Malawi Medical Program Manager

Location: Zomba, Malawi
Type of contract: Full-time fixed-term two-year contract with the possibility of renewal
Reports to: Country Director
Suggested start date: November 2016
Salary and benefits: Salary commensurate with skills and experience, with a generous medical and health benefits package.

Dignitas International (DI) is a medical and research organization dedicated to improving health care for people facing a high burden of disease and unequal access to services. We deliver and support frontline medical care in Southern Malawi, and with First Nations communities in Canada. We also research ways to improve how health care is delivered, to make it more effective and accessible. Finally, we share our findings broadly and advocate for better health care policy and practice for underserved populations. By coupling the frontline experience of our clinicians with the expertise of our scientists, we generate, pilot and scale up sustainable models of care that address barriers and gaps in health services and policy. More information can be found at dignitasinternational.org.

Dignitas began working in Malawi in 2004, at the height of the AIDS epidemic. Working in one of the hardest hit areas of this country, we witnessed the devastating impact of HIV and AIDS on families, communities and the health care system. By collaborating with the Government of Malawi and local partners, Dignitas was able to dramatically increase access to quality treatment and care for HIV, TB and other related diseases.

Dignitas supports people living with HIV by providing frontline health care in our flagship Tisungane Clinic, a hub for innovation, teaching and knowledge sharing. At this Clinic, we have developed and implemented specialized models of care for vulnerable groups, including HIV+ teens, health care workers and prisoners. To extend our impact, Dignitas provides comprehensive training and mentorship to health care workers in 127 clinics, ranging from urban hospitals to small rural health centres.

Today Dignitas operates a large office in Zomba, Malawi with over 250 staff, supported by the organisation’s headquarters in Toronto, Canada. The Malawi program is funded by USAID, as well as a number of other private and institutional donors, including several research grants.

THE POSITION

Reporting to the Country Director, the Medical Program Manager (MPM) is responsible for the oversight, development, and leadership of the Malawi medical program. S/he will work with six district teams and zonal coordinators including pharmacy, laboratory, HTS, ART, and PMTCT to support the supervision, mentoring and training of health care workers, in both Ministry of Health, mission and private health facilities. The MPM maintains relationships with and reports regularly to the Ministry of Health, donors and partners. S/he will be responsible for developing the HIV/AIDS Clinic at the zonal referral hospital into a Centre of Excellence.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a driven and experienced medical professional and manager who enjoys team and systems building, and is committed to excellence in health care. This position offers the opportunity to lead a large-scale medical program and develop high impact programming focusing on the design and delivery of quality HIV and TB testing and care, improved ART uptake and adherence, integration of care for non-communicable diseases, and pharmaceutical and laboratory support.

MAIN JOB TASKS

• Lead the planning and delivery of the medical department’s annual objectives
• Oversee the implementation of DI medical activities and ensure program quality
• Contribute to specialized clinical HIV care at the Tisungane Clinic
• Actively incorporate new evidence into programming to improve patient outcomes and develop innovative program initiatives
• Provide technical expertise and participate in the development and implementation of HIV-related national guidelines and policies
• Supervise senior medical program staff and provide management and mentorship support to the medical program team
• Develop, manage, and monitor the Medical Department budget
• Ensure timely and accurate analysis of medical data to produce quality internal and external reports
• Support donor relations and contribute to proposal writing to secure new funding for the medical program
• Support collaboration between the medical, research, monitoring and evaluation, and data teams to strengthen internal and external knowledge translation strategies and maximize organizational learning
• Contribute to the formation, design and analysis of qualitative and quantitative operations research
• Represent DI and present program results to partners, donors and practitioners within and outside Malawi
• Participate in the Malawi Management Team and contribute to the development of organizational policies and procedures

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Medical Doctor with extensive experience in HIV care and treatment
• Master’s Degree in Public Health or a related field an asset
• Minimum 3 years of HIV-related work in an African context with an international or national NGO, or a national Ministry of Health
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in managing teams
• Proven track record managing complex, institutional donor-funded programs
• Fluent in English
• Computer skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• Well-developed interpersonal and team-building skills
• Previous research and publishing experience preferred
• Epidemiology or Statistical training preferred
• Experience with USAID grants preferred

HOW TO APPLY:

Qualified applicants should send a CV and detailed cover letter explaining their interest and suitability for the post to jobs@dignitasinternational.org with the subject heading “Medical Program Manager”. Applications will be considered on an ongoing basis. Deadline to submit an application is September 15, 2016 at 5pm EDT. Please note that only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. DI thanks all applicants for their interest.