Vacancy Announcement from Helen Keller International
Program Manager – USAID Integrated Nutrition
Department: Program Operations
Location: Kathmandu
Level / Grade: K
Background
Guided by the remarkable legacy of its co-founder, Helen Keller, Helen Keller Intl partners with communities striving to overcome long-standing cycles of poverty. By delivering the essential building blocks of good health, sound nutrition, and clear vision, we help millions of people create lasting change in their own lives. Working in 20 countries – across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the United States – and together with a global community of supporters, we are ensuring every person has the opportunity – as Helen did – to reach their true potential.
USAID Integrated Nutrition’s primary goal is to improve the nutrition status of women, adolescents, and children in Nepal’s underserved and marginalized communities. The activity will tackle the direct and underlying determinants of malnutrition in Nepal while strengthening the national and local enabling environment to implement multisectoral nutrition programs through four synergistic intermediate results. Success will be measured by improvements in nutrition status indicators among women of reproductive age, adolescents, and children.
Position Overview
The Program Manager will manage USAID Integrated Nutrition activities of the assigned district(s) in addition to leading coordination, networking, representation, and communication. This position will discharge close technical support for implementing effective, inclusive, accountable, and sustainable nutrition programming, including health, agriculture, WASH, and governance in their respective geographical locations. The position holder will oversee annual co-creation at the municipal level and monitor partner non-governmental organizations’ (PNGOs) performance and capacity needs. In addition, the position holder will oversee PNGO sub-awards management within the province, ensuring smooth financial, grant, contract, and operational management under USAID Integrated Nutrition.
In addition, the position holder will consistently coordinate with government, non-government stakeholders and development partners including private sector actors of the districts to maximize synergy on implementation and outcomes within the local government levels and will ensure Gender and Inclusive Development (GID) principles are integrated into the delivery of USAID Integrated Nutrition.
Functional Relationships
Under the direct supervision of the Director of Program Operations and specific guidance from Intermediate Result (IR) leads and senior Finance and Operations officials, the position holder is responsible to provide technical and managerial support to PNGOs team for USAID Integrated Nutrition implementation. This role requires high-quality project management, coordination, networking, representation, and communication skills. S/he will uphold Helen Keller’s values, committing to the highest standards of ethics, integrity, honesty, fairness, and professionalism, and ensure adherence to Helen Keller’s code of conduct, policies, procedures, and financial accountability.
Direct Line Supervision: Director – Program Operations
Inter-Line Supervision: Intermediate Result (IR) Lead(s)
Collaboration with:
- Internal: All Staffs
- External: USAID, Governmental and non-governmental agencies at the province, districts, and local levels, program partners, and stakeholders
Specific Responsibilities
Grant & Contract, and Operations
- Assist for smooth implementation of program and field operations-related actions according to the start-up strategy and subsequent program implementation plans.
- Assist Helen Keller Country Office in selecting local partner organizations to implement USAID Integrated Nutrition. This includes preparation of Request for
- Applications (RFA) or Expressions of Interests (EOI) and leading pre-solicitation meetings at the province and districts as required.
- Assist in preparing sustainability and exit strategies to facilitate a smooth transition.
- Engage with team in developing partner organization program descriptions, budgets, and budget notes.
- Identify areas for potential revision in current sub-awards and suggest modifications when necessary or as requested by partner organization.
- Manage day-to-day office tasks such as authorizing travel, overseeing vehicle use, and approving timesheets and leave requests.
- Ensure that the partners comply with government, organizational, donor, and Helen Keller policies and requirements.
Planning, Implementation, and Capacity Building
- Facilitate co-creation workshops at the province and municipal levels to formulate a detailed implementation plan for USAID Integrated Nutrition, aligning with the nutritional needs and problems of province and municipality under the framework of the Multi Sector Nutrition Plan.
- Provide guidance and assistance to PNGOs in developing monthly plans and budgets.
- Ensure provincial technical officers provide adequate technical support to PNGOs and government counterparts and efficiently execute the activities as per the detailed implementation plan.
- Identify and seek timely technical support from the central team.
