Project Overview

The USAID/Ghana-funded Systems for Health Project aims to support improved and sustainable health service delivery by strengthening systems vital to ensure access and quality while mobilizing communities and building public-private partnerships to maximize coverage. URC, with its international and Ghanaian partners, supports integrated maternal, neonatal, infant, child health (MNCH); family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH); malaria and nutrition services guided by the Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) strategy, quality improvement approaches, performance-based financing mechanisms and gender mainstreaming.

Systems for Health is seeking an experienced Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP)/ Senior Technical Advisor.  Under the supervision of the Chief of Party (COP), the incumbent will support the COP in defining, implementing and monitoring the project’s strategic approaches and work plan activities, consistent with grant requirements.  He/she will be based in the project’s office in Accra, with extensive travel to the project’s five focus regions (Northern, Volta, Greater Accra, Central, and Western).

Roles and Responsibilities:

•   Ensure close collaboration, coordination and communication with USAID managers and stakeholders to facilitate donor support and integration in all project activities
•   Ensure strong relationships with MOH and GHS counterparts, and serve as a key project resource for government, other donors and key stakeholders in relation to health systems strengthening and Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS).
•   Provide state-of-the-art technical support to the project team and partners in key health system strengthening functions, including leadership and planning, financing, and human resource management.
•   Provide guidance and facilitate integration of quality improvement, leadership development and performance-based financing interventions across project activities and at the national, regional and district levels.
•   Supervise the work and assess the performance of senior project staff as delegated or determined by the COP.
•   Support the COP and the project’s leadership team to manage and integrate as full team members the project’s international and local sub-grantees.
•   Facilitate coordination of work planning and program implementation with other USAID-funded health partners and projects at the national level and in the five regions targeted by the project.
•   Identify project technical assistance needs required to achieve the expected project results and develop the appropriate scopes of work for, recruitment and oversight of consultants as needed.
•   Contribute to the development of, review and finalization of project documents including but not limited to – work plans; quarterly, semi-annual and annual reports; project assessments and evaluations; project briefs, presentations, and other documentation for knowledge management.
•   Serve as mentor to junior staff and assist leadership team to define and implement staff professional development plan.
•   Collaborate with Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) team and partners to review service delivery data and results and develop appropriate performance improvement approaches.
•   Provide current literature and evidence-based programming guidelines to and build capacity of technical staff.
•   Participate in communities of practice and national working groups focused on health systems strengthening, ensuring lessons learned and evidence are used for program improvement.
•   Serve as official representative of the project, be held accountable for all project outcomes and act on behalf of the project as delegated by the COP.

Qualification Required & Experience

•   Master’s degree in relevant discipline (e.g. public health, health systems, health sciences, public administration, management, financing, etc.).
•   Minimum of 10 years of experience advising and managing complex donor-funded health systems (or related development) projects and programs in developing countries, preferably in Ghana.
•   Demonstrated expertise (knowledge and experience) with strengthening health systems functions, including human resource management, financing, planning, leadership and performance improvement.
•   Strong knowledge of CHPS strategy, approaches and implementation challenges in the five regions targeted by the project (Northern, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western).
•   Excellent track record building teams and fostering collaboration to achieve program or project goals, meet milestones, and produce results; including minimum of 7 years of experience collaborating with donor government agencies and host-country governments.
•   Demonstrated capacity to manage according to USAID policies, rules and regulations.
•   Ability to produce high quality written documents, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative components.
•   Excellent oral communications skills and outstanding interpersonal skills.
•   Strong time management and organizational skills; demonstrated ability to work well independently and in teams.
•   Ability and willingness to travel significantly in the regions.
•   Ability to work effectively and thrive in a fast-paced environment.
•   This is a local hire position; eligibility to work in Ghana for an indefinite period without need for work visa sponsorship is required.

Location: Accra

How To Apply For The Job

For immediate consideration, please email your CV and Cover Letter to:-

s4hrecruitment-technical@urc-chs.com indicating “Deputy Chief of Party” in the subject line.

Closing Date: 20 February, 2015

Due to the large number of inquiries we receive, only candidates who meet the required experience & qualifications for this position will be contacted. No phone calls please.