The Maternal and Child Survival Program MCSP is a global Cooperative Agreement funded by the United States Agency for International Development USAID aimed at introducing and supporting high- impact health interventions.
This global program focuses on 24 high-priority countries, including USA, with the ultimate goal of ending preventable maternal and child deaths within a generation. MCSP country programs strive to ensure that all women, newborns and children have equitable access to the quality health care services that save lives.
Job Title: Program Assistant
Location
Sokoto
Job Field
Administration, Secretarial, NGO, Non-Profit
Position Description
Based in Sokoto, the Program Assistant will serve as a core member of the MCSP/USA Immunization program’s administration team for program activities in Sokoto. Under the supervision of the Sokoto State Immunization Technical Advisor SITA, the Program Assistant will provide administrative, logistical, and program support critical to ensuring the successful implementation of MCSP’s RI strengthening program assistance to the Sokoto state government. This position will work closely with both technical and program support administration and finance staff to advance MCSP’s RI program assistance in Sokoto. This will include working closely with the SITA, State Immunization Technical Officer SITO, Finance & Accounting Officer, and Bauchi-based Finance and Administration
Role
Manager, as well as the rest of MCSP’s geographically dispersed team across Abuja, Bauchi, and Sokoto. This individual will help ensure MCSP/USA’s compliance with JSI procedures, USAID rules and regulations, as well as financial and legal requirements of the Government of USA. The position will also involve providing programmatic support particularly to technical staff in Sokoto.
Roles and Responsibilities
- Support the development and maintenance of an administrative system for monitoring and tracking program implementation per program deadlines as needed
- Establish and maintain MCSP’s filing system for program documents and correspondence, including progress and activity reports, financial and administrative documents, and other records
- Support the development and maintenance of MCSP’s logistical support systems, guidelines, and tools; ensure the effective and smooth functioning of the office
- Coordinate and manage logistics for Sokoto-based, internal and external meetings, workshops, and other activities as needed
- Provide administrative, human resource-related, and travel-related support to country-based and visiting program staff and consultants, including coordinating flight, hotel, and other travel/short-term technical assistance arrangements
- Support the Sokoto SITA, SITO, and other program staff in drafting, editing, and/or formatting official correspondence, reports, and other program documents as needed
- Assist technical staff to compile, edit, and review meeting minutes, technical reports, and publications, and support the development of donor reports, workplans, and other documents for USAID submission as needed through coordination, editing, formatting, and/or other assistance
- Support the Finance & Accounting Officer to coordinate the acquisition and maintenance of program inventory according to both USAID and JSI rules and regulations, as needed
- Assist staff with preparing official correspondence, photocopying, and carrying out other administrative tasks as required
- Provide additional support for program and administrative activities as needed
Qualifications
- Minimum of Bachelor-level education in social or health sciences, business management or public administration
- Minimum of three years of relevant work experience in management, administrative, or project/program implementation support, including at least two years working with an international development organization
- Ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines and rapidly shifting priorities
- Good prioritization, problem-solving, and analytical skills; ability to work under pressure with diverse colleagues who have different strengths and varied support needs, and with flexibility, diplomacy, and poise; strong sense of good judgment as the situation demands
- Strong, energetic team player able to execute tasks with limited direction
- Demonstrated interest in public health, and in developing programmatic knowledge in the field
- Exemplary verbal and written communication skills in English; ability to write for different kinds of audiences, both external and internal
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail as the situation demands
- Commanding knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint
- Proficiency in spoken and written English, with knowledge of Hausa a plus
- Previous work experience implementing USAID-funded programs strongly preferred
- Knowledge of the health sector and routine immunization a plus
- Able to occasionally travel to Bauchi and Abuja as needed