- Provide coaching, mentoring, and supervision to the PNGO teams to implement program activities to achieve objectives, goals, and intended results.
- Ensure tailored technical assistance to generate and utilize evidence for effective planning, implementation, and monitoring.
- Identify the capacity needs of the PNGOs and develop and execute the capacity development plans.
- Support and guide the province and PNGO teams to integrate gender and inclusive development in all program efforts.
Collaborating, Learning, and Adaption
- Support in baseline, end-line, mid-term, and final evaluation processes.
- Conduct regular field visits with appropriate tools and checklists to ensure technical officers and field staff are effectively mobilized and to ensure the quality of work.
- Ensure support to the province government with a quarterly review based on the data generated from the systems.
- Undertake quarterly pause and reflect sessions with project staff and partners identifying project strengths and weaknesses and develop action plans to address issues. to improve their capacity in cost efficiency, accountability, and organizational performance.
- Facilitate communication and information sharing within the province and liaise with the central team of the USAID Integrated Nutrition.
Coordination, Representation, and Networking
- Ensure the representation of USAID Integrated Nutrition at multi-sector nutrition platforms including nutrition and food security steering committees at the municipal level.
- Engage with government stakeholders and advocate for sustained financial resources for health and nutrition programming.
- Establish functional relationships and two-way communication with USAID Integrated Nutrition and the concerned stakeholders.
- Establish strong institutional relationships with local municipalities and relevant stakeholders, ensuring effective linkages and coordination with relevant line agencies (provinces and local municipalities) and UN agencies, USAID projects, and academia, for collaborations and synergetic effects.
- Strengthen coordination at different levels of implementation, accountability mechanisms, annual work planning, and budgeting processes.
- Participate in different forums for mutual learning and convene partners for sharing insights and lessons learned.
- Coordinate with the Central Team to ensure timely technical and program operation support, and to effectively mobilize the team for smooth implementation of the program.
- Represent USAID Integrated Nutrition, and Helen Keller at the provincial level, maintaining strategic relationships with stakeholders, including external development partners.
Required Qualifications/Competencies
Education: Bachelor’s degree in social science, management, public administration, health science, or other relevant disciplines.
Experience: Minimum of 7 years of experience in mid-level management in I/NGOs, UN agencies, development partners, and the private sector. At least 3 years of experience must include managing diverse teams to successfully implement nutrition specific and sensitive programs.
Demonstrated track record of:
Managing programs with grants and budget management across diverse geographies and partners.
Coordinating with multiple stakeholders and partners including government stakeholders at the local, district, and province levels.
Skills:
- Effective communication and listening skills, balanced and reasoned problem-solving, inspiring trust and confidence, and openness to differing viewpoints.
- Proven ability in decision-making in dynamic environments with a far sight on how future needs may affect those decisions; willingness to iterate strategies and approaches, with the ability to course-correct as necessary.
- Excellent time management, personal organization, capacity building, team building, management, and coordination skills, with the ability to delegate responsibilities effectively and coach and mentor staff.
- Excellent coordination and communication skills with a diverse range of stakeholders, including implementers, government officials, and development partners.
- Confident and diplomatic in dealing with high-level government authorities.
- Proficiency in English and Nepali, both written and spoken; proficiency in major local languages of the applied province is strongly preferred.
- High computer literacy, with proficiency in software relevant to job duties.
- Strong organization management and planning skills.
- Must have a two-wheeler driving license and willingness to travel in remote areas of the project area.
- Applicant must be a Nepali national.
- Candidates with a solid understanding of the socio-economic, cultural, and geographical context of the assigned program areas are encouraged to apply.
- Demonstrable respect for all persons regardless of religion, ethnicity, class or gender, with a high comfort level working in a diverse environment with a demonstrated commitment to high professional ethical standards.
Interested candidates can apply until August 24, 2024.
In the spirit of our founder and namesake, Helen Keller is dedicated to building an inclusive workforce where diversity in all its forms is fully valued.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, caste, age, disability, or any other status that has no bearing on the ability of an individual to perform the functions of the job.
