Position: Senior Project Officer
Programme: Merlin Kenya HIV/AIDS Prevention, Treatment and Care Project
Responsible To: Merlin Kisii Project Coordinator
Location: Kisii, Kenya
Start Date: ASAP
Duration: 12 MonthsProgramme: Merlin Kenya HIV/AIDS Prevention, Treatment and Care Project
Responsible To: Merlin Kisii Project Coordinator
Location: Kisii, Kenya
Start Date: ASAP
Salary: Ksh 138,000 Gross Per Month
Benefits: Currently includes 24 days annual leave, medical cover, bonus and gratuity
Only short-listed applicants will be contacted. Due to the urgency of this position, applications will be short listed on a regular basis and we may offer this post before the closing date.
Merlin International Profile
Merlin specialises in health, saving lives in times of crisis and helping to rebuild shattered health services. Each year, Merlin helps more than 15 million people in up to 20 countries.
Context and Background
Merlin has been working in Kenya since 1998 and in Somalia since 2004. In Kenya Merlin is currently operational in two regions: western and northern Kenya. Merlin projects in Kenya range from the implementation of MNCH, nutrition and emergency preparedness and response programmes; HIV prevention, care and treatment programmes and malaria prevention and control programmes.
The HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment programme is being implemented in partnership with CARE Kenya as prime recepient and district health authorities under the consortium name of Chagua Maisha.
The program that is located in Kisii South, Kisii Central, Marani, Gucha South and Nyamira North and South districts is planned to be implemented for 5 years starting October 1 2010. The goal of the comprehensive program is to reduce HIV infections and improve quality of life of people infected and affected by HIV in Nyanza province.
This will be realized by increasing the quality, access and utilization of HIV prevention, care and treatment services at the community and facility levels and strengthening the capacity of indigenous institutions and MoH to implement HIV prevention, care and treatment services at the community and facility levels.
Main purpose of the role
The Senior HIV/AIDS Project Officer is responsible for leading Merlin HIV/AIDS team and providing technical support and capacity building of the team for successful planning and implementation of programme activities.
The Senior HIV/AIDS Project Officer will work closely with the Project Health Coordinator, Operations Manager, and Project Coordinator in ensuring delivery of quality integrated and comprehensive HIV/AIDS – TB prevention, care and treatment programme.
In addition he or she receives technical advisory and management support from technical lead (TL)-HIV Care and Treatment and the Senior Program Manager of the Chagua Maisha Consortium and is a member of programme leadership team. The Senior HIV/AIDS Project Officer will be stationed in Merlin Kisii office with over 50% of time spent in field operations.
Overall Objectives (scope)
This position demands both the technical knowledge and the work experience, needed to coordinate a comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment programme that includes TB collaborative activities.
The Senior HIV/AIDS Project Officer will be responsible for ensuring that the programme is executed in line with country and international standards and donor guidelines.
This position demands an ability to manage, organise and support all aspects of the programme; including other agency liaison, training and supervising Merlin and local staff using techniques and tools available and appropriate to Kenya.
Responsibilities
Budget Management
- Responsible
for development of program operational budget based on consolidation of
needs of the program and responsible for budget management
- Undertake
monthly reviews to monitor potential budget under and overruns.
- Together
with Operation Manager and finance staff review financial expense reports
on a monthly basis as per contractual requirements to ensure contract
compliance.
- Together
with logistics team prepare procurement plans at the start of program and
quarterly to ensure flow of goods and services to support implementation
of program
- Together
with finance staff ensure timely preparation of financial reports and
ensure that there is harmony in program and financial reports
Programme Management
- Prepare
programme implementation plans as per templates provided by the prime
- Provide
leadership in management of the program, timely implementation of approved
work plan, budget and performance indicators.
- With
the support of project health coordinator ensure that there is effective
coordination of duties among program and program support staff
- Provide
program updates to Technical Lead, HIV Care and Treatment during program
leadership team sessions to facilitate early identification of gaps and
challenges
- Support
the Chagua Maisha Senior Programme Manager (SPM) and program leadership
team in organizing partner review meetings as per work plan.
- Participate
in joint field visits by Merlin and Prime for ongoing monitoring and
review of project implementation
- Conduct
supervision oversight of on going project activities with a view to
ascertain that activities are on going and on track
- Provide
support to Project Health Coordinator and Program Coordinator in developing
reports and ensure the timely submission of reports as per contractual
obligations
- Provide
support to program M&E personnel in development of an electronic
information and data management system
- Together
with Project Health Coordinator ensure documentation of lessons learnt,
good practices and share these internally and with partners
- Ensure
team cohesiveness and harmonization within the consortium in operational
area to enhance programmatic performance and joint technical support to
strengthening health systems and capacity of government partners.
