United States Agency for International Development USAID Jobs Circular 2018 – www.usaid.gov.bd

Job Context

• The Project Management Specialist provides expert clinical and biomedical leadership and focus for the USAID/Bangladesh Office of Population, Health, Nutrition and Education (OPHNE) $95.5 million annual portfolio and for health-related programs in the Office of Economic Growth and the Office of Food, Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance. S/he is a senior health professional in the field of public health in Bangladesh, with recognized expertise in programmatic as well as clinical aspects of maternal/child health, family planning and reproductive health, infectious disease, nutrition and public health service delivery. S/he has also a strong understanding of service delivery in the private sector.
• As a member of the OPHN management team reporting to the Office Director, s/he provides substantive technical and analytical input in the formulation and administration of the overall population, health and nutrition program of USAID/Bangladesh. S/he has experience in health policy and its effects in the health system and expertise in strategic planning and applying a systems approach that shapes and steers the health portfolio.
• S/he also serves as Assistance or Contracting Officer Representative (A/COR) for local awards or as Activity Manager (AM) for field support awards totaling $21 million annually. The incumbent will have extensive knowledge and expertise in the management of public health service delivery. S/he will serve as the Mission’s primary link with the Ministry of Health officials and Development Partners (bilateral and multilateral organizations) on clinical and biomedical aspects of programs working to achieve population and health objectives.

United States Agency for International Development USAID Jobs Circular More Information

Job Responsibilities

• The Project Management Specialist is a senior FSN in OPHNE, in USAID and in the greater USG Mission, providing expert technical and analytical input for all aspects, especially clinical and biomedical aspects, of public health, including maternal and child health, family planning and reproductive health, infectious disease including TB and avian influenza, other emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and nutrition. S/he is involved in a wide range of public health activities and will provide the following functions: implementation and financial management; strategic planning and program design; networking and coordination; assessment, reporting and communication.
• Strategic Planning and Program Design:
• Provides expert direction, judgment and input for designing technically sound Mission strategies for achieving USAID’s program objectives in maternal and child health, family planning (especially long-acting and permanent methods, clinical contraception), reproductive health, TB and emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases. Advises OPHNE on how to integrate a health systems approach into the strategic planning and program design of current and new activities. Conceptualizes and recommends new program directions when they are required to achieve results and revises program descriptions and amendments to grants and contracts to reflect those new directions. Advises the USG Mission as well as the GOB on the human side of avian influenza, including updates and key recommendations for action such as tripwires for evacuation planning and overall program response. Provides medical programmatic direction for USAID’s Title II PL-480 program to ensure favorable impact on women and children. Advises the Mission on biomedical and clinical relevance and significance of its strategies and activities.
• Implementation and Financial Management:
• May serves as COR/AOR/AM for multiple activities with an annual funding level in the range of $30 million to $90 million (life of project). As COR/AOR/AM, performs inspections/site visits to gather information about implementation progress and provides recommendations on changes to improve performance, etc. Monitors program and management activities to ensure compliance with policies and standard provisions. Coordinates with Mission financial analysts to track expenditures and pipeline and to coordinate the timing of incremental funding. Tracks quarterly financial statements and annual performance narratives so that they are in compliance with the agreement. Ensures that obligations, expenditures and pipelines conform to action plans, agreements, and budgets. Reviews activity budgets for appropriateness. Works in collaboration with OPHNE staff in ensuring that implementing partners prepare quarterly accruals and other reports. Reviews and signs vouchers. Assures timely receipt of all deliverables – reports, attainment of milestones, etc. Responsible for bringing any problems in performance to the attention of the contract/grants officer and OPHNE staff and for ensuring that remedial action is taken. Maintains records of performance and COR/AOR actions. Participates in and ensures compliance with any program audits. The incumbent also participates in contract/grant closeout actions ensuring that all performance has been completed satisfactorily and all property accounted for.
• Networking and Coordination:
• Establishes and maintains excellent working relationships with senior officials and representatives of the GOB, the donor community including foundations, UN and other international agencies and program implementing organizations. Ensures that USAID’s OPHNE activities are coordinated as appropriate with other USAID activities as well as with those of the GOB and other development partners. This includes negotiating specific project or activity agreements with the government, ensuring that program achievements and lessons learned are properly disseminated to a broad segment of OPHNE sector representatives and to the National Integrated Population and Health Program (NIPHP) partners.
• Mobilizes financial and technical resources to support innovative initiatives and partnerships with other major donors to cost-share in the scale-up and implementation of those programs. Represents USAID on important national committees, working groups and task forces (e.g., Interagency Coordination Committee on Immunization, National Steering Committee on Polio Eradication and Measles Control, National Child Survival/Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses Task Force, NIPHP Nutrition Working Group, Country Coordination Mechanism of the Global Fund, etc.). Participates in national and international reviews and evaluations on issues of interest to USAID’s program and represents USAID at international and national meetings that establish policy.
• Assessment, Reporting and Communication:
• Writes briefing papers, talking points, speeches, memos or cables for information and action, and responds to requests from Mission management, USAID Washington, and other parties as needed. Develops statements of work for assessment and/or evaluation studies/surveys. Uses results from the Performance Management Plan and other strategic information to prepare official USAID, USG and other required documentation such as the Congressional Budget Notification, Operational Plans and Annual Report.