Programme Manager - Epidemiology and Demography at KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme (KWTRP)

JOB PURPOSE: 

The Epidemiology and Demography Department (EDD) Programme Manager is the senior-most administrative staff member in EDD.  She/he is responsible for the effective management of the department, providing strategic support to the Head of the Department and leading the EDD Operations team. 

EDD is a large department, employing 230 staff and hosts around 20 projects under grants totalling more than £12m. It comprises several research groups and units conducting research on areas including health services, population health, vaccine epidemiology, human genetic epidemiology, viral epidemiology and non-communicable disease epidemiology. In addition the department is responsible for population and clinical surveillance activities in Kilifi and several county hospitals in Kenya, which serve as important platforms for research activities.   

The EDD Programme Manager’s role has complex dimensions including interacting with staff in KWTRP’s core administrative and operational functions, and with the University of Oxford as a strategic partner. The EDD manager directly supervises four staff and leads the EDD Operations Team comprising 11 staff. S/he will be in regular communication and will maintain close links with operations staff supporting groups that are based at the Nairobi hub. The post-holder must also build and maintain collaborative relationships with a range of funder and partner institutions and with regional and national government officials. The post-holder provides administrative leadership for the Department and management oversight of current and incoming research projects where EDD is either the lead or a sub-contracted partner.

The position would be ideally suited to an individual passionate about applying outstanding management skills to supporting and developing a high-performing, collaborative scientific department.

Description: 

REPORTS TO:

• Head of Epidemiology and Demography

DIRECT REPORTS: 

• Department Accountant
• Executive Administrative Officer
• Community  Liaison Officer
• Project Manager

INDIRECT REPORTS:

• Project Assistant: Finance and Administration, Project Assistant; Studies Coordination

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Financial oversight of all EDD grants and contract research, including budgeting, expenditure monitoring, reporting, invoicing and tracking timely payments of invoices by funders and collaborators.
• Advising on budget development for new awards, ensuring cost recovery thresholds meet KWTRP requirements and are compliant with funder terms and conditions.
• Oversee appropriate administration of sub-awards from KWTRP to collaborators where KWTRP is the lead partner. 
• Financial authorization on all Department grants.
• Approval of resources (equipment, software etc.), seeking buy-in from grant holders where appropriate.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead the Epidemiology and Demography Department (EDD) Operations team, which currently comprises 11 staff with expertise in HR, Finance, Communications, Community Engagement, Procurement, Administration and Data Management.
• Line manage staff in the EDD Operations team, including: Department Accountant, Community Liaison Officer, Executive Administrative Officer and Project Manager, and provide professional and pastoral support for the wider team of EDD staff.
• Together with the Head of Department and EDD Management team, engage in the strategic development of the Department, including strengthening relationships between staff at the KWTRP main campus in Kilifi and staff in Nairobi, as well as satellite and partner sites.
• Build relationships with KWTRP central administrative and operational departments including Facilities & Transport, Finance, HR, IT, Procurement, Health & Safety and the Research Office, and with other scientific departments, including colleagues based in Nairobi.
• Build strategic relationships with key stakeholders in Kenya, including Kilifi County Ministry of Health, and international collaborators and funders, including the University of Oxford and Wellcome Trust.
• Provide financial oversight of all EDD grants.  Work with the Department Accountant and PIs to oversee budgeting, expenditure monitoring, reporting, invoicing, and tracking timely payments of invoices by funders and collaborators.
• Provide oversight of regulatory processes for studies within the department including submissions and renewals of protocols and oversee compliance with funder requirements regarding open access publications.
• Support applications for grants and training fellowships by EDD scientists at all levels: Masters, PhD Post-doctoral and mid-career to senior, providing guidance on KWTRP internal requirements and funder rules and regulations.
• Champion communications and engagement initiatives, working closely with colleagues in EDD and with the Communications Department.  This includes organizing major events, and initiatives that bring together internal, local, and international audiences in formats that may be in-person, virtual or hybrid.
• Oversee staffing within the Department, providing guidance on recruitment, induction, professional development and performance, and helping to identify opportunities for staff approaching end of contract.
• Support and deputize for the Head of the Department, taking on tasks and responsibilities as required.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• A Masters in Business Administration/ Project Management or professional training or equivalent from an accredited institution.
• An undergraduate degree in a science discipline.
• Minimum Ten (10) years relevant experience, five (5) years of which at Managerial level.  
• Experience managing a large and diverse organization or department in a similar setting.
• Exceptional project management skills, and the ability to manage multiple large projects simultaneously. 
• Significant skills in leadership, organization, prioritisation, problem solving and decision making.  
• Financially literate with sound knowledge of budgeting methodologies and resource management concepts including proven experience of preparing and monitoring budgets and financial reports. 
• Demonstrable experience in writing high quality reports and presentations in English, with evidence of being attentive to detail. 
• Ability to network, communicate, be diplomatic and maintain strong local and international relationships within a multi-cultural environment and wide diversity of people, and have experience in resolving disputes. 
• Strong communication skills and experience of leading internal and external communications and public engagement initiatives.

DESIRABLE:

• Health or science-related management background.
• Experience in developing science careers and interacting with major science or Global Health funders (e.g. Wellcome Trust, MRC, BMGF, NIH).
• Past experience in organizing large international events.
• Multi-lingual with fluency in English and Kiswahili.
• Project Management Certification. 

COMPETENCIES:

• Demonstrated high levels of confidentiality and integrity. 
• Excellent interpersonal, written, presentation and communication skills. 
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving and critical thinking skills. 
• Strong Management, leadership and decision-making skills.
• Ability to build strong and diverse effective teams, delegation and team motivation. 
• Ability to build productive and collaborative relationships with varied stakeholders.