Sr Manager (Project Lead) – Faith and Community Initiative (FCI)

With 75 years of experience, our focus is on helping the most vulnerable children overcome poverty and experience fullness of life. We help children of all backgrounds, even in the most dangerous places, inspired by our Christian faith.

Come join our 31,000+ staff working in nearly 100 countries and share the joy of transforming vulnerable children’s life stories!

Employee Contract Type:

Local - Fixed Term Employee (Fixed Term)

Job Description:

Status: Contingent upon award and donor approval

Job Summary

Provide overall in-country leadership and management for the Faith and Community Initiative (FCI) in Sierra Leone, ensuring the effective, high-quality, timely, and compliant delivery of the FCI country program within the FCI global strategy, standards, and results framework set by the FCI Global Management Team.  The Sr Manager FCI (project lead) serves as the principal in-country point of contact with the U.S. Embassy as directed by the National Director and the WVUS GMT team, host-government, Christian Health Association (CHA)/Faith-based organizations (FBOs), key stakeholders. S/he leads the FCI country team, oversees FCI budget, to achieve FCI project goals and objectives. A central mandate of this role is to collaborate with government/Ministry of Health and CHA/FBO for progressive transition and absorption of program activities, staff, and systems into government ownership and financing. The Sr Project Manager brings sufficient technical familiarity with integrated health programming (HIV, TB, malaria, MCH, and nutrition) to lead credibly, while relying on the FCI Technical Manager and the Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Manager for technical depth. Personify World Vision’s mission, vision, and strategies through life, deed, word, and signing of our values.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

In-Country Leadership and Program Management

• Provide overall leadership and management of the FCI country program, responsible for the achievement of country goals, objectives, and results in a timely and cost-effective manner.

• Lead country-level planning, adapting guidelines provided by the Global Management Team to the local context, and translating them into country work plans and performance targets.

• Implement the global strategy, standards, and performance expectations at country level, ensuring adherence to technical standards, best practices, and donor guidelines.

• Uphold the 80/20 efficiency commitment and drive the country transition and sustainability roadmap toward government and faith-based ownership.

External Relations: Embassy, Government, Christian Health Association, Faith Based Organizations Networks and other Partners

• Serve as the principal in-country point of contact and FCI representative to the U.S. Embassy and GHSD country team, keeping them informed of major program developments.

• Manage relationships with host-government counterparts, including the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance, and other relevant ministries and sub-national government authorities.

• Build, manage and maintain strong partnerships with Christian Health Associations (CHAs), faith-based organizations networks (FBOs), and other strategic partners to support the delivery of integrated health services and advance country ownership goals.

• Represent FCI on the national steering committee (or existing coordinating body) chaired by the host government, ensuring alignment with the country MOU and national health strategies.

• Cultivate and manage relationships with local implementing and sub-partners, faith-based and community health networks, and other partners and organizations, including the Global Fund, its principal recipients and sub-recipients, and other GHSD and bilateral partners.

• Coordinate with other PEPFAR/GHSD programs and partners so that FCI activities complement ongoing initiatives and adhere to country and global standards, avoiding duplication.

Transition to Government Ownership and Sustainability

• In close collaboration with the US Embassy, lead high-level negotiations

• Develop, negotiate, and steward a country-specific sustainability and transition plan with clear benchmarks, milestones, and timelines, jointly owned with the host government and endorsed by the national steering committee.

• Secure government commitments and co-investment (including budget lines and payroll absorption) for the continued financing of frontline health workers, hubs, spokes, and community platforms beyond the life of the award.

• Advocate with government and faith-based service providers to formalize the integration of faith-based facilities and staff into national health plans, payroll, supply chain, and information systems.

• Track and report on transition progress against agreed benchmarks, escalating risks to government absorption in a timely manner and adjusting the roadmap in coordination with the Global Project Manager and the national steering committee.

