Vital Strategies is an international public health organization. Our programs strengthen public health systems and address the world’s leading causes of illness, injury and death. We currently work in 73 countries, supporting data-driven decision making in government, advancing evidence-based public health policies, and mounting strategic communication campaigns. Vital Strategies’ priorities are driven by the greatest potential to improve and save lives. They include non-communicable disease prevention, tobacco control, road safety, obesity prevention, overdose prevention, environmental health, and vital statistics systems building. Our programs are primarily concentrated in low- and middle-income countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific. Please visit our website at www.vitalstrategies.org to find out more about our work.

Vital Strategies is expanding our program that addresses the issue of lead poisoning in low- and middle-income countries. We plan to build upon existing efforts and interest by collaborating with governmental agencies in countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America to strengthen health systems and build local expertise in childhood lead exposure to enact sound, cost-effective policies to address exposures.

The position of Program Associate for the Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, Ghana is a new position for Vital Strategies. The Program Associate will offer administrative, operational and logistical support to the Program Manager including assisting with procuring and contracting goods and services, scheduling meetings and maintaining calendars, coordinating travel and logistics, and planning events, among other duties. This role involves coordinating with the program team, government officials (as needed for operations), and field surveillance teams.

Position Title: Program Associate 

Company: Vital Strategies 

Location: Accra, Ghana

Supervisor 1: Program Manager, Ghana

Division: EH_Environmental Health

Job Grade : 2

Duties and Responsibilities:

Program Operations:

• Assist the program team in operations and procurement, including venue selection, logistical arrangements for meetings and events, and ensuring all necessary arrangements are in place;

• Assist in coordinating participant invitations, managing attendance lists, and preparing meeting materials to ensure smooth execution;

• Facilitate communication with stakeholders, the printing of materials, and coordinate travel and logistics (hotel booking, transport, and reimbursements) for in-person meetings, trainings, workshops.

Administrative Support:

• Provide administrative support to the program team, including processing correspondence and filing procurement requisitions as per organizational protocols;

• Assist with coordinating procurement and the distribution of field supplies, equipment, and training materials;

• Draft correspondence independently or based on instructions and redirect as appropriate, bringing urgent matters to the attention of the supervisor.

Financial Coordination:

• Coordinate the processing of invoices for program team members and vendors, working closely with the finance and operations teams;

• Track invoice submissions, liaise with finance and accounting, and address any questions or issues related to payments;

• Compile support documentation for financial payments and process purchase orders;

• Provide administrative support to project team members for timely reimbursements and payments.

Stakeholder Coordination:

• Manage travel arrangements for the team, including handling cancellations or changes in travel plans;

• Assist in follow-up with vendors, government agencies, and field teams to ensure smooth operations.

Documentation:

• Maintain detailed program records and documentation, ensuring all records are accurate and up to date;

• Support the team by suggesting some administrative improvements in line with program norms;

• Conduct data entry as and when needed to support the program activities, reporting, monitoring, and evaluation;

• Assist with additional tasks as assigned by the supervisor to support overall program effectiveness.

Job Requirements

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field required.

Experience:

Required

• Minimum three years of work experience; working in public health, public policy, international development, and/or non-profit;

• Experience in invoice tracking, processing, and managing including invoice processing, tracking payments, and managing purchase orders. Ability to assist with budget planning and procurement coordination for program activities.

Preferred

• At least 1 year of work experience with the government;

• Experience working collaboratively and remotely with internal and external team members to provide administrative support on time;

• Experience using platforms such as DocuSign, CLM, NetSuite, Monday, Airtable, and Slack is a plus;

• Ability to draft official correspondence independently is a plus.

Skills & Abilities:

• Strong organizational and time management skills to manage program activities, logistics, and documentation;

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to interact professionally with government officials, program partners, and vendors. Professional oral and written proficiency in native language. Competence with English is preferred. Ability to draft official correspondence independently is a plus;

• Exceptional attention to detail to ensure accuracy in documentation, financial processing, and logistical arrangements;

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and other relevant administrative tools.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:

• This is a full-time position that can be based remotely from Accra, Ghana. This Vacancy Advertisement is open to Ghanaian Nationals and candidates holding a valid work resident permit for Ghana;

• The successful candidate will be hired on Vital’s Employer of Record;

• Willing to travel for in-person meetings and field visits in Ghana as needed, and occasionally travel internationally to attend meetings.

Vital Strategies is committed to building a diverse, equitable and inclusive (DEI) organization. We believe our programs are strengthened when they are developed and supported by individuals with diverse life experiences, whose understanding of social and cultural issues can help make our work and workforce more inclusive. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.

How To Apply

Interested and Qualified Applicants are invited to send their updated resume to lidiya.ashenafi@ethiojobs.net with a subject line “Program Associate”