Job Description Summary
Provide overall in-country leadership and management for the Faith and Community Initiative (FCI) in [Country], 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 Project Director/Manager 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 Project Director/Manager brings sufficient technical familiarity with integrated health programming (HIV, TB, malaria, MCH, and nutrition) to lead credibly, while relying on the FCI Technical Director/Manager and the Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Director/Manager for technical depth. Personify World Vision’s mission, vision, and strategies through life, deed, word, and signing of our values.
Key Responsibilities
30% 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.
30% 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.
10% Transition to Government Ownership and Sustainability
In close collaboration with the US Embassy, lead high-level negotiations with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance, and other government authorities to secure the progressive transition and absorption of FCI-supported activities, health workers, facilities, commodities, and data systems into government ownership and domestic financing.
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 Director and the national steering committee.
20% 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 Director, Finance and Compliance Manager, and MEL Manager, setting performance expectations and supporting staff development.
10% Grant, Fiscal, Compliance, and Risk Managemen
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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.
About You
Required Education, training, license, registration, and/or Certification
Academic Qualifications
Master’s degree required in public health, international development, business/public administration, or a related field.
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.
Demonstrated experience working with the Federal Ministry of Health, Regional Health Bureaus, government technical structures, technical working groups, donors, implementing partners, FBOs, and local organizations.
Proven experience providing technical oversight and capacity strengthening to multiple implementing partners, sub-awardees, local organizations, and FBOs across geographically dispersed areas.
Demonstrated experience using MEL data, evidence, research, assessments, and learning to improve technical performance and guide adaptive programming.
Proven experience in health systems strengthening, localization, government ownership, sustainability, institutionalization, and transition.
Experience working in complex, fragile, humanitarian, conflict-affected, or resource-constrained environments is highly desirable.
Preferred Specialized Training / Certifications
Preference will be given to candidates with specialized training or certification in PEPFAR Program Management and Technical Programming
U.S. Government/USAID Award and Program Management
HIV/AIDS and PEPFAR Technical Programming
TB/HIV Collaborative Programming
MNCH and Integrated Primary Health Care
Nutrition Programming and Nutrition-Sensitive Health Systems
Health Systems Strengthening
Quality Improvement / Continuous Quality Improvement (QI/CQI)
Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL)
Data Use, DHIS2, Digital Health, and Health Information Systems
Results-Based Management and Adaptive Management
Project/Program Management: PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent
Leadership and Senior Management
Localization, Partnership Management, and Organizational Capacity Strengthening
Safeguarding, PSEA, Gender, Disability Inclusion, and Protection
Humanitarian Health, Emergency Preparedness, and Outbreak Response, particularly relevant to the Ethiopian context.
Required Professional Experienc
e
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 substantial technical expertise in at least one core FCI technical area, such as HIV, TB, MNCH, nutrition, community health, primary health care, or health systems strengthening, combined with proven experience providing strategic technical oversight across integrated health programs.
Proven ability to integrate multiple technical areas into a single coherent program strategy, implementation model, service-delivery approach, performance framework, and health systems strengthening agenda, rather than managing technical components as separate vertical programs.
Strong senior-level experience working with Ministries of Health, Regional Health Bureaus, government technical structures, technical working groups, implementing partners, local organizations, FBOs, and donor technical counterparts. Direct experienc...