Country Director, Palladium Honduras 116 views

Country Director, Palladium Honduras

Company Overview:

About Palladium – Palladium is a global leader in the design, development and delivery of Positive Impact – the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value.  We work with governments, businesses, and investors to solve the world’s most pressing challenges. With a team of more than 3,000 employees operating in 90 plus countries and a global network of over 35,000 experts, we help improve economies, societies and, most importantly, people’s lives. 

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status.  

Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made due to a disability or you are a neurodivergent individual or any other circumstance, please email our team at accessibility@thepalladiumgroup.com

Safeguarding – We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse.  All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.

Project Overview and Role:

Palladium is currently seeking a Country Director to support implementation of the Health Policy Plus Project (HP+) and Translating Data for Implementation (Data.FI) award in Honduras.  

Health Policy
Plus (HP+) is a seven-year cooperative agreement, funded by the United States
Agency for International Development under Agreement No. AID-OAA-A-15-00051,
which began on August 28, 2015. HP+ is implemented by Palladium, in
collaboration with Avenir Health, Futures Group Global Outreach, Plan
International USA, Population Reference Bureau, RTI International, ThinkWell,
and the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Maternity.

Data.FI is a
five-year global project funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS
Relief (PEPFAR) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Data.FI partners with PEPFAR programs to accelerate and sustain access to
high-quality data to expedite HIV and COVID-19 epidemic control and
maintenance. Data.FI supports host country governments to enhance existing
health information systems (HIS) and conduct in-depth analysis of epidemiologic
and program data to inform management responses to gaps in programming and
sustain impact by supporting local partner transition.

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has posed new challenges to already strained health systems worldwide. USAID recently allocated resources from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding to Honduras through HP+ and Data-FI projects. Palladium is seeking a dedicated, seasoned person to work as part of an international team to manage, document, guide, and advance capacity strengthening activities related to the COVID-19 response in Honduras.  The Country Director (CD) will provide leadership and be responsible for the successful management of both HP+ and Data.FI projects in Honduras with Headquarters (HQ) support from the Country Activity Manager. The CD role includes building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders and submission of all technical products to the highest standard of quality.

With USAID’s support, since June 2020 the HP+ project has undertaken efforts in Honduras and other countries to help governments and stakeholders respond more efficiently and effectively to COVID-19. To date, HP+ technical assistance has focused on enhancing case-management, infection prevention control, laboratory, epidemiological surveillance, and vaccination capacity for COVID-19. In Honduras, HP+ has already a team of experts in case-management, infection prevention control and laboratories that will implement the respective activities included in HP+ work plan. Data.FI will deploy a team of technical advisors with expertise in epidemiologic surveillance and data management to support the government through USAID to improve data quality and collection to better track the COVID-19 epidemic. 

The CD position is based in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The initial position term is 8 months, with an extension dependent on continued project funding. 

 Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

 In collaboration with Ministry of Health (MOH) and local partners, the Country Director will undertake the following to lead in-country activity implementation management, coordination, and oversight. The following responsibilities are illustrative but not exhaustive. 

•Provide overall management, oversight, and coordination in-country for HP+ and Data-FI’s COVID-19 country response activities, including in country staff management 
•Oversee, coordinate, and monitor tasks assigned to in-country staff 
•Develop and maintain excellent working relationships with MOH and related government entities as well as international and local partners. 
•Serve as interlocutor with MOH and other key stakeholders in coordination with HQ HP+ and Data-FI management 
•Work closely with HQ HP+ and Data-FI management and technical staff to enhance implementation of country activities. 
•Help source or advise on technical assistance providers in technical areas.   
•Identify areas of upcoming need and work with team to pivot accordingly.  
•Facilitate quick problem-solving with bottlenecks. 
•Promptly update HP+ and Data-FI HQ team about challenges, bottlenecks, or significant issues. 
•Serve as in-country point of contact for USAID/Honduras. Facilitate written weekly reporting to USAID/Honduras on progress of activities.  
•Ensure quality and timeliness of work, and technical products and reports.  
•Assist with monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities as appropriate
•Promote integrated in-country team building approach across the two projects and technical areas

Reporting requirements:
The role reports to the HP+ Project Deputy Director and the Data.FI Project Deputy Director. Reporting requirements include:
•Attendance at routine HP+ team meetings;
•Attendance at routine Data.FI team meetings;
•Attendance at routine meetings with USAID Honduras;
•Provision of regular updates to Country Activity Manager;
•Other reporting as requested by Country Activity Manager or Data-FI Technical Activity Lead.

Relationships
•The role is part of the in coordination with US-based and regional technical leadership and project management staff. 
•The role is the principal liaison to the Government of Honduras (primary beneficiary) and to partner organizations in country. 
Authority levels
•The role carries a degree of autonomy on technical leadership with appropriate consultation with the HQ technical lead.
•Oversee and maintain quality control over project activities at the country level.
•Contribute to process improvement through innovative and cost-effective proposals and ideas.

Required Qualifications:

•Health professional at doctoral level such as Doctor of Medicine, PhD or equivalent, with Masters level education in public health, epidemiology, monitoring and evaluation, or another relevant field of study; MBA or PMP certification would be an asset.
•At least seven years of working with national or international organizations. 
•At least five years of experience managing health projects or programs; staff oversight and supervision; and tracking project performance. Experience managing a USAID-funded program strongly preferred. 
•Additional technical experience in epidemiological surveillance is strongly preferred.
•Recent work experience supporting the health systems in Honduras (the last three years). 
•Experience working at different levels of the health system, from the district to the national level, in Honduras, including strong working relationships with government staffing.

Key competencies and professional expertise required
•Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with USAID, government officials, and other development partners (including PAHO, Chemonics and CDC). Demonstrated high-level stakeholder alignment skills. 
•Demonstrated knowledge of the Honduras health system and at least 3 years’ experience of working for or with the health system. 
•Knowledge and expertise in epidemics, vaccines, planning, health management, health financing, health policy and working with the public sector highly desired. 
•Prior experience with the policies and strategies of the MOH preferred.
•Demonstrated understanding of health information systems including surveillance systems. 
•Demonstrated understanding of the COVID-19 data streams in Honduras, and the information needs of stakeholders from the facility level through to the national level, preferred.
•Prior working experience with policies, strategies and information systems for HIV preferred.
•Expertise in developing or overseeing the development of written documents and decision support tools.
•Strong management skills, strategic vision, leadership qualities, professional reputation, and ability to create synergies across a program of work.
•Experience overseeing a field team of clinicians, public health specialists, and health informatics professionals, based across multiple sites.  
•Detail-oriented and deadline-driven with strong organizational skills and ability to work in a dynamic and agile environment with changing requirements and priorities. 
•Demonstrated ability to work effectively as a member of a fast-moving and multicultural team while maintaining a client-centered focus, and promoting diversity and inclusion across different cultures, genders, and hierarchical levels. 
•Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
•Sound problem solving and decision-making skills.
•Bilingual English and Spanish, professional level of oral and written fluency in English language. 
•Willingness to travel within Honduras at least 20% of the time, if feasible.
•Current legal authorization to work long-term in Honduras.