Background

Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Suisse (VSF-Suisse) is a politically and religiously neutral humanitarian organisation headquartered in Bern in Switzerland. VSF-Suisse fights hunger, poverty, destitution, and illness for the benefit of those populations who depend on livestock for their livelihood. VSF-Suisse works both in humanitarian aid and in long-term development in seven countries of West and East Africa.

Together with its partners, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and Comitato Collaborazione Medica (CCM), VSF-Suisse implements a regional One Health development project known as One Health for Humans, Environment, Animals and Livelihoods (OH4 HEAL) in Oromia and Somali Regions of Ethiopia, Gedo Region of Somalia and Marsabit County of Kenya. The goal of the project is to improve the wellbeing of pastoralist communities in arid and semi-arid areas of Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya by ensuring healthy people derive their livelihoods from healthy livestock in a sustainably managed environment. The HEAL project Phase 1 will be implemented for 4 years (November 2020 to October 2024) and will be followed by a subsequent 8-year implementation phase. The project is co-funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

Specific Job Responsibilities and Key Tasks

The Regional HEAL Project Manager is a dynamic leader who ensures the achievement of the project according to its objectives. Under the supervision of VSF-Suisse and the Consortium Partnership Board, S/he coordinates in the lead the HEAL project activities in the three countries of implementation. 

Strategic Leadership

• Lead the implementation of the HEAL project in conjunction with the consortium members and national partners.
• Engage in policy dialogue to support the development of One Health-related strategies and policies in the countries of implementation as well as at regional (Horn of Africa) level.
• Identify and work with a range of strategic partners within the region and beyond to ensure programmatic collaboration, joint advocacy, research, and fundraising.
• Address cross-cutting themes such as conflict-sensitive programme management, gender, and sustainability.

Programme Development

• Work closely with the consortium members and the country, regional and headquarter teams and partners to implement and develop strategies which address the needs of pastoralists, in accordance with the One Health approach.
• Liaise with national and regional academics and training institutions to promote the incorporation of One Health into their curricula.
• Contribute to the identification of potential sources of co-funding for the HEAL project.
• Take the lead in designing proposals and in consulting and writing with the consortium members, affiliates, and partners for upcoming phases of the HEAL project.
• Line manage or matrix manage regional HEAL project staff members.

Advocacy and Communications

• Coordinate the proper documentation of good practices and dissemination of evidence gathered, compiling communications materials and campaigns and disseminating them, including through the online One Health Regional Community of Practice.
• Advocate to and influence governments and humanitarian organisations in Horn of Africa to adopt the One Health approach, as well as to recognise the needs of pastoralists.

Representation

• Represent VSF-Suisse and the consortium members in local, regional, and international forums and the media to highlight the needs, rights, and capacities of pastoralists as well as the benefits the One Health approach
• Actively identify and seize opportunities for influencing policies and strategies within the animal, human and environmental health sectors.

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Develop and consolidate annual plans in accordance with the needs and contexts of the project-implementing countries.
• Coordinate the preparation of quarterly, biannual, and annual reports, finalise, and share them with funding agencies as per the agreed calendars and schedule
• Ensure that the quality of the annual plans and reports produced is upheld.
• Conduct quarterly monitoring field visits to project implementation sites.
• Ensure quality, reporting and documentation of results.
• Guide the continuous analysis of lessons learnt and practices, to guide the replication and scaling of the project approach in the region and on a larger scale 
• Develop the project monitoring and evaluation plan and ensure its proper application across the different project locations
• Act as Secretariat of the Partnership Board, preparing project updates to present the main results and challenges to the Consortium members, participating in the decision-making process and in the discussion around the project strategic direction
• Ensure the quality of project implementation in line with donor regulations.
• In conjunction with the Regional HEAL Finance Manager, monitor the project’s financial management, reporting and budgeting.

Other

• Participate in activities of VSF-Suisse, and fulfil other duties as required.
• Take decisions within the project framework and agreed budgets.

Requirements

The Regional HEAL Project Manager has long-term experience in the management of multi-partner and multi-country development projects, sound knowledge in the field of humanitarian aid and development cooperation and a strong ability to communicate and network with collaborators, partners, donors, public authorities, institutional counterparts and the private sector. S/he also possesses the following attributes:

Job Requirements

Essential attributes

• A university degree in human or veterinary medicine, environmental studies, or related fields.
• Training experience in management and finance (such as a relevant MBA or MAS).
• 7 to 10 years of experience in the management of multi-partner and multi-country projects.
• Strong leadership qualities.
• Proven experience in administrative and financial management of regional projects.
• Thorough knowledge and experience of planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating development projects in areas such as food security, rural development, environment, human or animal health in pastoral communities of the Greater Horn of Africa.
• Excellent English skills, both written and verbal.
• Ability to work flexibly, with tact and diplomacy, at the highest level to lobby and advocate for the One Health approach.
• Willing and able to travel extensively in the region.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a team in a multi-cultural environment.

Desirable attributes

• Thorough knowledge of procedures of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and other major international donors.
• Strong writing skills.
• Knowledge and/or experience in the operationalization of inter-sectoral and/or One Health approaches
• Knowledge of any of the languages of the three implementing countries.
• Ideally a national or a resident of Ethiopia, Somalia, or Kenya.

What we offer

• A qualified, dynamic, and highly motivated team of colleagues.
• A unique and relevant project for pastoral communities in the Greater Horn of Africa.
• The opportunity to actively contribute to the future design of the project implementation.
• A job with responsibilities in a demanding and challenging environment.
• A competitive salary as well as a medical and social insurance scheme.

Location

Addis Ababa, with frequent travels to other parts of Ethiopia in addition to Somalia and Kenya.

Entry date and contract length

1st April 2021 start date, with a fixed-term contract of 43 months.

How to Apply

We look forward to receiving your application in English. Please add:

1.   A motivation letter (maximum 1 page) stating why you are the right person for this position.

2.   A recent CV of 4 pages maximum.

3.   Scanned copies of your work certificates and relevant university diplomas.

4.   Contact details of three referees.

Send your application by e-mail with the position being applied for as the email subject to heal@vsf-suisse.org by 24^th December 2020 (midnight)