Senior Program Manager - PHNP

We are looking for enthusiastic, dedicated development professionals interested in long term careers with a major international children’s NGO.

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children. Plan, one of the world’s largest children’s INGOs, works with children and poor communities in 50 countries.

Currently we work in Vientiane Capital, Bokeo, Oudomxay, Saravan, Luang Prabang and Vientiane Provinces, in basic education, early childhood development, health and nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, adolescence and youth economic empowerment. Plan has no religious or political aims or affiliations. Visit www.plan-international.org for more information.

Plan is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage applications from women, members of ethnic groups and people with disabilities and LGBTQA+ colleagues. Plan offers competitive salaries and long-term employment opportunities for all posts.

Plan International Laos is looking for a Lao National for the following position:

The Senior Program Manager of the Public Health and Nutrition Program (PHNP)  provides  leadership oversight and management of the PHNP as outlined in the Plan Laos Country Strategy FY2020 – FY2027. The PHNP directly contributes to the achievement of the following two objectives:

• Increased access to sanitation and health services for improved nutrition status of women, girls and boys in targeted marginalized communities.
• Continued support for actions to promote gender equality within the Rural WASH and RMNCH Strategies.

Plan seeks to achieve these objectives in partnership with the Provincial Health Department (PHD) and the Department of Hygiene and Health Promotion (DHHP) at the Ministry of Health (MOH).  Plan works with interns, village health volunteers, local authorities, district health offices (DHO), PHD and other government and non-government actors such as local CSO and INGOs working in Lao PDR.

Under the PHNP, Plan Laos has developed evidence based and integrated models focussing on WASH and MNCH-N interventions for a better impact that can be achieved through establishing better synergy between MCH and WASH programming, especially on nutritional issues affecting children.

In the PHNP, Plan Laos has developed evidence based and integrated models focussing on WASH and MNCH-N interventions for a better impact that can be achieved through establishing better synergy between MCH and WASH programming, especially on Nutritional issues affecting children. For example, the First 1000 days of a child’s life (from conception to 2 years of age) is the period that has been proven to lay the foundation for a healthy and productive life. Nutrition, sanitation, hygiene, early stimulation and critical health care interventions are considered the basis for optimum health and development during this period. This evidence is the primary basis for the integration. The programme models in the PHNP provide a strong framework for ensuring that children, especially girls are able to thrive and reach their full potential.

The Program Manager of Public Health and Nutrition Program is primarily responsible for managing projects and staff in the Public Health and Nutrition Program.

Senior Program Manager – Public Health and Nutrition Program

(Based in Vientiane Capital)

Duties and responsibilities:

• Lead and manage the Plan Laos Public Health and Nutrition Program, in line with the Country Strategy and the relevant national policies and strategies.
• Oversee the implementation and monitoring of Public Health and Nutrition Program activities in 2 provinces
• Support Provincial Public Health Managers to ensure that the project activities are implemented on time, according to approved plans and in compliance with the respective grants’ conditions and requirements
• With support from Provincial Public Health Managers, develop annual plans in line with the program strategy which includes annual budgets and work plans for the two Program Units, Saravan and Oudomxay
• Ensure gender equality, inclusion and safeguarding of children and young people are fully mainstreamed in the program and ensure that the Public Health Program is aligned with the Plan Standards by supporting the Gender Equality, Inclusion and Safeguarding (GEIS) unit and PHNP National Technical Specialist
• Ensure the monitoring and evaluation frameworks for both programmes are robust, effectively implemented, and then used for ongoing program quality improvement with support from the Monitoring, Evaluation and Research team
• Direct line management, performance planning and appraisal of National Technical Specialist, Provincial Technical Specialist, National Public Health Program Assistant and Provincial Public Health Managers in Oudomxay & Saravan
• Organize a start-up workshop for new Public Health grants to ensure clear, common understanding among the relevant program staff, in coordination with the Grant Finance unit, Procurement and the Business Development Unit (BDU)
• Handle required cash advances according to Plan’s finance policies as well as expenditure reports to clear advances
• Review annual project budgets in consultation with the Provincial Public Health Managers, finance & admin unit and external partners, and submit to DCDP for approval.

Requirements:

• Graduate degree in a related field (Medicine, Public Health, Midwifery, Social Work, Gender and Development)
• At least 5 years WASH, Maternal, Child Health and Nutrition and/or Sexual and Reproductive Health program management experience in Lao PDR, including demonstrated experience and skills in community- based hygiene promotion approaches, e.g. CLTS
• At least 5 years’ experience in community development
• Minimum of 5 years of project management, including financial management of projects
• Experience in drafting of quality reports in English to project donors
• Experience in monitoring and analysis of project data and reporting on change
• Demonstrated skills mainstreaming gender and diversity in health programs
• Ability to lead a team in a frequently changing environment
• Excellent representation, negotiation and liaison skills, and capacity to communicate in a cross- cultural context
• High level English language (report) writing, conversational and comprehension skills
• Willing to try new ways of working and explore new models, when confronted with challenges
• Willing to work in a large team and travel frequently to remote and isolated districts and villages.

FOR ALL PLAN POSITIONS:

• We strongly encourage equally qualified female candidates to apply
• Strong commitment to the equal rights and participation of girls and women is essential
• Strong commitment to the Rights of the Child is essential
• Plan does not tolerate child abuse. All Plan staff are selected and employed in line with the conditions of Plan’s Child Protection Policy. These include appropriate reference and background checks;
• Applications will not be acknowledged. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. No correspondence or telephone calls will be entered into;
• Short listed candidates will be required to attend panel interviews and other selection procedures.

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: 1st October 2024

TO APPLY FOR THIS POST:

Send your resume/CV, and cover letter. In the cover letter please state on a separate page your preferred start date, names and contact details of three referees and your salary expectations for each position, to Plan International Laos, Vientiane, Lao PDR, or to  PlanLaos.JobVacancies@plan-international.org

Please state in cover letter how you learned about the job – through emails, INGO Directory, 108 Jobs, or friends.