Introduction
Amref Health Africa is the continent’s leading health development organisation, founded and headquartered in Kenya. Our vision is lasting health change in Africa. As we celebrate 60 years of progress with the launch of our new five-year growth strategy, we are seeking an experienced and ambitious Chief Programmes Officer to lead our country and programmes portfolio.
Amref Health Africa began 60 years ago as the Flying Doctors of East Africa to provide critical medical assistance to remote communities in East Africa. Today, Amref Health Africa works with the most vulnerable African communities through its country programmes in Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, and its Southern and West Africa regional hubs. With its laboratory, clinical outreach and training programmes, Amref Health Africa reaches more than 35 countries across the continent. The organisation’s work is supported by 11 offices in North America and Europe.
With over half a century of experience in delivering health care and building health systems in Africa, Amref Health Africa supports those at the heart of the communities, particularly women and children, to bring about lasting health improvement. Amref Health Africa works with these communities to build their knowledge, skills and means to improve their health (including health systems strengthening and capacity building). To do this, partnership and networking are key elements of Amref Health Africa’s approach.
Background to the Role
Amref Health Africa is on an exciting journey and has just finalised its strategy for the next five years (2018–2022). There are three overarching pillars in the strategy: developing human resources for health, delivering innovative & sustainable health services and enabling investments in health. The new strategy combines continued growth in grants income with a focus on transitioning some of its work to a Social Enterprise model as adiversification mechanism to deliver new, complementary income streams.
Reporting to the Group Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Programmes Officer (CPO) is critical in supporting the execution of this strategy, leading the Country Directors and Senior Technical Specialists and working in collaboration with our Northern Offices to deliver an ambitious programme of change and growth.
Amref Health Africa is seeking to recruit internationally for a dynamic individual with multi-country and multi-donor experience with Africa experience in the field of programme development and with strong remote management skills coupled with business acumen. The incumbent will provide strategic leadership in all of Amref Health Africa’s programme work. In addition the CPO will be a member of the Executive and Senior Management Teams and will interact frequently with donors, partners and the International Board of Amref Health Africa.
The Role
Location: Nairobi, Kenya with periodic travels to countries and field offices.
Direct reports: Regional Directors and Country Directors.
Countries supervised: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Southern Africa (Malawi, South Africa and Zambia) and Western Africa (Senegal and Guinea). Compensation: This role attracts internationally competitive benefits including relocation for internationally recruited staff.
Key Responsibilities:
Management Oversight: Oversee Regional Directors and Country Directors across Africa ensuring efficient and effective use of donor and organisation resources in addition to linking up with Europe and North America Offices and participating in the Head of Programmes forums. This role will ensure that there are sound quality systems to meet agreements with diverse partners in health care. This would be with the support of six direct reports with an opportunity to grow the unit as required.
Strategic Leadership: Provide strategic programme leadership through setting and maintaining high standards of programming quality that reflect adherence to Amref technical standards, best practice and donor guidelines. Provide support to countries in implementing the new strategic plan by making it country/context specific.
Institutional fundraising: Collaboratively, driving, developing and assisting with proposal development across the organisation.
Performance Management: Develop performance objectives and indicators for supervised teams to ensure these are linked to the strategic plan and are cascaded across all teams. This responsibility is linked to performance management of direct reports including plans for competency and career development.
Advocacy: Articulate Amref Health Africa’s health agenda to key stakeholders including advocacy for improved health care. Contribute to maximising the influencing work at global, regional and country level, working closely with theBusiness Development function, Europe and North America offices.
Leadership: Emulate Amref’s values and beliefs while providing inspiring leadership and professional support that promotes team spirit.
Governance: This role interacts with members of the International Board, provides input to various board committees and calls for diverse experience in relationship management.
Communication: In partnership with the Communications Unit at HQ, provide communications support in the development of programme communications activities at country, regional and continental level in conjunction with the various country communications teams.
Knowledge and Experience
Academic requirements:
Qualifications in a health related field and or in International Development.
Work experience:
Ten years experience in leading an international development organisation.
At least six years experience as a director or manager of programs or their equivalent with complex consortia and with relevant networks.
Multi-country experience in Africa building strong relationship with all the stakeholders and managing complex programs.
Experience with an array of donors European Union, USAID, DFID, etc.
Partial private sector experience is desirable though not mandatory.
Experience in financial management and resource mobilisation.
Core competencies
Highly effective leadership: Demonstrates proven team building ability. Inclined to coach and mentor in order to improve knowledge and ability of others, but holds people accountable for results.
Strategic thinker: Have a global perspective with an in-depth understanding of development issues and current global trends impacting on the work of international NGOs.
Quality assurance: Understands and values quality improvement; applies managerial and technical skills to measure and improve efficiency and effectiveness and ensure compliance with all regulatory and contractual obligations.
Adaptability: Agile and adaptable in the face of conflict, crisis, or changing priorities.
Diversity & inclusion: Demonstrate commitment to diversity and inclusion, valuing different perspectives and encouraging contributions by all team members who are geographically dispersed.
Networking: A strong track record of seeking and building effective relationships with a diverse range of external partners and stakeholders.
Communication skills: High level of oral and written communication skills in order to effectively communicate with external parties including donors, partners and other stakeholders.
Computer skills: Proficiency in Information, Communication and Technology.
Application
If you are interested in this exciting role and meet all requirements we would like to engage with you. Send your personal statement and CV not exceeding 4 pages with three professional references to executivesearch@amref.org to reach us by Friday, 28 April, 2017. Applications will be reviewed as they are received. Amref Health Africa is an equal opportunity employer.
*Originally posted on 11th April 2017.