Director of Programs at Heartland Alliance

Reports to: Deputy Chief of Party, KP CARE 1 Project

Project: KP CARE 1

Contract duration: October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2026

Job Summary

The Director of Programs (DOP) maintains responsibility for the direction and coordination of all technical programs. The DOP is responsible for the design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and analysis of all program activities, the direction and supervision of senior technical staff, and coordinating with the Director of Finance and Operations to ensure appropriate financial and administrative management support is provided to all program activities. The Director of Programs will serve as the focal technical expert for the award, providing training, supportive supervision, and mentoring to field staff. Also, he/she exercises the maximum degree of independent judgment in planning and carrying out tasks, resolving problems and conflicts, and taking steps necessary to meet deadlines. This position supports the achievement of continuous clinical quality improvement for all HIV, TB, hepatitis, harm reduction, cervical cancer, STI, and related interventions. The DOP will report directly to the Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) and ensure that all deliverables based on the contract with USAID is/are achieved.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• The Program Director will be required to ensure accountability of activities through results monitoring and reporting and responding in a timely manner to USAID technical requests. The Program Director also plays the lead role in documenting and reporting USAID program performance in all project sites. The responsibilities of the position as described below are likely to increase in complexity as the program evolves over time. Duties include regular contact and collaboration with stakeholders both policy and technical level counterparts in Nigeria’s National Response to HIV/AIDS.
• Work with the Deputy Chief of Party to ensure the design and implementation of high-quality and comprehensive HIV prevention, treatment, and care program by supporting the team including field staff with relevant guidance.
• Support the coordination of staff and local partners through periodic technical training, regular field visits, sharing of best practices, and developing external linkages as appropriate.
• Coordinate the development of biannual milestones for HALG HIV/AIDS intervention as well as a detailed biannual workplan and budget for activities for project states and country support, in the areas of HIV/AIDS/STI prevention, treatment, care and support.
• Coordinate the work of the HIV/AIDS technical staff in the development of effective and efficient action plans for their particular areas, such as HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care.
• Guide integration of other key programming areas including mental health, access to justice, and gender inclusion into all of HALG's current HIV/AIDS programs.
• Conduct and supervise through periodic assessment and identification of specific HIV/AIDS technical needs and gaps of HALG and local partners’ staff.
• Identify local and international opportunities for bridging those gaps through relevant staff training.
• Contribute to the modifications to the National HIV Prevention, treatment, and Care Standards and ensure implementation of the same in a timely and organized manner across HALG programs.
• Work closely with the Finance Department for effective use of budgets and coordinate with the program team on budget management of program budget to deliver quality results.
• Analyze trends in the program, identifying issues and developing and recommending solutions to the team.
• Collaborate with the program team and local partners to develop and implement recruitment strategies to increase the number of program participants served by the programs.
• Monitor the activities and progress of field activities with particular attention to lessons learned for dissemination. Compile monitoring reports with recommendations for follow-up action to improve program quality.
• Work collaboratively with the Programs team to prepare program guidance and strategic documents such as the Annual Project Planning and Strategic Planning.
• Work with donors to review the program in order to meet donor requirements as well as increase access and comprehensiveness of services delivered across all HALG locations and projects.
• Other duties as assigned by the Supervisor and Chief of Party. 
• Qualifications
• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or competency required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Education and/or Experience

• The Director of Programs must have a medical or clinical background, along with an advanced degree in public health or a related field, to effectively support various clinical interventions within the program.
• 8 years’ experience in HIV/AIDS/TB Care, Treatment, and Prevention; Master of Public Health (MPH). A Master’s degree in international development, social sciences, or other relevant field can be considered.
• A minimum of 5 years of professional work experience in the field of public Health and HIV. This should be inclusive of a minimum of 5 years progress in technically designing and management of HIV programs.
• 5 years’ experience managing USG-funded activity including program planning, implementation, data use, monitoring, and reporting.
• Demonstrated understanding, experience, and competency in working with community-led organizations with a strong track record in grant writing and proposal development.
• Demonstrated experience with supervising program staff, designing projects; prioritizing and setting realistic work plans and timelines; and evaluating work plan progress appropriately.
• Knowledge of the policies, regulations, reporting formats, and cultures of principal donors, including USAID, PEPFAR, and others.
• Experience working with senior government officials and donor agency representatives.
• Ability to guide strategy development, manage implementation of projects, and lead a team.
• Strong negotiation and relationship-building skills with Ministries of Health or other institutions.
• Ability to travel for extended periods of time in-country to support technical activities.

Other Competencies

• Time Management – Ability to prioritize tasks, manage time and complete projects in a fast-paced, changing environment with minimal supervision.
• Quality Management - Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness.
• Written Communication - Writes clearly and informatively; Edits work for spelling and grammar; Varies writing style to meet needs; Presents numerical data effectively.
• Adaptability - Adapts to changes in the work environment; Manages competing demands; Changes approach or method to best fit the situation; Able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.
• Cultural Sensitivity – Respect the cultural environment in which a person is working and does not act in a manner that is outwardly offensive to the local community.
• Non-discriminatory- Do not discriminate against persons based on sexual orientation or gender identity, age, preferred jobs, or behavioral habits.
• Language Skills
• Excellent oral and written English communication skills.
• Demonstrated competency in public speaking.
• Excellent Interpersonal skills
• Computer Skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, Outlook/Exchange, Windows operating systems, PowerPoint.
• Other software routinely used by Heartland Alliance.

Work Environment

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• The employee is required to travel regularly to often insecure and limited-resource environments.
• Heartland will accommodate competent persons who are differently abled including respect for gender, diversity and social inclusion.