Health & Nutrition Project Manager

Role & Responsibilities

Working as a senior member of a diverse team who are committed to serve the world’s most vulnerable with practical and compassionate care the Health and Nutrition Project Manager will develop, lead, monitor and evaluate the assigned health and nutrition project(s), with support from sector advisors. Develop lead implementation and ensure adequate monitoring and evaluation for effective management and reporting on project activities in line with objectives, time frame and budget with a focus on nutrition system strengthening, training and coordination. Provide technical support and leadership, manage and train nutrition staff to meet quality standards in nutrition delivery, anticipate, plan, and contribute to the development of new nutrition project proposals and reports.

Project Overview

Emergency nutrition, health, WASH and food security projects targeting displaced, conflict- and drought-affected vulnerable populations in central and southern Afghanistan.

Workplace & Working conditions

Field based position is based Uruzgan, Afghanistan.

Starting Date / Initial Contract Details

September 2023. Full time, 12-24 months.

Key Activity Areas

Health and Nutrition Project Management

• Manage health and nutrition projects to meet objectives within budget and within allotted time frame and report promptly any operational concerns to manager and country Health and Nutrition Advisor
• Provide strong leadership of health, MHPSS and nutrition project teams, working to ensure both short and long-term positive impacts and outcomes for beneficiaries, local health, and nutrition authorities and local health and nutrition staff
• Contribute to development and implementation of an effective health, MHPSS and nutrition intervention including data collection and reporting and monitoring tools, job aids and data quality assurance processes.
• Oversee proactive planning for responsible exit in consultation with country Health and Nutrition Advisor, other project staff and field managers.
• Set clear objectives and indicators for health, MHPSS and nutrition activities in collaboration with country Health & Nutrition Advisor, health and nutrition staff, field managers and, where appropriate, with local communities
• Continuously monitor and supervise project activities, evaluating progress through outputs and impacts using both quantitative and qualitative data, and involving the health, MHPSS and nutrition team(s) in analysis and taking appropriate action as needed to ensure continued progress
• Provide input into the integration of beneficiary participation and accountability in all aspects of the project
• Ensure timely reporting of activities according to Medair, donor and other applicable time frames and formats
• Contribute to new proposals, linked to the assessed needs and gaps and the Medair country strategy, in conjunction with the country Health and Nutrition Advisor and relevant field managers

Staff Management

• Line-manage the Health, MHPSS & Nutrition Supervisor(s) of assigned projects, including day-to-day management, development and training, appraisals, etc. It may also be necessary to manage other project staff
• Facilitate regular meetings to assist information sharing between project staff, to ensure all staff members are aware of project objectives and current work plans and to provide the opportunity for feedback
• Provide coaching and technical supervision to staff in order to develop ownership and full responsibility for health, MHPSS and nutrition activities
• Assess training needs of health, MHPSS and nutrition staff and ensure that appropriate training is conducted and new skills are used in the field.

Financial Management

• Manage the budget for the assigned project(s) and ensure all expenses are according to budget and meet the Medair standards with regard to financial management, including accountability and good governance

Communication and Coordination

• Develop and maintain appropriate, regular, transparent and supportive communication structures with the assigned health, MHPSS and nutrition team, Medair in-country and GSO Health and Nutrition managers and advisors and other relevant stakeholders, with the objective of ensuring good cooperation and partnerships
• Participate in health and nutrition coordination meetings, internal training, and other working groups/meetings as required, and feeding back to health, MHPSS and nutrition staff and field managers on relevant issues

Logistics

• Support the logistics activities of health, MHPSS and nutrition staff, particularly in relation to the purchasing of medicines, supplies and equipment for the assigned project facilities and activities
• Liaise, as necessary, with logistics and finance staff to ensure items are procured, transported, stored, managed and accounted for correctly

Quality Management

• Promote and use the Medair intranet and other operating procedures, ensuring that all standardised formats are used and guidelines are followed
• Ensure health, MHPSS and nutrition projects are implemented in line with donor proposals and requirements and in accordance with Medair, donor, country and international standards

Delegated responsabilities

• At times this position may be asked to assist with support functions in the southern office.
• Implementation of the assigned health, MHPSS and nutrition project(s) within budget and the agreed time frame
• Management of the health, MHPSS and nutrition budget for the assigned project(s)
• Authorisation of expenditure on applicable budget lines up to $5,000.00 USD
• Management of assigned health, MHPSS and nutrition staff, including recruitment, performance monitoring,..
• Management of technical aspects of assigned health, MHPSS and nutrition project(s), including staff knowledge and performance
• Representation of Medair at meetings and through relationships with external partners in coordination with the country Health & Nutrition Advisor

Team Spiritual Life

• Reflect the values of Medair with team members, local staff, beneficiaries, and external contacts.
• Work, live, and pray together in our Christian faith-based team settings. Fully contribute to the rich spiritual life of your team, including team devotions, prayers, and words of encouragement.
• Encouraged to join and contribute to Medair’s international prayer network.

Qualifications

• Higher level qualification, preferably in health and nutrition or in another relevant field such as nursing/midwifery/doctor/community-based training
• Good English (spoken and written)
• Computer literate with good working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Word and Outlook

Experience

• 2 years post-qualification professional experience in a relevant field
• Management experience in a nutrition / health/ MHPSS context
• Experience implementing MHPSS programming is an advantage
• Team-player with good inter-personal skills. Capacity to work under pressure and manage personal stress levels

All new deploying international staff to Medair’s country programmes (and other roles which require field travel) should be fully vaccinated with a WHO-approved COVID vaccine, supported with a COVID vaccination certificate as evidence.