Party Leader – Maternal Center of Excellence – Sierra Leone

Function:

Party Chief (MCOE)

Work location:

Kono

Department:

MCOE

Report to:

Party Chief (MCOE)

Required. #:

4306

Line management

To be determined

Organization profile

Partners In Health (PIH) is an international health organization relentlessly committed to improving the health of the poor and marginalized. PIH partners with local governments to build local capacity and works closely with impoverished communities to deliver high-quality health care, address the root causes of disease, train providers, advance research, and advocate for global policy change. Our services provided in the field are based on our partnership with the governments and ministries of health and supporting education, training and mentorship for healthcare professionals and students is one of our pillars for strengthening the healthcare system.

PIH currently has implementation programs in Haiti, Rwanda, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Peru, Mexico, Russia, Sierra Leone and Navajo Nation. Through our partnership with Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, we support a wide range of programs in dozens of other countries around the world.

Our work in Sierra Leone:

Partners In Health (PIH) began supporting the Government of Sierra Leone in response to the Ebola epidemic in October 2014. PIH recognizes the critical need for continued investment in the healthcare system post-Ebola and is committed to strengthening the healthcare system in the long-term support to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHS), guided by the same principles as our emergency response and work around the world: public sector guidance, integrated and comprehensive services, social justice, agility and flexibility, partnership, community property and evidence. based interventions. In the wake of the epidemic, PIH is committed to supporting the delivery of comprehensive healthcare services in Sierra Leone, from community level to health centers and referral hospitals.

The Maternal Center of Excellence:

PIH SL is ambitiously planning to transform Koidu Government Hospital (KGH) into the leading Maternal & Newborn Health hospital in West Africa, serving as a Center of Excellence in both the delivery of quality clinical care and as a healthcare education institution for the region. . The MCOE is a 166-bed healthcare facility, which expands the capacity of the Kono Government Hospital and provides advanced maternal and neonatal healthcare in Kono District. At the same time, we are renovating the existing KGH campus to meet equipment and patient flow needs for excellent quality of care. The MCOE campus will serve as a clinical site, training and research center and will create a global platform of expertise and innovation that can provide evidence and resources to improve women’s health worldwide and locally train the next generation of health professionals in Sierra Leone . Construction of the MCOE is in full swing and is expected to be fully completed in 2026. The first phase, consisting of the birth center and the South Wards, is expected to be completed in 2025.

Position overview

The head of party will be responsible for the leadership that oversees the full scope of the MCOE project, from pre-opening implementation through phased opening and one year after the opening of the facilities. The Head of Party will ensure an integrated vision and achievement of critical success factors in our opening plan, including clinical systems, operations systems, data and information systems, patient and staff support systems, external engagement strategy, functional support systems, MCOE construction and KGH renovation . This position will also manage the phased transition from pre-opening planning and implementation to post-opening operations and management.

To achieve this effectively it is necessary to leverage the deep and existing expertise that has been focused on the planning of this project for years, both in Sierra Leone and at the US-based coordination site. Partnership is critical, between teams and diverse stakeholders, to ensure we meet project goals, budget, timeline and standards of excellence. The Head of Party will oversee the collaboration between PIH Sierra Leone, the PIH US Coordination Site, our construction partner Build Health International (BHI), the Government of Sierra Leone and numerous stakeholders. Exceptional strategic leadership and team management are needed to navigate complexity, address obstacles in a timely manner, and ensure workflow alignment. The ability to thrive under tight deadlines and comfort with ambiguity are essential.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead the successful implementation of the Maternal Center of Excellence’s opening plan and first year post-opening.
• Lead the successful transition from pre-opening project management to ongoing post-opening activities, integrated into organizational systems and structures.
• Work with the Senior Director of Operations to oversee KGH’s renovation projects as part of the MCOE opening plan, the phased opening of services, and the ongoing management of facility operations post-opening.
• Ensure alignment and integration between the six pillars of the opening plan (clinical systems, operations systems, data and information systems, patient and staff support systems, external engagement strategy, functional support systems)
• Work with the leaders of these pillar teams to ensure accountability for timelines, budgets, and results.
• Ensure effective, systematic and transparent decision-making necessary to manage project timeline, budget and excellence standards.
• Escalate key executive decisions to the Executive Director as necessary, and provide her with clear scenarios and analysis for executive decisions.
• Implement an effective project management system ‘to get things done’, including monitoring and controlling scope, schedule, cost, quality, resources, risks, procurement, stakeholder engagement and communications.
• Be the primary point of contact for MCOE planning, opening and operations with PIH leadership in Sierra Leone and the coordination site.
• Ensure seamless collaboration with BHI on infrastructure projects, including a clear communication flow around all project decisions.
• Represent PIH-SL in high-level critical communications with construction partners, government agencies, community stakeholders and project donors.
• Lead strategy development for the evolving organizational priorities for the MCOE, ensuring data-driven and inclusive processes, working closely with Impact & Planning, Clinical Support Systems and other teams supporting the broader development of the maternal and child health strategy.
• Work with leadership to translate the implementation of MCOE projects into a high-level impact strategy for influence and replication in healthcare delivery, community empowerment and RMNCH around the world.
• Promote and model principles of the PIH philosophy, such as “the patients are our bosses.”

Education and work experience requirements:

Required

• Commitment and passion for social justice and equity in healthcare
• 10 years of experience in management and program planning, of which at least 3 years at director level.
• Master’s degree or Bachelor’s degree and equivalent through experience
• Experience working in resource-poor environments similar to Sierra Leone
• Demonstrated knowledge of planning tools and procedures, best practices and software packages
• Significant experience working on donor-funded projects (USAID, CDC, Global Fund, World Bank, Unitaid, etc.)
• Experience with large, multi-year projects with multiple stakeholders in different regions
• Proven ability to manage people and projects, including developing and managing strategies, work plans, performance metrics and budgets.
• Demonstrated experience working with and supervising a diverse team.
• Proven ability and propensity to lead collaboratively, yet able to make difficult decisions when necessary;
• Demonstrated strategic thinking and analytical skills, good judgment, political astuteness and tact
• Creative problem solving and flexibility and impeccable integrity
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and humility

Strongly preferred

• Previous experience at large international NGOs, ideally in country offices with budgets of $25 million+/year and significant complexity
• Experience with hospital construction and planning management
• Experience in organizations that provide direct services, preferably healthcare

Prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse

At Partners In Health, we want to ensure that those who benefit from our work – including our patients, families and community members – and our staff are treated with dignity and respect and are protected from sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment. A series of pre-employment checks will take place

carried out in accordance with Partner In Health’s PSEAH policy. Partner In Health will request information from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or about incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the applicant confirms his knowledge of these recruitment procedures.

Method of application

Interested candidates should apply via our website: www.pih.org/employment. Please be sure to include three (3) names, addresses, email addresses, and telephone numbers in your application. referees no later than 5:00 PM GMT (midnight) on Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Please note that recruitment for this position is subject to confirmation of funding.