About Us
MSI Reproductive Choices is one of the world’s leading providers of sexual and reproductive healthcare. We believe that everyone should have the right to choose. From contraception to safe abortion and life-saving post-abortion care, we are committed to delivering compassionate, affordable, high-quality services for all.
Today, our organisation has over 9,000 team members working in 37 countries across the world. Our success lies in the fact that MSI teams are locally led, entrepreneurial and results-driven, and are passionate about delivering high quality, client-centered care in their own communities. As a social business, we focus on sustainable delivery, efficiency, and funding models that are built to last, so that the women and girls we serve today will have a choice in the future too.
We know that access to reproductive choice is life changing. For some, it can mean the ability to complete an education or start a career. For others, it means being able to look after the family they already have. For everyone, it means the freedom to decide their own future, creating a fairer, more equal world.
Marie Stopes Sierra Leone (MSSL) is a founding member of the MSI Partnership, operating in Sierra Leone for over 35 years and becoming the largest non-governmental provider of family planning (FP) and sexual & reproductive health (SRH) services in the country. MSSL delivers services in every district of Sierra Leone through its Outreach, Public Sector Strengthening (PSS), Centres, Contact Cenre and Social Marketing Channels.
About the Role
The Director Programme Operations will support the Country Director to drive MSSL towards programme sustainability and to increase uptake of MSSL’s services and products. The Director Programme Operations will provide guidance, technical support and capacity building to the the two Pillar 1 Leave No-one Behind channels (PSS and Outreach), and support the effective implementation of donor-funded projects and other programme interventions .
The Program Operations Director will support the Country Director to roll out all operational, programmatic and strategic activities and ensure effective implementation, continuous improvement and strengthening of MSSL’s Pillar 1 channels and Programme. This wide-ranging remit includes strategy and business development, direction and coordination of technical support to the country program, programme development, programme quality, capacity building, policy review and development and managing a large portfolio of grants. As well as delivering services on the ground, our focus on sustainability means we also work with governments to strengthen existing health systems and transform the political environments in which we work.
The Director of Programme Opeations will support the building of motivated and productive teams capable of implementing MSI’s strategy 2030.
About You
We recruit talented, dynamic people with diverse backgrounds and experiences, all united by a belief in our mission and a focus on delivering measurable results. We’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer and are committed to creating a fully inclusive workplace, where everyone feels able to participate and contribute meaningfully. You must be open-minded, curious, resilient, and solutions-oriented, and committed to promoting equality, and safeguarding the welfare of team members and clients alike.
To succeed in this role, you must have:
• Experience working in an overseas development programme is essential; ideally within Africa and within the health or family planning sector.
• Extensive senior level leadership and management experience in a large and complex international organisation managing a programme/operational team, preferably in international development or the health sector.
• Experience managing multi-tiered management structures.
• Extensive experience in managing donor funded project life cycles including FCDO.
• Strong networking , business development and advocacy skills. Credibility to lobby, influence and represent MSSL at all levels.
• Excellent communication skills are required particularly around negotiation, influencing and conflict management.
• Proven experience of driving impact, quality and sustainability in international programmes and improving operational standards.
• Demonstration of ‘making things happen’, operating at pace and delivering effectively through others.
• Proven record of high standards of performance.
• Indepth knowledge of MSI operations, values, business excellence models (Essential).
• Previous/relevant experience in the Sierra Leonean context will be an added advantage
Education
• Post-graduate level qualification in Business Administration, Health Sciences or International Development (desirable).
• Knowledge of international development, clinical health, family planning, community outreach and social marketing is also desirable.
• Post-graduate level membership/affiliation in relevant professional bodies (Desirable).
Personal Attributes
• Results driven.
• Motivated and energetic.
• Strong commitment to the goals and vision of MSI and MSSL.
• Pro-choice.
• Able to develop and articulate a clear business vision and plan; proven strategic planning skills
• Strong leadership and management skills; able to effectively build capacity.
• Excellent interpersonal/communication skills – both reading and fluent spoken English language and Krio desirable.
If you fit the above and are easy-going yet concentrated, eager to help, sharp, capable under pressure, and have an eye for detail, we look forward to hearing from you.
For more information about the role, please view the job framework on our website.
Location: MSI Country Programme
Full- time: 40 hours a week
Contract type: Permanent
Salary: For applicants not based in the UK, the role will be banded within the national context.
Closing date: 23rd August 2022 (midnight GMT+1). Interviews may take place before this date for exceptional candidates.
For internal employees applying from an MSI country programme, the role will be positioned within the existing salary structure of the country. Local terms and conditions of the country will apply.