Senior Program Manager

Overview

The AFGHS project is funded by the U.S. Department of State (DoS) to support the delivery of lifesaving, comprehensive maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) and malaria services across Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar. It aims to improve service and data quality, strengthen health-system integration and resilience, facilitate effective transition, and promote local ownership and accountability for sustained health outcomes.

Jhpiego works closely with the Ministries of Health in Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar, the Reproductive and Child Health Section (RCHS), the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), the Zanzibar Malaria Elimination Programme (ZAMEP), and Regional Administration and Local Government (RALG) structures to align implementation with national priorities and strengthen locally led implementation and oversight.

Position Summary

The Senior Program Manager (SPM) provides leadership and oversight for implementation of the AFGHS-Jhpiego project across Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar, directing and coordinating field implementation across MNCH and malaria components. The SPM ensures that approved workplan activities, milestones, and implementation priorities are translated into coordinated regional and council-level action and delivered on time, within budget, and in accordance with government priorities, Jhpiego requirements, and Department of State expectations.

Reporting to the Sr Project Director and working closely with the Project Management Team, Technical Directors, MEL team, and Field Team Leaders, the SPM leads day-to-day implementation planning, coordination, performance management, and problem-solving. As the custodian of the project workplan, the SPM monitors progress against approved milestones and payment-linked deliverables , identifies implementation gaps and risks, and coordinates corrective actions to support timely achievement, verification, and payment of milestones.

The SPM plays a central role in ensuring that implementation is government-led and designed for sustainability and transition from the outset. The SPM works with Field Team Leaders and government counterparts to integrate project-supported activities within national, regional, and council plans, budgets, systems, and routine service delivery; strengthen subnational capacity and accountability; and progressively shift appropriate implementation, management, monitoring, and quality improvement functions to government and local structures while maintaining continuity and quality of essential services.

This position will be closed on October 15, 2026.

Responsibilities

Field Implementation Management and Integration

- Lead implementation management and coordination of field execution across project-supported regions.

- Translate approved work plan into integrated implementation schedules, deployment plans, and execution timelines.

- Ensure field teams work closely with RHMTs and CHMTs to coordinate field implementation, align project activities with regional and council priorities and work plans, and strengthen government leadership, ownership, and oversight of implementation.

- Support coordination with other DoS implementing partners and relevant stakeholders at regional and council levels to promote complementarity, integration, efficient use of resources, and avoidance of duplication.

- Facilitate joint planning, implementation reviews, and problem-solving with government counterparts, implementing partners, and other stakeholders to address implementation gaps and bottlenecks and maintain progress toward agreed results.

- Ensure alignment of field activities across project-supported regions to optimize efficiency and coverage.

- Monitor implementation progress and identify delays, gaps, or risks, escalating issues to the Sr Director and Technical Directors with analysis and options.

Supervision and Performance Management

- Provide direct operational and administrative supervision to Field Team Leaders and the Senior Program Officer.

- Set clear performance expectations and ensure accountability for field and functional execution.

- Support Field Team Leaders in supervising staff and enforcing approved schedules and standards.

- Foster a culture of execution discipline, teamwork, and problem-solving.

Implementation Planning and Readiness

- Coordinate field readiness for planned activities, including staffing, logistics, transport, approvals, and sequencing.

- Work closely with the Senior Program Officer to align logistics plans with deployment schedules.

- Identify and address implementation dependencies in advance, adjusting sequencing within approved plans and escalating technical changes as required.

Subgrantee Design and Oversight

- Support the design of project subgrants, including scopes of work, deliverables, milestones, and performance expectations, in collaboration with technical, MEL, grants, and finance teams.

- Provide programmatic oversight of subgrantees to ensure timely, high-quality implementation aligned with project objectives, work plans, and government priorities.

- Monitor subgrantee performance against agreed deliverables and milestones, identify implementation gaps, and coordinate corrective actions as needed.

- Ensure subgrantee activities are integrated with field implementation and coordinated with government, DoS implementing partners, and other relevant stakeholders.

Monitoring, Data Use, and Follow-Up

- Oversee tracking of implementation progress toward project milestones and deliverables, using project data and relevant national routine reporting and surveillance systems.

- Use programmatic data and field reports to identify gaps or risks to milestone achievement, coordinate corrective actions, and document adaptations and lessons learned.

- Provide regular updates to project leadership on progress toward milestones, highlighting implementation bottlenecks, risks, and actions required to ensure timely achievement and verification.

- Government and Partner Coordination

- Lead operational engagement and coordination with RALG structures at national, regional, and council levels, and with relevant implementing partners and stakeholders.

- Ensure field implementation is aligned with government priorities, work plans, calendars, administrative processes, coordination mechanisms, and milestone timelines.

- Facilitate joint implementation planning, performance reviews, and problem-solving with government counterparts and partners to address bottlenecks and maintain progress toward agreed results.

- Represent the project in relevant implementation and coordination forums, as delegated, and ensure timely follow-up on agreed actions.

Compliance, Reporting, and Continuous Improvement

- Ensure field implementation complies with Jhpiego policies, Department of State requirements, national guidelines, and approved project procedures.

- Contribute to development and review of project work plans, budgets, reports, and performance reviews, ensuring field implementation is accurately reflected.

- Ensure timely and complete field documentation and reporting to support accountability, milestone verification, and audit readiness.

- Promote continuous improvement through routine performance review, adaptive management, and timely follow-up on identified gaps and corrective actions.

Required Qualifications

- Master’s degree in Public Health, Public Administration, Project Management, Social Sciences, or a related field required.

- Professional certification in Project Management (e.g., PMD Pro, PMP) is an advantage.

- 9-10 years of experience overseeing multi-region field implementation or project management of large-scale health programs.

- Demonstrated experience working with Ministry of Health, national programs, RHMTs and CHMTs donor-funded implementing partners, and engaging private sector and faith-based organizations.

- Experience supporting donor-funded health programs, preferably U.S. Government-funded projects.

- Proven experience supervising decentralized field teams and coordinating complex implementation schedules.

- Familiarity with national health management information and logistics systems and digital learning platforms including DHIS2, eIDSR, UCS, MSDQI, eLMIS, and ECHO.

- Strong coordination, management, and communication skills.

- Fluency in Kiswahili and English required.

- Willingness to travel up to 40% across Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.

- Experience conducting supportive supervision, on-the-job mentorship, and capacity building for health workers and community cadres, including CHWs and iCCM providers.

- Experience working with government health structures at regional, council, facility, and community levels, including RHMTs and council health teams.

- Demonstrated ability to support routine data collection, review, and use for performance monitoring and service improvement.

- Experience using or adapting supervision tools, checklists, job aids, and basic technical reporting formats.

- Familiarity with U.S. Government-funded health programs is an advantage.

Preferred Qualifications

- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external customers those contacted during work.

- Planning and negotiation skills required

- Good level of computer literacy, conversant with all Microsoft products

Jhpiego offers competitive salaries and a comprehensive employee benefits package.

Please apply at www.jhpiego.org/careers

Applicants must submit a single document for upload to include cover letters, resume, and references.

For further information about Jhpiego, visit our website at www.jhpiego.org

Note: The successful candidate selected for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation.

Jhpiego is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer

Jhpiego, a Johns Hopkins University affiliate, is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, other legally protected characteristics or any other occupationally irrelevant criteria. Jhpiego promotes Affirmative Action for minorities, women, individuals who are disabled, and veterans.

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