Program Manager – West & Francophone Africa

POSITION DETAIL

Role Title: Program Manager – West & Francophone Africa

Organisation: Lifebox

About us: Global nonprofit making surgery and anaesthesia safer worldwide

Team: Programs

Reporting to: Chief Program Officer

Key relationships: Program team colleagues; clinical team; external stakeholders and partners; communications & development staff; finance staff; Global CEO

Location: Remote: ideally located in West Africa; other locations will be considered

Employment type: Full-time

Background

Lifebox is a growing and dynamic global health non-profit dedicated to saving lives by improving the safety of surgery and anaesthesia around the world. Lifebox works to increase anaesthesia safety, reduce surgical infection rates, and strengthen operating room teamwork through tools, training, and partnerships. Since its founding in 2011, Lifebox has worked in over 116 countries and trained more than 10,000 healthcare providers. Lifebox is registered as a charity in Ethiopia, the UK and US, with nearly 50 staff and affiliated faculty, and an operating budget of nearly $4M supported by individual donors and foundations. To learn more, see: www.lifebox.org

As of March 2024, Lifebox has several projects in West and Francophone Africa, including Liberia, Sierra Leone, Benin and DRC. All Lifebox projects are implemented in partnership: with hospitals, Ministries of Health, professional societies and other NGOs. We are aiming to increase the scale and impact of our work in the region as we develop a new Strategic Plan for 2025-2030, and are looking for a dynamic and motivated Program Manager to lead project implementation and development of new programs at this exciting time.

Purpose of the role:

To manage the development and implementation of Lifebox’s safer surgery and anesthesia work across the West and Francophone Africa region. Working as part of the program team, and closely with clinical advisors and partners, the Program Manager leads program and partnership development, design and implementation. The role is responsible for the management of all programs, including program staff and budgets, within the region.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Roles and responsibilities

The Program Manager will oversee the design and delivery of programs and strategic plans for Lifebox in the West and Francophone Africa region, and develop and manage relationships with key programmatic and resource partners regionally. They will be responsible for ensuring that all aspects of Lifebox programs are managed on-budget, on time and with optimal impact. This position will require travel across the region and at times internationally.

Specific responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

Program planning, oversight and delivery

• Responsible for the development and implementation of annual work plans in the region, and responsible for the achievement of deliverables set out therein;
• Lead the development, design, and implementation of high-quality, high impact projects and programs in order to achieve Lifebox’s objectives across the region. This will include undertaking detailed project planning (needs assessments and data analysis, developing logframes, timelines, objectives and deliverables) and ensuring the delivery of project activities in accordance with work plans;
• Design and manage budgets, and monitor expenditure to ensure programs are delivered to budget and with value for money;
• Develop and implement monitoring and evaluation frameworks for programs;
• Ensure that learning is shared within the Lifebox team, and support the ongoing development of Lifebox’s objectives for learning for our partners;
• Line or task-manage members of staff, interns or volunteers within the region. Ensure that all team members are well managed, with clear objectives and regular feedback on performance;
• In collaboration with Communications colleagues, ensure that information about Lifebox’s programmatic work and impact is communicated both internally and externally;
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with key internal stakeholders, including staff, advisors and Trustees where appropriate to meet program objectives;
• Solve issues and problems as they arise; clearing barriers to success for the team.

Development of partnerships and programs in West and Francophone Africa

• Develop and strengthen collaborative relationships with external parties, including key strategic partners, sub-contractors, consultants, relevant professional societies, and Ministries of Health; turning partnerships and opportunities into concrete action and deliverables;
• Responsible for developing and implementing multi-year strategic plans for program delivery within the region, and responsible for the achievement of objectives set out therein;
• Lead the identification and development of new partnerships, programs and innovations in response to needs expressed by partners in the region;
• Ensure high quality reporting to funders according to agreed timelines and formats;
• In collaboration with fundraising staff, identify funding opportunities and develop high quality funding proposals for external donors;
• Represent Lifebox at regional and national conferences, meetings and other events as required and organise representation by other team members where appropriate in order to build the organisation’s profile and network.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential

• Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of health systems and their challenges in West and Francophone Africa
• Significant (5+ years) experience of developing and designing projects in the context of global health, using evidence and creativity to inform project design and decision-making
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects, programs and teams to a high standard, working with a broad range of team members and stakeholders
• Ability to represent the organisation, build relationships and networks globally, and work collaboratively with partners
• Understanding of project management principles and tools
• Ability to effectively manage and prioritise multiple work streams, and to work independently and proactively
• Ability to solve problems and address challenges constructively
• Experience designing budgets, managing and monitoring expenditure
• Excellent written and spoken French and English

Desirable

• Postgraduate degree in public health or related medical field
• Knowledge of hospital and surgical systems in West and Francophone Africa
• Understanding of research methodologies
• Experience of matrix management