Helen Keller
JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
Program Officer, Neglected Tropical Disease
New York, NY
Guided by the remarkable legacy of its co-founder, Helen Keller, Helen Keller Intl partners with communities striving to overcome longstanding cycles of poverty. By delivering the essential building blocks of good health, sound nutrition and clear vision, we help millions of people create lasting change in their own lives. Working in more than 20 countries – across Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States – and together with a global community of supporters, we are ensuring every person has the opportunity – as Helen did – to reach their true potential.
Helen Keller has established itself as a leader in integrated Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) control and elimination efforts at the national, regional and global levels. The overarching approach guiding Helen Keller’s NTD programs involves supporting the delivery of preventive chemotherapy at national scale, monitoring and evaluating program progress toward global control and elimination goals, supporting morbidity management to address trichiasis, hydrocele and lymphedema, and promotion of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) efforts through behavior change communication and school health programming.
Helen Keller is seeking a Program Officer to join a dynamic global NTD team implementing a multi-country portfolio in six West African countries funded primarily by FHI 360 through USAID, and the Conrad N Hilton Foundation/International Trachoma Initiative.
Scope of the Position
The Program Officer’s main responsibilities are to work closely with the NTD team to provide programmatic and administrative/operational support, including the compilation and preparation of monthly reports, organization of knowledge management activities, management of participation in annual conferences including abstract and poster creation, editing, and submission, supporting drug and diagnostic procurement processes, and tracking and liaising travel approvals and management. The Program Officer will also provide general programmatic and operational support in the preparation of work plans, budgets, donor reports and success stories.
Functional Relationships
Reporting to the Senior Program Manager, NTD, the Program Officer will work closely with all members of the global team to provide programmatic and operational support for the health programs implemented in our country offices. The position will also work directly with colleagues in country offices to support project management and implementation.
Helen Keller has a matrixed reporting structure that respects both the line management and authority within country office and global management hierarchies; and the accountability and oversight duties of the many subject matter experts, such as those on this project team, that support our country offices. Regular communication and a spirit of teamwork among colleagues, both hierarchically and laterally are essential to make this structure thrive.
Specific Responsibilities
Program Support
- Prepare the donor monthly reports by collating drafts provided by country offices, reviewing and editing, and preparing a final version for submission.
- Support the review and editing of semi-annual reports and other key programmatic deliverables with the program focal points and country offices (checking for appropriate content, consistency and formatting for example).
- Provide administrative support to country and global colleagues to organize, compile, review and cross-check the annual work plan packages for submission to USAID (narrative, workbooks, budget and appendices).
Program Knowledge Management and Communications
- Organize the departmental community of practice, upload deliverables to internal and donor systems, organize quarterly learning sessions, and manage ad hoc requests for program/organization information and updates to external stakeholders.
- Serve as liaison for conference participation. Review and edit of abstracts, posters, and other conference materials.
- When requested, work with the External Relations department and/or the Business Development unit to assist country offices with the development of proposals, briefs, and success stories to be shared with internal and external audiences.
- Provide coordination and organizational support to global and local colleagues in strategic operational research.
- Support the review and editing of articles for submission to peer-reviewed publications.
Operations Support
- Coordinate travel approvals ensuring internal and donor approvals are in place.
- Organize and upload travel and subaward files to SharePoint sites as required by partners.
- Manage the procurement of drugs and diagnostics for the countries in the portfolio.
- Provide support to the review of Fixed Amount Award documentation.
- Proactively engage with internal and external NTD team members in the completion of tasks to ensure that deadlines are met.
Qualifications
- Demonstrated understanding of the synergy between the programmatic, operational, and financial components of public health initiatives.
- Oral and written proficiency in English is required, proficiency in French is preferred.
- Strong English language writing, editing, and proofreading skills.
- Track record of coordinating and organizing work projects for self and others.
- Demonstrated ability to think through problems systematically and integrate information from multiple sources.
- Ability and willingness to work under pressure with a positive attitude, as a part of a dynamic global team. Collaborative, flexible and solution-oriented.
- Excellent interpersonal skills including active listening skills; demonstrated ability t to communicate effectively across cultures including asking for information in a way that is clear and specific.
- Ability to prioritize workload, assume responsibility for work, and follow tasks through to completion.
- Ability to perform duties that require close attention to detail and synthesize large amounts of information simultaneously.
- Highly computer literate with knowledge of Microsoft software products, including strong Excel skills, required; use of data analysis software is preferred.
- Demonstrable respect for all persons regardless of religion, ethnicity, class or gender, with a high comfort level working in a diverse environment with a demonstrated commitment to high professional ethical standards.
- Commitment to Helen Keller Intl’s work and mission.
- Ability and willingness to flex work hours to accommodate multiple time zones. Core work hours are expected to follow Eastern Standard Time (US).
- Ability to undertake international and field travel (approximately 5-10%). Please note that all US staff must be up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccinations and all staff must be up to date in order to travel internationally.
- When community transmission rates of COVID are high, Helen Keller also requires all US- based staff to wear masks while providing program services and when in any open or public space in the office and to observe social distancing.
- Position requires a hybrid work schedule, with least two days per week onsite at Helen Keller’s location.
Education and Experience
- Master’s Degree in public health/international development or similar, plus at least 5 years of relevant work experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Knowledge of the Africa region and of USAID rules and regulations is strongly preferred.
Compensation
The midpoint of the salary range for this position is $76,000 with a minimum of $60,800 and a maximum of $91,200. Actual base salary will vary based upon, but not limited to, relevant experience, salary of internal peers, and business specialty.
How to apply
To Apply
Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to hki.recruitment@hki.org Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
In the spirit of our namesake, Helen Keller
is dedicated to building an inclusive workforce where diversity is fully valued.
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer where all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status.
We are committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need to request an accommodation during the application or interview process, please contact us at the email above or call: +1 646-356-1789.