Staff, Consortium, and Operations Management

• Lead, supervise, and motivate the country team of technical and program-management staff, ensuring strong communication and coordination across the team.

• Manage in-country consortium and sub-partners, establishing and maintaining strong lines of communication and collaboration.

• Oversee country office operations, logistics, procurement, and administration in line with World Vision and donor policies and country laws.

• Directly supervise the Country Technical Manager, Finance and Compliance Manager, and MEL Manager and Supply Chain Coordinator, setting performance expectations and supporting staff development.

Grant, Fiscal, Compliance, and Risk Management

• Hold overall accountability for country-level administration, fiscal management, and grant and contract management, ensuring all program goals are met on time and within budget.

• Oversee country programmatic and financial reporting, ensuring compliance with donor regulations, World Vision policies, and country statutory requirements.

• In coordination with the Finance and Compliance Manager, ensure expenses are reasonable, allocable, and compliant for clean audits.

• Identify country-level risks – programmatic, financial, safeguarding, security, and reputational – in a timely manner and lead mitigation, escalating to the Global Project Director as needed.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND EXPERIENCE

• Master’s degree required in public health, international development, business/public administration, or a related field.

• Minimum 10 years’ experience managing donor-funded health programs, including senior management and staff supervision, with a strong track record engaging institutional donors, host governments (including Ministries of Health and Finance), and multi-organization consortia.

• Prior Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party, or senior country program management experience strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated experience representing programs to U.S. Embassies/USG, national governments, the Global Fund, and other partners, and negotiating the transition or absorption of program activities into government systems and financing.

• Proven experience ensuring compliance and clean audits on donor-funded awards. Sufficient technical familiarity with integrated health programming (HIV, TB, malaria, MCH, and nutrition) to provide credible leadership.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English; proficiency in the national/local language(s) strongly preferred.

 

TECHNICAL COMPTENCIES

• Organizational Awareness: Understands business operations and the mission, work and priorities of the organization. Applies understanding of the organization’s informal structure, culture and climate in achieving goals. - Advanced

• Program Design and Implementation: Effectively design development and relief programs that transform communities in need. Understands how to acquire and integrate resources to support program design. - Proficient

• Sector Knowledge: Understand current methodologies and standards associated with different sectors and effectively apply knowledge in designing, monitoring and evaluating programs. - Proficient

• Funding Mechanisms Knowledge: Understands diverse funding mechanisms (e.g., cost proposals, fixed-price grants, etc.), how they operate, and the requirements for each, and applies knowledge in developing budgets. - Advanced

• Managing Resources: Identifies appropriate people, facilities, tools and materials, time constraints, vendors, etc. for accomplishing goals. Considers potential costs and benefits of resources prior to allocating them. - Advanced

• Coaching and Developing Others: Coach and mentor others effectively. Understands the performance evaluation process, how to give and receive feedback, how to find and set up developmental opportunities, and how adults learn. - Advanced

• Knowledge Management: Effectively organizes and manages information resources so that current, critical knowledge is retained and information can easily be disseminated. Develops feedback loops to ensure best practice information is captured. - Proficient

• English Language Proficiency: The ability to speak, understand and write fluently in English. – Proficient

Work/Travel requirements

• Country office environment with regular in-country travel to implementation regions, districts, and field sites (typically up to 40% of the time).

• May require travel to insecure or hazardous/ complex and difficult locations.

• Occasional international/regional travel for consortium and donor engagements.

All successful candidates will be required to undergo a police (criminal background) check, appropriate to the role and location, as well as a Counter-Terrorism Sanctions screening, as part of the clearance process prior to commencing employment.World Vision International also participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (https://misconduct-disclosure-scheme.org/). In line with this Scheme, we will request information from applicants’ previous employers, as part of the reference checking process, regarding any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, as well as any such incidents under investigation at the time of separation. By applying for this role, applicants confirm their understanding of and consent to these recruitment procedures.

WOMEN ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY 

Applicant Types Accepted:

Local Applicants Only