- Provide
management technical oversight to program consultancies and contractors to
ensure deliverables are met according to stipulated standards
- Support
Merlin’s achievement of strategic interventions as outlined in the country
strategic plan
Staff management and capacity building
- Management
supervision of program officers and other programme staff to ensure
coordination of management functions at all times.
- Manage,
guide, supervise, coach, mentor, provide leadership and support to the
Chagua Maisha HIV Program staff hired under Merlin’s contract and where
need be, others hired under CARE Chagua Maisha, on a day to day basis to
meet program tasks and responsibilities
- Participate
in the hiring of competent staff and in their orientation to implement
programme activities in line with contractual obligations and in line with
Merlin’s policies and procedures
- Support
staff to develop individual work plans for purposes of strengthening their
performance and the performance of the Chagua Maisha program
- Undertake
annual staff appraisal
- Provide
staff with technical guidance, training, resources and tools related to
HIV/AIDS and TB programmes
- Assess
the training needs of staff and develop a training programme to meet these
needs.
- Participate
in training activities related to the field of work
Coordination
- Liaise
with the Ministry of Health and other agencies to ensure appropriate
provision of service and use of resources.
- Keep
the Project Coordinator, Project Health Coordinator, and Country Health
Director appraised of all activities and any difficulties that may arise.
- Establish
good working relationship with the consortium Prime partner staff and
Chagua Maisha partners (Government and non Government stakeholders) to
facilitate smooth program implementation
- Coordinate
with other Merlin-Kisii program project officers in enhancing health
programming outcomes in the region.
- Attend
district annual operations planning meetings and represent Merlin in
district/county coordination meetings and related HIV forums
Person Specification
Essential
Qualifications, experience and competences
Essential
Qualifications, experience and competences
- Medical
Doctor or Nurse or Clinical Officer or other relevant discipline with MPH
and comprehensive HIV/AIDS programme expertise
- Minimum
of 5 years experience in program management capacity in health programming
- Minimum
of 3 years experience in HIV&AIDS Programming in Kenya (prevention,
HIV care and treatment programs, Sexual and reproductive health
- Understanding
of Kenya’s health systems infrastructure
- Strong
staff and program management skills
- Strong
partnership skills
- Excellent
inter-personal, facilitation skills and communication skills
- Strong
budget management skills
- Demonstrated
experience in conducting monitoring and evaluation activities
- Experience
in designing and implementing training programmes
- Experience
in writing donor reports-
- Experience
in representation and interaction with donors, government officials,
international organizations, and NGO representatives concerning health
issues and initiatives
- Strong
computer skills including word processing, and Excel and English fluency
Preferred
- Good
team player, flexible and capable of working with a multinational country
team.
- Ability
and willingness to travel to rural locations and live in sometimes basic
conditions.
- Appreciation
of and sensitivity to local culture.
- Experience
of a flexible approach to managing and prioritising a high workload and
multiple tasks in a fast paced environment with tight deadlines
- Experience
of proactively identifying and addressing issues
- An
understanding of and commitment to Merlin’s mission and values
Data Protection
Please note, on submitting your application, you are agreeing to Merlin holding and using the information that you have given for the purposes of recruitment and employment – should an offer be made.
Where required by donors funding requirements, some job offers are conditional on our ensuring that potential employees’ names do not appear on counter terrorism lists generated by the United Nations, European Union or the United States.
On submitting your application, you are agreeing to Merlin using the information that you have given for checking that your name does not appear on these lists.
How to Apply:
Should this role be of interest to you, please send you application, clearly indicating “Senior Project Officer HIV/AIDS” in the subject line, to recruitment@merlin-kenya.org by 5pm on Wednesday, 29th March 2012.
Alternatively, you may wish to post your application to, HR Department, Merlin, Nairobi Office, P.O Box 3350 – 00200, Nairobi, Kenya.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Please note, on submitting your application, you are agreeing to Merlin holding and using the information that you have given for the purposes of recruitment and employment – should an offer be made.
Where required by donors funding requirements, some job offers are conditional on our ensuring that potential employees’ names do not appear on counter terrorism lists generated by the United Nations, European Union or the United States.
On submitting your application, you are agreeing to Merlin using the information that you have given for checking that your name does not appear on these lists.
How to Apply:
Should this role be of interest to you, please send you application, clearly indicating “Senior Project Officer HIV/AIDS” in the subject line, to recruitment@merlin-kenya.org by 5pm on Wednesday, 29th March 2012.
Alternatively, you may wish to post your application to, HR Department, Merlin, Nairobi Office, P.O Box 3350 – 00200, Nairobi, Kenya.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
