USAID Jobs in Western Uganda; Regional Coordinator

 Job Title: Regional Coordinator- Western Region, Advocacy for Better Health
Job Ref:   6112
Job Location: Mbarara, Uganda
Employer: PATH
Job Type: FullTime/Regular

About Us
PATH is an international organization that drives transformative innovation to save lives and improve health, especially among women and children. We accelerate innovation across five platforms—vaccines, drugs, diagnostics, devices, and system and service innovations—that harness our entrepreneurial insight, scientific and public health expertise, and passion for health equity. By mobilizing partners around the world, we take innovation to scale, working alongside countries primarily in Africa and Asia to tackle their greatest health needs. Together, we deliver measurable results that disrupt the cycle of poor health.

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has funded Advocacy for Better Health program in Uganda. The goal of this program is to contribute to improvements in the quality, availability and accessibility of health services by increasing citizens’ knowledge and voice, increasing community participation in health service delivery planning and improvements; and fostering cooperation among civil society actors on issues of common benefit in order to strengthen the sector over the long term. The key program objectives are to: Ensure that communities in selected districts can identify and articulate their needs and demand quality services; Ensure that the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) develop effective advocacy initiatives, and are able to represent the communities’ demands for better quality services; to build the technical and operational capacity of the CSOs to qualify them as potential direct recipients of future USAID funding.

Job Description:
PATH seeks to recruit a Regional Coordinator  based in Mbarara and will be responsible for the following key activities:

•     Oversee regional project activities, including outreach and engagement with CSO implementing partners.
•     Build and maintain relationships with local governments, district health teams, development partners, health professionals and professional associations, CSOs and community groups.
•     Represent the project at the local, district and regional levels to elevate project goals and ensure a strong voice for advocacy intervention organizations within the broader NGO community.
•     Train CSO partners/umbrella organizations and community groups on advocacy strategy development and implementation, community mobilization/empowerment, and related activities.
•     Expand and share professional relationships with strategic partners with other project staff.
•     Establish robust communication among other donor-funded projects in the region to ensure an informed and coordinated response to policies, and an increased engagement by partner organizations.
•     Represent the project in the region in broader civil society discussions around health policy and citizen empowerment.
•     Working closely with other project staff to assess capacity building needs of sub-grantees.
•     Serve as main liaison for all partners in the region and maintain regular communications to ensure engagement in the project from all stakeholders.
•     Work closely with CSOs and communities, as well as other key stakeholders, to refine program policy priorities during the life of the project.
•     Oversee implementation of communications strategy and design and develop communication tools.
•     Represent the project as necessary at regional meetings and events.
•     Oversee all field activities of the team in the regional office.
•     In collaboration with other project staff, liaise with district officials, partner CSOs, and community groups to identify and strengthen platforms for meaningful engagement of community members and CSO representatives in decision-making and policy processes.
•     Contribute to the development of project work plans and collection of monitoring and evaluation data for reporting on outcomes and activities.

Job Requirements:

•     Demonstrated understanding and knowledge of advocacy, decentralization in the Uganda context, Uganda’s sociopolitical economy, health and education sectors.
•     Demonstrated track record of leading, designing and delivering influencing, campaigning and advocacy programs shall be essential.
•     Demonstrated ability to be a motivator and leader of change, drawing on excellent communication skills to drive transformation.
•     Highly developed language and cultural awareness of Central, Eastern & Western Uganda.
•     Excellent judgment, conceptual and analytical thinking ability.
•     Ability to travel up to 40% of the time.

Experience:

• Masters’ degree in Public Health, social sciences, international development or related field,
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in development working with on issues of advocacy and community empowerment, experience interacting with host country government agencies including local governments, development partners, and civil society organizations including community based organizations, experience in developing effective communication and advocacy strategies, excellent judgment, conceptual and analytical thinking ability, 
• Proven experience of capacity strengthening & advisory work,proven experience in partnership building and networking at various levels.

  You must  have legal authorization to work in Uganda.

  PATH is dedicated to diversity and is an equal opportunity employer.

Deadline Date: 30/05/2014

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