stakeholders involved in sample transport;  

• Contribute to the implementation of the multi-sectoral One Health collaboration between public health, animal health and environmental laboratories; 

• Support the Supply Chain & Lab Systems Program Manager in organizing workshops to overhaul the system for transporting samples of diseases with epidemic potential; 

• Support the performance evaluation of sample transport managers in collaboration with the Outsourced Transport (OTC) team, under the coordination of the Program Manager; 

• Ensure the follow-up collection and consolidation of project deliverables within the deadline before sharing with the Program Manager for submission. 

• Support the digital and manual tracking of laboratory samples in collaboration with the Digital Solutions Manager and laboratory system focal points at provincial level;  

• Support the updating of standard operating procedures for sample transport and training at all levels covering all epidemic risk diseases; 

• In collaboration with the M&E Manager, support monthly and quarterly surveillance data review meetings at national and provincial level, and training of data managers at provincial level; 

• Ensure capacity building of community health workers in surveillance activities and active case finding, as well as training of community leaders in crisis communication during epidemics and good practices (sanitation), and support to village chiefs in community visits hostile to epidemic response activities; 

• Support the collection of community feedback using the innovative CITA (Community Insights to Action) approach; 

• Liaise between VillageReach and the Ministry by participating in meetings of the Laboratory Working Group and transporting samples to the Laboratory Directorate (GTT). 

• Support the Laboratory Directorate in the operation of the Epidemic Potential Disease Sample Transport Taskforce; 

• Analyze and synthesize surveillance and sample transport data to identify trends and problems, 

• Write and present periodic reports on progress and challenges to stakeholders, 

• Coordinate with the M&E team to integrate these insights into program evaluations. 

• Pilot innovations to optimize sample transport systems, 

• Work with technical teams to test and deploy new technologies to improve delivery speed and safety, 

• Promote continuous improvement through workshops and regular feedback, 

• Prepare monthly, quarterly and annual program progress reports and submit them on time under the coordination of the program manager. 

Competencies: 

VillageReach has ten (10) Organizational Competencies that describe how we work together and get things done they are grouped into three strategic areas: Achieving Great Results, Setting Direction and, Bringing Others With you. For a full description, please download our Organizational Competency document.

Achieving Great Results:

1.      Risk Taking and Innovation

·        Key Behaviors: Comfort with ambiguity, curiosity, adaptability, unconstrained and undeterred creativity, resourcefulness.

2.      Business Judgement

·        Key Behaviors: Getting to root causes, understanding environment, navigating complexity and ambiguity, entrepreneurial energy.

3.      Building Strong Teams

·       Key Behaviors: Trust in Subject Matter Experts (SME’s); radical candor to resolve conflict, hold each other accountable as colleagues, focused on results, commitment to mission.

Setting Direction:

4.      Compelling Communication

·        Key Behaviors: Clear and evidence-based communication, audience adaptability, curious listener. 

5.      Resilient Self Leadership

·        Key Behaviors: Self-aware, plan how one shows up, emotionally intelligent, use one’s own agency and takes accountability.

6.      Stewardship and Personal Alignment

·        Key Behaviors: Take ownership, display ethical conduct, effective at resource management, alignment of personal objectives with organizational goals and mission, focus on continuous improvement and sustainability.

Bringing Others with You:

7.      Influencing Leadership

·        Key Behaviors: Cultivate trust, influences to make change, navigate the matrix structure.

8.      Radical Partnership

·        Key Behaviors: Share information and credit, address conflict, increase impact through collaboration, political and contextual awareness.

9.      Cultivates a Growth Mindset

·        Key Behaviors: Seek out diverse input, demonstrate flexibility in thinking and curiosity, embrace challenges, demonstrate persistence, seek learning opportunities.

10.   Cultural Intelligence and Inclusion

·        Key Behaviors: Continuous learning and ally-ship across cultural lines, challenge prejudice and bias, modeled in one’s own behavior.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. 

Supervisory Responsibilities:  

This position has no supervisory responsibilities. 

Education & Experience: 

• University degree in public health, epidemiology, medicine or master's degree in fields related to laboratory sciences (clinical biology, medical biologist). Special training in Intervention Epidemiology and Laboratory Management is highly desirable.  

• At least 5 years' experience in epidemic and laboratory management, knowledge of quality assurance, strategic planning and development of response plans. 

• Experience in the management of laboratory activities and transport of health samples is an asset; 

• Excellent knowledge of the health system in general and of epidemiological surveillance in the DRC; 

• Proven experience in the use of secondary data (DHIS2, Infomed, DHS program). 

Other Qualifications: 

• Established cultural competency in partnering with racial, cultural and linguistically diverse groups. 

• Demonstrated understanding of challenges with working in rural, underserved and low-income context; experience living in and/or working in a low-income country a plus. 

• Knowledge of English would be an asset.  

• Ability to synthesize and convey information to various audiences in a clear and concise manner. Write reports and proposals for Ministry of Health and donors.  

• Exceptional ability to analyze multiple data sources to identify trends and provide recommendations on project implementation. 

Environment and Physical Demands:

VillageReach has no private offices, employees work in a shared, open environment with task and conference rooms accessible to employees for privacy and meetings. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet. Due to the time zone differences between our USA office and our Country Offices and location of other global staff, we have established core collaboration hours between 6am Pacific Time and 18:00 South Africa Time (GMT+1) Monday through Thursday. All staff, regardless of location are expected to be available between these hours. During Daylight Savings Time, this allows for 12 hours per week (3 hours/day) of collaboration time and during Standard Time, 8 hours (2 hours/day). We do not hold cross-office meetings on Friday.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY & INCLUSION:

VillageReach is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer committed to workforce diversity. We believe that diverse, equitably weighted perspectives foster an organizational capacity to create novel solutions that improve health in the most under-reached and hard-to-reach areas. To align our values, innovations and impact, VillageReach is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse global workforce.

APPLICATION INFORMATION:

This is hire is dependent of the availability of funding and necessary approvals. Resumes will be reviewed on a rolling basis until filled. To apply, please submit your resume and a cover letter to our online portal: http://www.villagereach.org/join-us/.  In your cover letter, please address (1)Why you are interested in this position, (2)What is one reason you think you’d be a good fit for this position and, (3)what is one strength you would bring to this position?

HIRING PROCESS:

The hiring process will include the following steps:

1. Review submitted applications
2. Conduct 20–30-minute screening interviews for shortlisted candidates
3. Conduct skills and value-based interviews for 3-5 candidates.
4. Request that top candidates submit a practical assessment (designed to take no more than two hours to complete). Sometimes the assignment will occur before the interview.
5. Conduct final interview if necessary
6. Request references 
7. Make offer 
8. Conduct background check

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted, but candidates who proceed to step 2 will be notified if they are not chosen for step 3.

Safeguarding:

VillageReach is committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people, adults, and beneficiaries with whom it engages. We expect everyone working with us to share this commitment through our code of conduct.All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which may include criminal records. VillageReach participates in the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and, in line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By applying, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Compensation & Benefits: 

VillageReach has an established compensation structure that is based on the relevant market and internally transparent. The range for this position is $44,300 to $53,600 USD. We hire people into the established range based on one’s experience and education and considering internal equity. We do not inquire about salary history. Please refer to our compensation overview on our website for more information and for more information on employee benefits.