Project Assistant

Overview

The Program Assistant will provide technical and programmatic support to the Early Detection of Breast Cancer Program, with a focus on supporting national-level planning and implementation of program activities, program documentation and reporting, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) activities in Zanzibar.

 

The Program Assistant will support the Project Director, M&E Senior Specialist, and technical team in coordinating monthly activity plans, tracking planned activities, and supporting the timely implementation of national-level activities. The assistant will work closely with relevant Ministry of Health counterparts in Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar to facilitate the implementation of national-level activities related to clinical breast examination (CBE), referral and diagnostic linkages, training, mentorship, and quality improvement.

 

At the national level, the Program Assistant will support the planning, coordination, and implementation of program activities, including the preparation of monthly work plans, activity budgets for national-level activities, meeting agendas, minutes, and other relevant documentation. The Assistant will also support the compilation, review, and preparation of program reports, including monthly, quarterly, and annual reports, as well as reports for national-level activities. This will include compiling information from regional teams and supporting the technical team to document lessons learned, best practices, implementation challenges, and opportunities for program improvement.

 

Additional key responsibility of the Program Assistant will be to provide M&E tasks in Zanzibar. The Assistant will work closely with the Zanzibar M/E intern and program officer to support routine data collection, compilation, cleaning and reporting of breast cancer early detection data. The Assistant will support M/E Intern with routine data reconciliation across relevant information systems, tracking of key program indicators, and preparation of indicator matrix summaries to inform program monitoring and decision-making.

The Program Assistant will work with M/E intern in Zanzibar and MOH HMIS Unit to support the strengthening of data documentation and reporting using existing health information systems as applicable. This will include supporting data review meetings, identifying data gaps and address data quality issues.

Working under the direction of the Project Director and M&E Senior Specialist, and in collaboration with the technical team and Ministry of Health counterparts, the Program Assistant will contribute to effective program coordination, implementation tracking, documentation, monitoring, and reporting. The Assistant will also support the documentation of implementation challenges, lessons learned, best practices, and opportunities to strengthen program performance, sustainability, and scale-up.

 

 

This position will be closed on September 11, 2026.

Responsibilities

• Support national-level meetings, technical working groups, workshops and stakeholder engagements related to early detection of breast cancer.
• Assist in preparing agendas, minutes and action trackers for program meetings.
• Coordinate follow-up of agreed actions with project team, and from the MOH at national and subnational level
• Support collaboration with relevant MOH departments to facilitate coordinated implementation.
• Actively contributes to the national level work planning, operational plans, developing scope of work as well as budgets for the national level activities, registration of participants during activity implementation, facilitating MWP/bonyeza and assisting in quarterly report writing for planned activities
• In collaboration with MOH/PORALG and project team, provide support to ensure timely implement of program activities and monitor implementation to meet daily, weekly and monthly targets
• Compile program activity reports, project meeting minutes, training reports, and other documentation.
• Support compilation of quarterly, annual and donor reports.
• Facilitate management of reports in all sources and support timely compilation and submission
• Provide M&E assistance to the Zanzibar Ministry of Health and project teams in monitoring breast cancer early detection and cervical cancer screening and treatment activities.
• Assist M&E/HMIS teams to strengthen documentation and reporting of breast cancer indicators as applicable.
• Support data reconciliation across reporting systems and identify discrepancies requiring follow-up in Zanzibar.
• Support M/E Intern to ensure district HMIS teams in Zanzibar take leadership role to ensure proper data collection and reporting procedures
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation and other supporting documents in BEAT Breast cancer shared points.
• Support documentation of program achievements, challenges, lessons learned and recommendations.
• Ensure all project activities are conducted as planned
• Track national activity budgets and expenditures in coordination with the finance team.
• Flag delays, operational challenges, and emerging issues to the relevant program team.
• Perform other duties related to BEAT Breast Cancer project implementation as assigned by the supervisor

 

Required Qualifications

• Degree in Medicine is desirable or equivalent
• At least 3-4 years of relevant experience supporting implementation of public health programs, preferably in women cancer (breast and cervical)
• Demonstrated experience supporting national- and subnational-level program planning, implementation, coordination and reporting.
• Experience in data collection, compilation, cleaning, validation, analysis and reporting.
• Experience supporting M&E activities and health information systems, preferably electronic health information systems.
• Experience working with Ministry of Health, regional and district health management teams, is highly desirable.
• Experience supporting programs in Zanzibar and familiarity with the Zanzibar health system and reporting structures will be an added advantage.
• Experience supporting training, workshops, supportive supervision, mentorship and stakeholder meetings
• Experience in working on screening breast and cervical cancer and cervical cancer activities at field level implementation is a huge added advantage
• Knowledge and experience in implementing Clinical Breast Examination (CBE) services and programming linked with continuum of care of breast cancer patients
• Previous experience in program management including planning, scope development and budget, monitoring program performance
• Current knowledge in the field of breast cancer management
• Solid communication, verbally and in writing, in English and Kiswahili including demonstrated technical writing skills including delivering an interactive presentation

• Proven record of working effectively within a team
• Demonstrated self-management (i.e. motivation, dealing with pressure, adaptability).
• Demonstrated ability to work under pressure and collaborate as a member of the team to achieve results
• Experience and understanding of donor funded programs

 

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong interpersonal, facilitation, and written communication skills in English; fluency in Kiswahili required.
• Willingness to travel domestically

 

 

 

Jhpiego offers competitive salaries and a comprehensive employee benefits package.

Please apply at www.jhpiego.org/careers

Applicants must submit a single document for upload to include cover letters, resume, and references.

For further information about Jhpiego, visit our website at www.jhpiego.org 

                                                                                      GM

Note: The successful candidate selected for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation.

Jhpiego is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer

 

Jhpiego, a Johns Hopkins University affiliate, is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, other legally protected characteristics or any other occupationally irrelevant criteria. Jhpiego promotes Affirmative Action for minorities, women, individuals who are disabled, and veterans.

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