Program Director I - Health Programs

FHI 360•US-REMOTE-DC, DC

1d•$130,000 - $160,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Program Director, Health Programs Group (HPG), oversees a portfolio of projects funded by the U.S. Government and other donors in a specific country/region. The projects span a range of technical focus areas, including HIV, global health security and outbreak response, maternal and child health, and malaria. Reporting to the Senior Director, Program Portfolio, HPG, the Program Director serves as the primary representative for their assigned portfolio. The Program Director works collaboratively with HPG leadership, global project leadership, Global Operations and Services’ (GOS) Senior Directors, Regional Hubs and enterprise services staff to ensure that projects within their portfolio are able to implement in an efficient and compliant manner in alignment with approved contracting mechanisms, workplans and budgets. They directly supervise a team of project staff (Associate Directors, Project Managers and/or Project Directors/Chiefs of Party) responsible for direct implementation of the projects and country activities within their portfolio. Through a matrixed approach, they will work closely with global project leadership teams with projects in the portfolio to ensure that country teams are able to implement successfully. The Program Director works to ensure country-level coordination between projects to provide a holistic approach to project implementation to limit project and organizational risks, streamline processes and decision making, guarantee effective communication between HPG leadership and the countries, and ensure that project needs are met in a compliant manner. They work closely with Finance staff to ensure projects remain within budget and are in sound fiscal health. They ensure strong collaboration with donors (as appropriate), partners, and local stakeholders through the project lifecycle. May serve as a management backstop for select assigned projects. The Program Director builds the skills and capabilities of their direct reports within their assigned portfolio.

Requirements

Master’s Degree or its International Equivalent in Communication and Social Marketing, Economic Development, Education, Health, Nutrition, Research, Technology and Youth or a Related Fields.
Typically requires 10+ years of relevant experience with project management principles and practices (including 8+ years of department-level leadership, strong business acumen and/or line management experience).
Experience managing United States Government (USG)-funded assistance and acquisition projects; focus on HIV, global health security, TB, maternal newborn child health and/or nutrition projects strongly preferred.
Proficient with applicable rules, regulations, and policies associated with international development and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Demonstrated experience in sector specific or multi-sector project management and implementation.
Demonstrated strategic planning, staff development and capacity building experience.
Demonstrated experience in leading and managing complex projects that are strategic in nature and national/international in scope.
English language fluency required; fluency in a second language (e.g., Spanish, French, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic, etc.) preferred.
Experience operating in challenging environments.
Expertise in project management and assigned country context.
Comprehensive knowledge of theories, concepts, and practices in project management, process development and execution across contracting mechanisms (cooperative agreements, contracts, etc.).
Excellent and demonstrated communications, public relations, representation, and diplomacy skills required.
Ability to build positive local working relationships with team members, donors, partners and local stakeholders. Strong consultative and negotiation skills.
Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills to strategize, plan, and manage resources for successful completion of projects.
Ability to motivate, influence and collaborate with others.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Project Management (PM) Certification preferred.

Responsibilities

Provides leadership for the assigned portfolio to ensure compliance with FHI 360 policies and procedures, donor requirements, and other regulations.
Serves as a key interface between HPG leadership, global project leadership, country project staff, GOS and enterprise services teams to ensure that projects are receiving the required operations support (e.g., procurement, contract management, security, legal, human resources) and communications to ensure program excellence.
Ensures oversight and quality assurance for the assigned portfolio. Coordinates a matrixed management approach to capacity building, support, and oversight of program, technical and/or operations staff.
Manages and continually strengthens capacity of staff, employing a matrixed management approach to achieve strategic goals to ensure project excellence.
Provides management backstopping to an assigned portfolio, including the full project lifecycle from project startup through closeout. Responsibilities include but are not limited to work plan development, budget development, country staff planning, project monitoring, budget monitoring, deliverables development, and closeout.
Serves as a point of contact for partners, subcontractors, or vendors; counterparts/collaborators and stakeholders; and donors.
Contributes to business development to maintain and/or grow the portfolio of countries in their remit, as necessary.
Accountable for the successful implementation of projects within the assigned portfolio, ensuring financial and programmatic targets are consistently met and client expectations are exceeded.
Manages potential resource conflicts across their portfolio and escalates issues to global project leadership, HPG leadership, GOS hub leads and associated enterprise services teams to resolve issues and limit project implications.
Under the guidance of the Senior Director, Program Portfolio, fosters innovation and drives adoption of leading practices and provides project management and/or subject matter expertise.
Establishes and maintains standards within and across projects in compliance with organizational and client policies, processes and regulations.
Manages and promotes understanding of dependencies associated with resources and projects within the portfolio to ensure that project teams are receiving the support needed to succeed.
Conducts routine reviews on project status, actions, decisions, risks and issues, and deliverables for assigned programs.
Provides metrics and analytics to support global project leadership and HPG leadership with executive decision making.
Supports performance management and professional development of direct reports, including ongoing feedback, coaching, and career support.
Performs other duties as assigned.