Futures Group develops and delivers innovative, locally relevant, evidence-based solutions to improve the health and well being of people around the world. Since 1971, we have assisted governmental and non-governmental agencies, foundations, and the private sector by designing, implementing and evaluating programs in HIV/AIDS, sexual and reproductive health, population and family planning, maternal and child health, infectious diseases, and gender. Futures Group has deep expertise in policy and advocacy, research and strategic information, health markets and private sector engagement, modeling and economic analysis, patient monitoring and management/HMIS, strategic consulting, and program management.
Position Summary
Futures Group Sexual HIV Prevention Programme (SHIPP) is seeking a Technical Director for Engagement and Strategic Planning (TD ESP). This key position will be responsible for achieving the objectives in the engagement, strategic planning and decision-making leadership functions of SHIPP.
As part of SHIPP’s senior leadership management team, the TD ESP provides national technical guidance in the engagement and strategic planning of HIV prevention programs implemented in partnership with SANAC, NDOH, DBE and DSD and manages team members.
This position will be based in Pretoria South Africa and Futures Group is seeking candidates that are currently residing in South Africa and eligible to work in the country.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the Stakeholder Engagement Team and the Strategic Planning and Decision-making Team and ensure that the South African Government (SAG) departments’ capacity building needs in these areas are identified and addressed through the SAG collaboration plan and through specific activities in the annual work-plans.
- Develop, implement, and oversee an overall integrated Strategic Information plan in line with the SHIPP annual work-plans
- Provide strategic leadership for the SHIPP technical team project staff, and interface with the Chief of Party, USAID and Futures Group HQ to monitor program progress.
- Lead and support technical support to partners and provinces to develop their capacity for HIV Prevention programs
- Provides technical leadership in the design, execution, and ongoing review of project strategy to ensure that benchmarks of success are met.
- Support strategic planning, the development of work plans and results reporting for the project.
- Coordinate planning processes of the team.
- Direct quality control mechanisms for all technical deliverables
- Ensure that all objectives of the annual work-plans are met and flag any critical delay to the Chief of Party
- Use a combination of logic, analysis, experience, wisdom, and advanced methods to make sound, timely decisions and to solve problems.
- Develop and maintain relationships with partners and stakeholders.
- Effectively communicate the SHIPP strategy to partners, stakeholders and management team.
- Ensure that the SHIPP team members are kept fully informed and updated on the HIV prevention global and local initiatives.
- Oversee and ensure that all reporting requirement are met and are of a high standard.
- The TD will ensure that the activities of implementing partners are effectively planned, budgeted, implemented, monitored and evaluated.
- Contribute to the SHIPP M&E plan, focusing on indicators and milestones. He/she will be responsible for quality assurance and overall integrity of the SHIPP activities/program, including the management of quality outputs in keeping with project specification, scope, milestones, key performance areas and deliverables.
- Ensure compliance with USG regulations and guidelines by relevant HPI implementing partners and\or consultants
- Report and communicate SHIPP program’s results through the execution of the SHIPP performance monitoring plan. This includes the following:
- Guide staff in preparing reports in accordance with approved reporting formats and ensure timely submission
- This includes quarterly progress reports, annual, semi-annual program reports, and ad-hoc technical reports
- Prepare consolidated progress reports for the Country Director, Deputy Directors and Program Managers
Qualifications and experience
- Applicants must be experienced in addressing the special challenges of HIV combination prevention programming described in the above program description, as demonstrated by at least 8 years of experience designing, implementing, and managing large, complex public health projects in/for developing countries.
- Experience with HIV and AIDS programs is highly desirable.
- Strong interpersonal, writing and oral presentation skills in English are also required.
- Master’s Degree or higher in public health, business administration, international development, or a related advanced degree is required.
- Two years’ experience living or working in a developing country.
- Fluency/ proficiency in a second African official language are desired.
Reporting to
- Chief of Party
Physical Demands
- Regularly required to stand or sit, and move about the facility
Work Environment
- Usual office working conditions free of disagreeable elements.
The closing date for application is 12 August 2012.
All applications for this position should be submitted online at www.futuresgroup.com via the Careers page. Futures Group provides equal employment to all participants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, veteran or marital status.
