Project Director – Mukta Project
Pathfinder International
Location: Pune, Maharashtra
Last Date: July 4, 2008
Email: applications.mukta@gmail.com
OB TITLE: Project Director – Mukta Project, Pathfinder International
LOCATION: Pune, Maharashtra
Background:
Pathfinder International is a non-profit, international and non-government organization established in 1957. The organization provides women, men, and adolescents throughout 26 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, with access to quality family planning, reproductive health and HIV/AIDS prevention information and services. Pathfinder International is one of the pioneers to successfully integrate HIV/AIDS programs into existing reproductive health and family planning programmes, as well as a pioneer in community home based care and adolescent sexual and reproductive health around the world. The organization is headquartered in Boston, USA and has locally staffed field offices in all the regions where it has programmes.
Mukta Project:
Pathfinder International’s Mukta Project is a targeted intervention in 10 high prevalence districts of Maharashtra (Ahmednagar, Beed, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Latur, Nandurbar, Nashik, Parbhani, Pune, and Yavatmal) to reduce the prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) among sex workers (including Tamasha Artists) and MSM, and thus control the spread of HIV/AIDS. The project is part of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's Avahan Initiative, which supports HIV/AIDS prevention work in six States of India. As of March 2009 this project will move into its second phase 2009-2013, with an estimated project budget of USD 8 million.
Key Responsibilities:
The organization seek to hire a Project Director, who will be entrusted with the responsibility to provide leadership to a team of programmatic, technical, financial and administrative professionals in planning, coordination, and effective implementation of the Mukta Project (Phase II, 2009-2013). The Project Director will be responsible for oversight, administration, supervision, and management of the project. S/he will respond to and interact with the donor and appropriate host country officials and will serve as the primary project liaison to Gates/India and will coordinate and collaborate with other Gates-funded cooperating agencies.
• Oversee development of program strategies and activities, annual work plans and budgets.
• Ensure efficient systems are established to measure accomplishments, track work in progress and use of project resources, and measure impact of services provided by implementing partners.
• Prepare or oversee project-mandated deliverables including annual continuation plans, programmatic, financial and technical reports, as well as other reporting information required by donors or Pathfinder International’s Headquarters.
• Ensure appropriate management procedures, so that all resources are in place, adhered to and in compliance with Gates’ requests.
• Work closely with the Mukta Management Team (5 Directors), to design and operationalize an annual project planning cycle, which involves formulating comprehensive and integrated annual project work plans and budgets.
• Oversee programmatic/financial reports and program evaluations/audits/reviews, as required.
• Assume a key representational role for the organization to all external stakeholders - government, SACS, Gates/donor, NGO & community partners and undertake high-level policy dialogue with multitude of stakeholders.
Education Qualification:
• Doctorate in Public Health/Social Sciences or Masters in Public Health (with extensive programme based experience)
Experience:
• Strong background in public health/HIV/AIDS, with at least 15 years of experience in strategic design, management and implementation of integrated public health/ development projects in India/globally.
• Must have the commitment towards building & empowering communities, gender focused development and sensitivity to work with marginalized groups (sex workers, MSM and other vulnerable groups).
• Strong organizational/operational development skills which involve strategic human resources planning & development, financial management & developing efficient systems/processes for the delivery of projects on the ground.
• Strong credibility & representational ability to liaise & negotiate with principal stakeholders – government, SACS, donors, NGO & community partners.
• Very strong written & verbal communication skills in English.
• Knowledge of Hindi is essential and Marathi preferable.
Interested individuals may please submit their CV, a cover note and 3 references by email to applications.mukta@gmail.com with the subject line indicating Mukta – Project Director or call +91 (22) 66603558 /66603559 / 24371194. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.