Job Description

Job title:  

Associate Program Manager, MCOE Clinical

Work Location:

Kono

Department:

MCOE

Reports to:

Senior Program Manager, MCOE

Line Management:

N/A

Organization Profile

Partners In Health (PIH) is an international health organization relentlessly committed to improving the health of the poor and marginalized. PIH partners with local governments to build local capacity and works closely with impoverished communities to deliver high-quality health care, address the root causes of illness, train providers, advance research, and advocate for global policy change. Our delivered services in the field are based on our partnership with the Governments and Ministries of Health. The support to education, training, and mentorship to Healthcare workers and students is one of our pillars for strengthening the healthcare system.

PIH currently has implementation programs in Haiti, Rwanda, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Peru, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Sierra Leone, and the Navajo Nation. Through our partnership with Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, we support a wide range of programs in dozens of other countries around the world. 

Our Work In Sierra Leone:

Partners In Health (PIH) began supporting the government of Sierra Leone in response to the Ebola epidemic in October 2014. Recognizing the large need for continued investments in the health system after Ebola, PIH is committed to long-term health system strengthening in support of the Ministry of Health (MOH), guided by the same principles as our emergency response and our work around the world: public sector accompaniment, integrated and comprehensive services, social justice, nimbleness and flexibility, partnership, community ownership, and evidence-based interventions. In the aftermath of the epidemic, PIH is committed to supporting the delivery of comprehensive health services in Sierra Leone, from the community level to the health center and to referral hospitals. 

The Maternal Center of Excellence:

PIH SL is ambitiously setting out to transform Koidu Government Hospital into the leading Maternal & Newborn Health hospital in West Africa, serving as a Center of Excellence in both the delivery of quality clinical care and as a health care teaching institution for the region. The MCOE is a 166-bed health facility, expanding the capacity of Kono Government Hospital and providing advanced maternal and neonatal health care in Kono District. The MCOE campus will serve as a clinical site, training, and research center, creating a global platform of expertise and innovation that can deliver evidence and resources for improving women’s health worldwide and train the next generation of healthcare workers in Sierra Leone locally. 

Position Overview

The Associate Program Manager, MCOE Clinical will be part of a program management team working to ensure successful implementation of our opening plan for the Maternal Center of Excellence. The role will work closely with PIH clinical team, both in Sierra Leone and globally, as well as a diverse group of partners and stakeholders. In addition to supporting a large team and numerous working groups, this position will work very closely with a few senior clinical leads as a support person to them and their MCOE leadership responsibilities.

This role holder is responsible for project management support to both the clinical systems and the patient & staff support portions of the MCOE opening plan. This includes ensuring quality deliverables in clinical protocol, patient flow, clinical & academic training, risk management, and patient support.

Secondly, this role holder is also responsible for administrative support to both the clinical systems and patient & staff support portions of the MCOE opening plan. This includes planning, scheduling meetings, meeting notes, following up on next steps, providing progress updates, monitoring dashboards, tracking deliverables, and more.

Thirdly, this role holder is responsible for program management support to the PIH-Sierra Leone nursing and midwifery teams. This includes planning, strategy development, content development, and cross-site OnePIH Nursing & Midwifery Team global initiatives.

The successful candidate will excel in the following areas: project management, cultivating partnership, task prioritization, attention to detail, active listening, flexibility in planning, verbal communication, written communication, the translation of high-level ideas into concrete action plans, and problem solving.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

MCOE project management – clinical and patient/staff support (50%)

• Provide program management support to the MCOE opening plan’s Clinical Systems and Patient & Staff Support pillars, which encompass clinical staffing, biomed, clinical supplies, protocols, patient workflows, pharmacy, blood bank, laboratory, stock lists, clinical education, scholarships, training, staff housing, staff benefits, quality improvement, social supports, and risk management
• Be a support person to the departmental leads, pushing forward their goals and priorities
• Ensure strong communication and coordination with respect to the plan’s critical success factors
• Provide in-depth project management support to the departmental leads around clinical protocol, patient flow, clinical & academic training, risk management, and patient support.  
• Maintain momentum for activities, ensuring timelines are met and nothing in the plan is overlooked

MCOE administrative support – clinical and patient/staff support (25%)

• Be the administrative point person for all clinical and patient & staff support workstreams related to the MCOE’s opening
• Ensure regular scheduling of meetings, circulation of notes, clarity on next steps, prioritization of tasks, and tracking of deliverables
• Provide updates to the clinical and patient & staff support opening plans in a Power BI dashboard at least biweekly
• Take and share notes at many meetings with groups of varying sizes
• Prepare slides for update presentations by clinical leadership
• Serve as a repository of information, including tracking key questions or decisions, for anyone with questions about MCOE clinical planning

Nursing and Midwifery program management (25%)

• Support the Senior nursing advisor in achieving PIH-Sierra Leone nursing and midwifery priorities

• Support the development of nursing and midwifery strategy and operational plan for PIH-Sierra Leone that integrates MCOE priorities and OnePIH Nursing and Midwifery strategy

• Document nursing and midwifery efforts and develop supportive content for internal and external stakeholders

• Contribute to workforce development planning for nursing and midwifery for the MCOE, including nursing partnership engagement

• Spearhead initiatives and projects that meet the ongoing needs of the OnePIH Nursing & Midwifery Team, including recruitment and retention in rural settings and enabling work environments

Education and Work Experience Requirements:

• A minimum of three years relevant work experience, with at least 1 year of experience preferred in a low- or middle-income country 
• Bachelor’s degree in nursing-midwifery or master's degree in public health preferred
• Background in project management preferred
• Exemplary communication skills, both written and verbal
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with experience collaborating effectively with culturally and professionally diverse teams 
• Ability to manage communication flow and ensure the right people have the right information at the right time 
• Strong problem-solving skills, with attention to detail and ability to identify key insights 
• Strong computer skills, particularly with Microsoft Office software
• Proven commitment to social justice and passion for serving the poor and vulnerable    
• Ability to live in Kono district for the full duration of the contract

Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

Partners In Health Sierra Leone is dedicated to preventing unwanted behaviour in the workplace, including sexual harassment, exploitation, abuse, financial misconduct, and ensuring the welfare of those, we serve. We expect all staff, consultants, contractors, vendors, and volunteers to uphold these values as outlined in our code of conduct.

The successful candidate will receive appropriate training and must adhere to the organisation’s safeguarding policies. Employment offers are contingent upon satisfactory references and screening checks, which may include criminal records and terrorism finance checks.

As a participant in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, we request information from previous employers about any instances of sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment. Additionally, Partners In Health Sierra Leone will share records of such misconduct with other agencies upon staff departure, ensuring transparency and accountability. By applying, candidates acknowledge and agree to these recruitment procedures

Social Justice

We are a global health and social justice organization that responds to the moral imperative to provide high-quality health care globally to those who need it most. We strive to ease suffering by placing patients at the center of all care, bringing the benefits of modern medicine to all.

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