Job Description

• Position Technical/Operations Manager (1 position)
• Location Base Savannakhet Province
• Project Supporting Community-driven achievements of the End TB Strategy in Laos
• Contract period 3 Years (Sep 2024 – 2027)
• Report to CHIAs and Project Management Board

Background and Objective

Expertise France has funded the project: “Supporting Community-driven achievements of the End TB Strategy in Laos”. The project will be implemented in the 15 districts of Savannakhet Province. The goal of the project is to contribute to the Global End TB Strategy through targeted, equitable support for decentralization of tuberculosis (TB) services. Key targets include early notification of 1,000 people with TB (PWTB); achieving a 95% treatment success rate; identifying and supporting eligible child contacts of PWTB to initiate and complete TB Preventive Treatment (TPT); supporting people-centred and rights-based care; and increasing the profile of community-based TB efforts in Laos.

The Project Steering Committee is seeking a dedicated and experienced technical/operation manager to fill the position of Technical/Operations Manager for the project.

Responsibilities

The Technical/Operations Manager will lead the Field Manager and Finance Manager in the Project Management Team. S/he will be based at the project office in Savannakhet Province and will require periodical travel to Vientiane.

•  Operational management and support:

• Provide effective planning, budgeting and resource allocation to project implementation
• Develop and implement operational strategies that promote the sustainability and scalability of project outcomes
• Support the Grant Administrator to ensure full compliance with Expertise France contract conditions and submission of high quality, timely progress reports.
• Oversee and support development and implementation of quarterly and annual work plans, donor reporting, and other documents including technical reports and policy briefs.
• Address operational challenges promptly as they arise to maintain project momentum and quality.

•  Technical leadership and oversight:

• Use a data-driven approach to provide strategic and technical guidance and oversight for all aspects of the project.
• Ensure integration of best practices in community-based TB prevention, case finding, support for treatment adherence and contact investigation.
• Share and apply up-to-date knowledge of TB and public health developments to ensure best practice across operations.
• Work with consultant/s to implement a gender analysis and operational research activities.

•  Stakeholder engagement and relationship building:

• Build and maintain strong relationships and close collaboration with the DCDC, NTC in Vientiane, the Public Health Office (PHO) in Savannakhet and District Health Authorities to ensure smooth implementation of project activities.
• Ensure ongoing engagement with Expertise France and the French Embassy, as well as key institutional stakeholders including the World Bank HANSA2 team and the Global Fund to ensure alignment of activities, project visibility and knowledge sharing.
• Promote and facilitate community engagement and input into community-based activities and outreach

•   Capacity building and training:

• Collaborate closely with the NTC to update and deliver training in people-centered, rights-based TB care for healthcare workers, laboratory technicians, and village health workers in Savannakhet Province.
• Provide training and supportive supervision/mentoring in TB and health system strengthening to the Field Manager and Assistant Field Manager, as well as Village Health Workers.
• Work closely with the project Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Officer to provide initial training and ongoing mentorship to project and health workers in data collection tools and processes.
• Foster a culture of continuous learning, knowledge sharing and teamwork across the project and stakeholders.

•   Monitoring & Evaluation:

• Oversee the design, implementation and management of robust M&E systems to track project progress and impact including submit monthly, quarterly and bi-annual reports.
• Working closely with the MEL Officer ensures high-quality data collection, analysis and reporting to inform decision making and demonstrate project success.
• Facilitate data sharing as appropriate across stakeholders to facilitate data-driven strategy and decision making.
• Use MEL findings and stakeholder feedback to develop and implement strategies for continuous improvement.

Required Skills and Experience:

Education

• Post-graduate degree in Public Health, Medicine, or a related field with at least five years of progressive experience in TB, community health, or a related area.
• Alternatively, a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field with a minimum of seven years of relevant experience.

Experience

•  Proven experience in providing technical leadership for TB or community health projects.
• Strong knowledge of TB control strategies, MEL systems, community health approaches and rights-based approaches to care.
• Deep understanding of the Laos health system, particularly in relation to TB services.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain effective relationships with national and international partners.
• Experience in capacity building and training for healthcare workers and community health staff.
• Experience and understanding of use of DHIS2 for MEL, data analysis to support performance management
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a multi-cultural and multi-stakeholder environment.
• Expertise in report writing and quality check and control (English preferable)

Language

• Written and spoken English essential
• Spoken Lao language preferable

Behavior

• Take responsibility for ensuring that we are a safe organization for all children, girls and young people
• Willingness to work in innovation/creative ways and research when faced with challenges
• Willing to work in a large team and sometime travel to remote cities and villages
• Demonstrate commitment to gender equality, social inclusion and participatory approaches
• Negotiation, problem-solving, forward-thinking ways to work with government partners
• Demonstrate technical leadership and set a positive example for the team
• Being open to different ideas/viewpoints

Health needs

To carry out the duties well, this position requires people with the ability and strong health to travel to urban areas and remote areas in Savannakhet province.

Direct reporting​

• This position will report to CHIAs and Project Management Board
• Level of communication with children: high level
• Low contact: No contact or very low frequency of contact
• Intermediate Interactions: Have occasional interactions with children
• High Level: Frequent interaction with children

Organizational expectations regarding child protection

• Read, understand and follow child protection policies and child protection procedures within local regulations.
• Ask more questions to better understand the policy
• All child protection issues must be reported (within 24 hours). Must report to the focal point in charge of the organization.
• Organizational expectations regarding SOGIESC
• Contribute to the dissemination of the gender profile of the organization/project
• Demonstrate a positive attitude towards gender representation both at work and in everyday life
• Avoid the inappropriate use of sexist terms and inequality/inequality in the workplace and not be related to any form of gender-based violence.

Application details

Please send applications via email to: chindavanh.chias@gmail.com and cc: ingerd@humana.org on the 31 July – 15 August

2024, with subject heading Initiative Technical/Operations Manager Application. For further information or queries, contact chindavanh Singhalath (CHIAs), Tel: 020 91 731 133