Abt Associates Recruitment

The International Health Division is committed to the improvement of health and healthcare delivery around the world.  Serving both the public and private sectors, our efforts include health policy research and evaluation, health promotion and disease prevention, health finance, and health systems management.  Our impact is felt in policies that ensure healthcare access for women, children, and individuals with special needs, in strengthening health infrastructures, and HIV/AIDS solutions.

Opportunity

Abt Associates seeks a qualified Project Assistant / District Spray Operations Coordinator to support the International Health Division in Ghana. A Project Assistant (PA) supports one or more Technical Specialists and/or the Project Director in carrying out technical project work. Typical duties at this highest PA level include writing project reports, drafting annual work plans and budget proposals, preparing and analyzing statistics, translating important/lengthy documents where content knowledge is required, conducting community relations activities, developing training materials, and assisting with training presentations. A PA at the LCN-09 level provides information gathering, research, and related services that are highly complex in nature.

Job Description

Job Title: Project Assistant / District Spray Operations Coordinator

Key Role and Responsibilities

Under supervision of the Operations Manager, the Project Assistant 9 / District Spray Operations Coordinator will focus on programmatic and management oversight for all aspects of the project’s spray operations in their assigned district(s), including spray campaign planning, technical assistance and training, logistical and operational support and supervision, and activity tracking and reporting.

She/he will coordinate closely with provincial government counterparts, and oversee the activities of project field staff and seasonal spray teams.

Specific responsibilities

• Manage robust IRS campaign planning efforts in assigned geographical area, including quantification of insecticides and equipment needs; identification and recruitment of spray teams; logistical planning for IRS distribution and transportation; insecticide and equipment storage, security, and environmental safety; and coordination with provincial level Ministry of Health counterparts.
• Work in collaboration with the malaria and IRS focal point persons at the Provincial Health Office to manage the planning and coordination of IRS activities.
• Oversee the recruitment, training, and supervision of spray teams and IRS spray operators.
• Supervise and track inventory distribution and storage of materials, work with the logistics and procurement team to support procurement of IRS materials.
• Supervise IRS implementation, and contribute to the trainings conducted in the assigned geographical area.
• Ensure that routine program tracking and reporting are in place and delivered on time.
• Supervise and monitor field data collection with project M&E team.
• Manage the BCC/IEC campaign and data collection process.
• Ensure that all risk prevention and environmental compliance measures are fully implemented and work closely with the project environmental compliance staff and district/province officers to address relevant issues.
• Facilitate communication between the districts in the assigned geographic area and the AIRS project office in Tamale.
• Represent the program at meetings with the community leaders and local steering committees.
• Supervise all logistical operations (warehouse, transport, etc.).
• Prepare weekly and other activity reports as directed by the project Operations Manager.
• Frequently travel to field sites to support and oversee district and community level operations and activities.

Preferred Skills / Prerequisites

• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant health sector field, such as Public Health, Community Health, Entomology, or Environmental Health.
• At least four (4) years of relevant professional work experience, with significant amounts of experience directly in Vector Control and IRS Operations.
• Experience in regulatory and operational aspects of insecticide use and management.
• Demonstrated ability to work with a minimum of direction and supervision.
• Demonstrated ability to work both as a member of a team and as a team leader, with the ability to accept the inputs of other team members.
• Strong management and planning skills of project tasks and budgets.
• Demonstrates leadership and team work and produces high quality work in a timely, cost effective manner and has excellent writing skills.
• Excellent interpersonal communications and organizational skills.
• Excellent computer skills, computer software programs, including MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Experience with USAID funded programs and other international development experience.
• English language fluency.

Minimum Qualifications
( 4+ ) years of experience OR the equivalent combination of education and experience.