Career Opportunities at Palladium International

Project Profile
Palladium has been awarded a sub-contract from Pathfinder International to help implement the USAID Afya Pwani project in Kenya.  The project’s purpose is to contribute to the USAID/Kenya Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) Development Objective 2, “Health and Human Capacity Strengthened” in Kilifi, Kwale, Lamu, Mombasa, and Taita Taveta counties, while engaging with the larger USAID efforts to make devolution successful and support the country’s economic growth. Afya Pwani’s goal is to contribute to USAID/Kenya’s Sub-Intermediate Result 2.2.2, “Improved county-level accountability, institutional capacity, leadership, and management of health service delivery,” with an aim to “Improve and increase access to and utilization of quality health services in Kenya through strengthened service delivery and institutional capacity of county health systems.”
Afya Pwani is being implemented by a consortium of three partners (Pathfinder International, The Palladium, and Plan International. Pathfinder International is the lead partner.  
The project has three sub-purposes: 
1)    Increased access and utilization of quality HIV services.
2)    Increased access and utilization of focused MNCH/FP/WASH & nutrition services.
3)    Strengthened and functional county health systems.
In this collaborative arrangement, Palladium provides leadership  for the third sub-purpose (strengthened and functional county health systems), which has five key outputs:
•    Output 3.1: Partnerships for Governance and Strategic Planning, including Healthcare Financing
•    Output 3.2: Human Resources for Health (HRH)
•    Output 3.3: Health Products and Technologies (HPT)
•    Output 3.4: Strategic Monitoring and Evaluation Systems, including EMR
•    Output 3.5: Quality Improvement Systems

Palladium currently has constituted a team of 10 multiskilled healthcare professional to work within the Afya Pwani project to help achieve these outputs.  The team is led by a Senior Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) Advisor/Team Leader and based in Mombasa, Kenya, covering work in Mombasa, Kwale, Taita Taveta, Kilifi, and Lamu counties.  Palladium staff in Nairobi and our international offices will provide routine technical and administrative support and assistance

Key Responsibilities
•    Support the county and sub-county commodity management teams in management and coordination for health products and logistical management systems. 
•    Provide technical assistance on deployment of health commodities logistics and management information systems (EMRs) in facilities in the 5 counties.
•    Support CHMTs undertake planning and budgeting for health commodities through forecasting and quantification.
•    Support capacity building through training/mentorship/OJT of healthcare workers in commodity management to improve quality of care.
•    Support counties to strengthen pharmacovigilance activities by training staff on ADR and poor quality medicines identification, documentation and reporting.
•    Will be involved in establishing a framework through which continued mentorship can take place to support Supply Chain Quality Improvement System.
•    Serve as a member of the County commodity coordinating technical working groups.
•    Generate and/or coordinate the development of various reports regarding performance against quality indicators, as appropriate to the individual position

Educational background and Experience
•    Graduate Degree in BSc. Pharmacy 
•    Professional certification in supply chain management from a recognized institution
•    3+ years’ experience in supply chain and commodity management
•    Experience in working for USAID funded projects 
•    Experience and knowledge in global health areas including HIV/AIDs, RMNCH,TB,
•    Proven problem solving experience; 
•    Proven experience in workforce management and change management;
•    Ability to work with minimal supervision
•    Well-developed and effective organizational skills, including to ability to multi-task, and work in a high-pressured environment; 
•    Prior experience with IQCare EMR for supply chain management will be an added Advantage
•    Practical experience in use of Microsoft office packages
•    Familiarity with the project operation area will be an added advantage

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Project Overview and Role

Palladium 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. Palladium 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.

Project Profile
Palladium has recently been awarded a sub-contract from Pathfinder International to help implement the USAID Afya Pwani project in Kenya. The project?s purpose is to contribute to the USAID/Kenya Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) Development Objective 2, ?Health and Human Capacity Strengthened? in Kilifi, Kwale, Lamu, Mombasa, and Taita Taveta counties, while engaging with the larger USAID efforts to make devolution successful and support the country?s economic growth. Afya Pwani?s goal is to contribute to USAID/Kenya?s Sub-Intermediate Result 2.2.2, ?Improved county-level accountability, institutional capacity, leadership, and management of health service delivery,? with an aim to ?Improve and increase access to and utilization of quality health services in Kenya through strengthened service delivery and institutional capacity of county health systems.?
Pathfinder International formed a team to implement Afya Pwani that includes Pathfinder, Plan International Kenya, and Palladium. 
The project has three sub-purposes:
1) Increased access and utilization of quality HIV services.
2) Increased access and utilization of focused MNCH/FP/WASH & nutrition services.
3) Strengthened and functional county health systems.
Under the guidance of the Pathfinder Chief of Party and in collaboration with other partners, Palladium has the lead for the third sub-purpose, which has five key outputs:
? Output 3.1: Partnerships for Governance and Strategic Planning, including Healthcare Financing
? Output 3.2: Human Resources for Health (HRH)
? Output 3.3: Health Products and Technologies (HPT)
? Output 3.4: Strategic Monitoring and Evaluation Systems, including EMR
? Output 3.5: Quality Improvement Systems

Palladium has recruited a 12 person team to work within the Afya Pwani project team to help achieve these outputs. The team will be led by a Senior Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) Advisor/Team Leader and based in Mombasa, Kenya, covering work in Mombasa, Kwale, Taita Taveta, Kilifi, and Lamu counties. Palladium staff in Nairobi and our international offices will provide routine technical and administrative support and assistance. 

Responsibilities

Context: Under the supervision of the Project Team Lead, in close coordination with Finance and Operations, the selected candidate will be responsible for providing project and operational support to the Afya Pwani Project team in Mombasa. The assistant will be responsible for liaising with the Finance and Operations team to ensure timely support to field teams. The assistant will also work closely with the project team to exchange information and support project delivery.

Key Responsibilities
The incumbent will:
- Provide administrative support in the coordination, implementation and monitoring of program activities according to the work plan.
- Manage and track budgets, forecasts, and project expenditures as needed.
- Serve as a liaison to the project administration and project staff on administrative/financial issues to recommend changes as appropriate.
- Support financial and booking requests and travel expense reports on behalf of the project team.
- Coordinate procurement and logistics for travel, workshops and procurement with the team in HQ and Nairobi
- Maintain records and ensure proper filing of project specific administrative files and update them from time to time to ensure current and accurate information is accessible.
- Ensure compliance to the established project policies, regulations, guidelines and procedures.
- Support preparation of TORs and other documentation for consultants.
- Participate actively in project?wide learning and other joint activities.
- Other duties as assigned by the Team Leader.

Requirements

Key Skills:
- Project Management
- Extremely organized and structured in communications and process.
- Keen attention to detail. (Attention to detail and ability to effectively and efficiently perform multiple tasks and balance between competing priorities often with a required timeframe).
- Innate ability to solve problems and provide practical solutions.
- Advanced MS Office Experience.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills. repeated

Required Experience & Qualifications and Key Competencies
- Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (be specific on required degree) e.g Business Studies.
- At least two years? of working experience (Experience with USAID donor-funded projects is an added advantage).
- Basic knowledge of development and governance issues.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently and in teams.
- Ability and willingness to travel in the field as and when required.
- Exceptional verbal, interpersonal and written communications skills.
- Fluent in English and Kiswahili
- Ability to respond and adapt quickly to changing requirements and competing demands
- Ability to maintain confidentiality