FHI 360 seeks a qualified candidate for the position of Project Director for an upcoming USAID-funded global project, Implementation Science for Strengthening Family Health (IS4FH). IS4FH is designed to strengthen generation and utilization of evidence to increase access to voluntary family planning and improve healthy timing and spacing of births through research to answer priority implementation science questions and technical assistance to build capacity for data analysis, evidence synthesis, and adoption of evidence-based practices.
The Project Director leads the project and is responsible for achieving the project’s vision and strategy, directing the project technical team, and managing critical relationships with national and international partners and other key stakeholders. The Project Director has overall programmatic and fiscal responsibility for the project, including achieving project results, effectively communicating accomplishments, and ensuring compliance with all US government and FHI 360 regulations. The Project Director will be a recognized leader in international family planning, with expertise and experience in both implementation science and/or applied research, and experience working in family planning programs, preferably in a leadership role.
- Develop and execute overall project strategy and work plan and achievement of project results
- Direct and monitor implementation of activities within the work plan, ensuring that activities are performed to a high professional standard, effectively implemented, and fulfilling donor and FHI 360’s requirements
- Maintain relationships with USAID/Washington and USAID Missions, national and international partners, and other key stakeholders through frequent consultation
- Ensure that all program deliverables are of high quality and met in a timely fashion
- Ensure and oversee a clear technical strategy for the project and guarantee that technical excellence permeates all project activities
- Provide managerial oversight to ensure compliance with all donor- related, FHI 360, and program-specific policies and regulations
- Supervise and mentor all senior management staff
- Ensure effective communication across the entire project with team and relevant stakeholders
- Participate in international research networks, meetings, and select technical working groups as appropriate to represent the project and ensure collaboration with relevant technical work
- Identify existing implementation platforms that can be leveraged for applied research and/or implementation science, negotiate appropriate partnership roles to facilitate such collaborations, and mobilize resources both from USAID Missions and additional donors
- Strong expertise in family planning technical areas in resource-constrained settings, including High Impact Practices, costing/cost-effectiveness of FP interventions and programs, and issues related to equity
- Excellent understanding of the processes and goals of applied research and/or implementation science
- Strong understanding of the research utilization process throughout the life of research studies, from conceptualization to scale-up; demonstrated understanding of evidence-based program scale-up
- Excellent leadership and adaptive management skills and ability to build collaborative relationships with a range of partners and stakeholders
- Proven track record of project management, cost containment, and client satisfaction
- Knowledge of non-profit funding streams, including government and philanthropic
- Strong time-management, multi- tasking, and organizational skills
- Strong negotiator and collaborator who strengthens business relationships
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills to plan, organize, and manage resources for successful completion of projects
- Excellent and demonstrated public relations, policy development, project management, and diplomacy skills required
- Ability to build positive local working relationships with local communities, district government officials, international normative bodies in-country (WHO, UN, etc.), and where appropriate, donor representatives
Problem Solving & Impact:
- Ability to apply high-level analytical skills to identify appropriate courses of action
- Ability to identify potential risks to portfolio execution and to recommend corrective actions
- Ability to identify and incorporate constraints into the portfolio process and recommend solutions
- Exercises judgment to meet business strategies and develops objectives that align with organizational goals.
Experience:
- Minimum of 15 years of experience in family planning, with demonstrated project management responsibility
- 10+ years of senior-level experience in managing USAID-funded large and complex family planning research and research utilization projects preferred
- Recognized technical skills in implementation science or applied research and family planning
- Demonstrated ability to foster and maintain collaborative partnership arrangements through both formal, financial relationships (e.g. prime and sub relationship) and non-financial, cost-shared models
- Demonstrated donor management skills
- Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of USAID policies and programs
- Demonstrated strategic planning, team leadership, and capacity building experience
- Demonstrated experience in leading and managing complex projects that are strategic in nature and national/international in scope
- Excellent management, communication, and organization skills are required
- Must be able to read, write, and speak fluent English; French language skills are a plus
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