Community Health Workers Project (CHWs): In October 2010, the Population Council began a multi-country USAID-funded project to understand how public-sector, dual-cadre family planning and maternal, neonatal, and child health (FP/MNCH) programs perform in different settings and how each cadre functions in relation to the other. The project will generate and disseminate knowledge about community-based delivery of FP/MNCH services, and will provide technical support to strengthen community-based FP/MNCH programs in five USAID priority countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, and Pakistan. A program Officer is being recruited to assist with the implementation of the project research activities including the operations research studies planned for Ghana.

Reducing Maternal Mortality and Morbidity (R3M) in Ghana: A second major initiative is a program to support the government of Ghana in the effort to reach its MDG5 goal by 2015, with particular focus on the reduction of maternal morbidity and mortality due to unsafe abortion by improving access to and the quality of contraceptive services. The Council is coordinating a consortium of five partner agencies to provide technical assistance to local collaborators. The program is at the full expansion stage based on lessons from past pilot phases. Part of the Program Officer’s time is sought to assist support the Population Council’s components of the program.

Description Of Job

•  The Population Council is seeking an outstanding professional, social or health scientist to serve as Program Officer for research in its Accra Office to lead the Projects entitled.
•  Increasing Access to Family Planning and Reproductive Services in addition to providing technical support to the implementation of the Reducing Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Program in Ghana’s last year of the pilot phase.
•  The Program Officer will ensure the leadership of all the planned operations research studies in Ghana under both projects as well as the implementation of their day-to-day activities.
•  S/he will also represent the Population Council on the projects and be responsible for a successful implementation of the activities.
•  Under the Reducing Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Program, the Program Officer is expected to assist the R3M program team with the data collection and collation of service statistics data from R3M program partners.
•  S/ he is expected to assist the analysis and reporting of deliverables of the program to the donor.
•  S/he would help with the development and implementation of fine tuning Operations Research studies in support of the R3M program as well as the overall RH Program.
•  The Program Officer is also expected to assist the office fundraising activities.
•  s/ he will represent the Population Council in meetings, conferences and in other instances in and outside Ghana; liaises with other Population Council colleagues at the Headquarters and in other field’s offices.
•  The qualified candidate will work under the supervision of the Country Staff Associate.

Specific Responsibilities

•  Provide technical oversight and day-to-day backstopping and support, management and implementation of the projects in collaboration with local partners from central to community level.
•  Assist with the support to the programs/projects health management information systems led by the Council.
•  Help coordinate the implementation of programs/projects overall monitoring and evaluation components working closely with partners.
•  Provide support to the implementation of operations research studies; organizing and managing trainings of research data collectors; studies; providing technical support for data management, analysis, and reports writing.
•  In collaboration with the colleagues and projects stakeholders, write reports to the donor, and prepare publications including briefs, project summaries, and activity reports.
•  Prepare and make presentations at meetings, workshops and conferences representing the program;
•  Supervise financial and administrative functions of projects field-specific activities;
•  Help supervise program-related support and program staff in relation to field activities;
•  Provide technical guidance in resolving other issues related to the projects as required.

Qualification Required & Experience

•  Master’s degree/equivalent in social or health science with a minimum of five years experience in successful management and implementation of social science, population and reproductive health research projects.
•  Experience working in Ghana in applied research projects, preferably in the field of sexual and reproductive health in particular to support community-based services.
•  Substantial experience in developing and implementing operations research in RH/FP and in the utilization of research results.
•  Good experience in proposal writing, report writing, program planning, monitoring and evaluation.
•  Ability to work independently and manage varied and numerous tasks.
•  Experience working with local partners in Ghana both public and private.
•  Strong writing, communication and organizational skills.
•  Advanced use of Microsoft Office software applications, especially word processing, graphics (PowerPoint), spreadsheet and database.
•  Ability to travel within the regions/districts.
•  Pleasant personality and ability to work long hours.

Performance standards

•  Works efficiently and competently with limited or minimum supervision
•  Dedicated to the assigned tasks, executes obligations with dexterity
•  Inspires teamwork to achieve results
•  Reports prepared on time
•  Timely follow-up and feedback

How To Apply For The Job:

If you are qualified and interested in this position, please send a cover letter with your resume, including all contact details and e-mail address, where applicable to:

jobsearch.ghana@gmail.com

ref. PC-PO-12-RH

Closing Date: 17 October, 2012