Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL) is an initiative of Vital Strategies with a mission to prevent 100 million deaths from heart disease and to make the world safer from epidemics. We are led by Dr Tom Frieden, former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Resolve to Save Lives is transitioning to an independent public health organization to maximize its global impact with speed, simplicity, and scale. Read more about our work at resolvetosavelives.org.

Summary

We are seeking a Program Director to lead, represent and oversee RTSL cardiovascular health and epidemic prevention programming in Ethiopia and transition into Country Director as soon as RTSL is fully registered in Ethiopia. The role will operate under the host organization, Vital Strategies, until RTSL registration is complete, no later than January 2023. Th is a full-time position based in Addis Ababa and reporting to the Vital Strategies Country Director. The role will require travel within Ethiopia and occasionally internationally. Once the position transitions to Country Director, the post holder will lead and have oversight of RTSL country programs and operations in Ethiopia. The Country Director will be a member of RTSL’s Senior Leadership Team and will advise on organizational strategy.  The role will report to the Vice President of Global Operations with matrixed reporting into the Senior Vice President of Cardiovascular Health and the Senior Vice President of Prevent Epidemics.

Duties and Responsibilities

As Program Director:

Program Management

• Support overall development and implementation of hypertension control activities in conjunction with the FMOH and Regional Health Bureaus, in collaboration with the RTSL Director for Global Hypertension Control.
• Oversee the technical and programmatic training on cardiovascular health for health care workers and other applicable staff.
• Coordinate overall salt reduction activities, campaigns, and health education programs across the program regions, in collaboration with RTSL Director, Nutrition Policy and Surveillance and other team members.
• Coordinate policy development efforts to eliminate trans-fat from the food supply, in collaboration with the RTSL Senior Program Officer, CVH and other team members.
• Coordinate with FMOH and members of the RTSL Tech Team on deployment of the Simple App for hypertension control monitoring
• Coordinate the regular analysis of regional-level surveillance and epidemiological data and share findings with FMOH and WHO focal points for appropriate follow up
• Collaborate with FMOH and PSA in planning for and monitoring of drug availability and timeliness of drug delivery to all health facilities in the project sites
• Regularly track and report progress against operational goals and objectives for RTSL cardiovascular health programming 
• Perform other duties as assigned by the RTSL Senior Vice Presidents for CVH, PE and VP, Global Operations

As role transitions to Country Director:

Leadership & Representation

• In collaboration with program heads, coordinate country programs by establishing transparent and professional relationships with colleagues and promoting teamwork through providing guidance and resources to enable staff to perform successfully.
• Represent Resolve to Save Lives in official capacities in country to advance the mission of the organization.
• Maintain relationships with internal and external constituents such as private partners, foundations; maintain close working relationships with the government at central and regional levels.
• Keep abreast of public health policy changes and regularly update and involve the leadership on progress and challenges, ensuring continued relevance of RTSL programming.
• Promote an organizational culture that is consistent with RTSL mission, values, and principles.
• Develop and maintain key partnerships with national and international organizations such as the World Health Organization, Ministry of Health, nationally recognized organizations, academic institutions, funding agencies, and foundations to promote information exchange and appropriate coordination of efforts.
• Develop short- and long-term objectives for RTSL’s Ethiopia activities and manage an annual work plan and budget in consultation with Senior Leadership.
• Report regularly on international program strategy and budget and ensure compliance with the highest standards of integrity and good governance.
• Ensure the work process enables projects to effectively adapt contextual changes for sustainable program management.
• Coordinate efforts to obtain registration for RTSL, Ethiopia. 
• Partner with VP, Global Operations and RTSL staff to set up infrastructure, systems and policies for a fully operational country office by January 2023. 
• Work with the Director, Global Operations to develop and implement plans and related capacity strengthening efforts concerning the health, safety and security of Ethiopia office staff.
• Oversee the submission of regular updates to the Senior Vice President of SVH and PE on progress by program component and geographic area to inform progress reports for Resolve executive leadership and donors
• Identify data sources and develop an evaluation plan for the initiative, including metrics to identify and measure the success of country program

Finance, People, Operations, & Compliance Management

• Oversee the hiring, management, development, and wellbeing of staff ensuring compliance to government regulations as appropriate.
• Clearly communicate with direct reports: setting expectations and performance objectives, and provide regular performance feedback.
• Hold regular meeting with all each direct report management team to monitor and evaluate program progress.
• Establish an operational system that supports the effective and efficient achievement of organizational goals.
• Lead training, coaching and development of staff to enhance their knowledge and skills so that they contribute to the successful and effective implementation of programs.

 Safety and Security

• Responsible for overseeing the safety and security of the country team and RTSL assets.
• Establish a safety and security culture through staff training and orientation.
• Work closely with Director, Global Operations to stay abreast of issues, mitigate risks, and ensure implementation of safety and security plans.

Job Requirements

Requirements

Qualifications and Experience

• A Master’s or Doctoral degree in Medicine, Public Health or related field
• At least 15 years of relevant experience working on public health initiatives, with at least 8 years in a leadership position working on large-scale initiatives in Ethiopia
• Experience working with a range of government agencies, civil society organizations, and local and international NGOs

Skills & abilities

• Knowledge of and ability to analyze, plan strategy for, and implement large multi-partner projects 
• Ability to provide clear and strong representation
• Strong leadership and team management skills, with ability to lead and motivate teams to drive impact
• Clear, tactful and effective communicator (written and verbal) with exceptional interpersonal and influencing skills when engaging with internal and external audiences
• Demonstrates empathy, humility, and good judgement when working across partners
• Collaborative, flexible, and resilient work style in a rapidly changing environment; energized about navigating complexity
• Self-starter with a positive attitude
• Skilled at receiving and integrating feedback
• Proficient in computer software include Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Google Workspace
• Languages: Fluent in Amharic and English 

How to Apply

Please submit your CV and a cover letter to Program Director, Ethiopia