Senior Officer

PATH

Senior Program Officer, Primary Health Care, SAFEStart+ Project

PATH • Johannesburg •

Job Summary

The Senior Program Officer provides essential support to the Project Director in managing the technical, operational, and administrative aspects of SAFEStart+, acting as the Project Director’s Deputy Director. This position works closely with the Project Director and co-manages partnerships with Unitaid, WHO Headquarters and Regional Offices (AFRO and PAHO), program implementers and research partners (University of Washington, Harvard University), the Africa CDC, GAVI, and other key stakeholders, including national partners, implementers, and research institutions. A good command of French is required for effective engagement with Francophone stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership and Product Development

• Lead the specific technical elements of projects, prioritizing the learning agenda, continuous quality improvement, project performance analysis, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and metrics. • Lead the development of strategic technical reports, policy briefs, and programmatic guidance documents that synthesize project findings and provide practical recommendations for country implementation and global scaling.
• Coordinate the creation of training materials, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and implementation toolkits for integrated EVD service delivery models, ensuring technical accuracy and country-specific adaptation.
• Oversee the production of evidence dissemination packages, knowledge products, and learning resources for diverse audiences, including national partners, donors, and key global health stakeholders.
• Support the development of technical presentations, informational materials, and visual communication products for donor meetings, stakeholder meetings, and international conferences. • Coordinate the preparation and quality control of project deliverables.

Project Management and Coordination

• Oversee work in the Francophone countries (DRC and Senegal).

Partnership and Stakeholder Coordination

• Serve as the primary daily liaison with the donor, ensuring seamless communication, technical and strategic alignment, and coordination in project implementation.
• Coordinate strategic relationships and regular collaboration with WHO headquarters and regional offices, including PAHO and WHO.
• Act as the focal point for assigned countries and facilitate communication and coordination with national partners, including ministries of health, national technical working groups (TWGs), community advisory councils (CABs), and implementing organizations in all project countries.
• Support senior staff in their collaboration with external partners, donors, and technical agencies.
• Coordinate with peer learning countries and focal points to ensure effective knowledge sharing and capacity-building opportunities. Delegated Responsibilities
• Represent the SAFEStart+ project and PATH at high-level meetings, conferences, and events with stakeholders when the Project Manager is unavailable, ensuring the continuity of the strategic collaboration.
• Provide comprehensive project and strategy updates.

Key Competencies

• Partnership Management: Establish effective relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Technical and Communication Skills: Lead specific technical areas. Translate complex concepts for diverse audiences

Requirements

Education and Experience

• Master’s degree in public health, international development, or a related field
• 3-5 years of experience in international health programming in low- and middle-income countries, including experience in project coordination and/or partnership management
• Experience with HIV, STIs, viral hepatitis, and/or maternal and child health
• Experience in designing and implementing learning agendas, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks, continuous quality improvement (CQI), and using data for action

Essential Skills

• Fluency in French and English (written and spoken)
• Continuous quality improvement (CQI) and/or quantitative data analysis
• Strong technical writing and communication skills
• Effective stakeholder partnership management