AVP/Senior Program Director

About PRB:

PRB is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit research organization focused on improving people's health and well-being through evidence-based policies and practices. Our staff analyze population data and ensure the research, and its applications are understood and used widely by decisionmakers, advocates, and media.

Position Summary:

PRB is seeking a Senior Program Director/Project Director to lead the MOMENTUM Knowledge Accelerator (MKA) project and its management team on PRB's largest USAID-funded activity. PRB is open to hiring at the Associate Vice President level, depending on experience (see below). Program Director provides technical and overall oversight and visibility for MKA and is responsible for all technical, administrative, financial, and relationship aspects of its management. Manages MKA activities with a focus on coordination, communications, measurement, knowledge management, and adaptive learning across USAID's signature MOMENTUM investment of $800m in maternal, newborn, and child health, family planning, and reproductive health and liaises with other MOMENTUM awards for alignment, coordination, and collaboration. Leads MKA's inputs into measurement of USAID's high-profile investments in primary health care (Primary Impact).

In addition, as a Senior Program Director or Associate Vice President, International Programs, contributes to PRB Programs' technical and business development both domestically and internationally.

An Associate Vice President, International Programs, will have responsibility for the day-to-day management of the international portfolio of work. The position is part of the senior leadership team that drives strategy and decision making for the organization. The Associate Vice President, International Programs, is responsible for sharing knowledge about international demographic trends and related policy, both internally and externally, through presentations and press calls, and in engaging in business development, including the capture of large US Government and foundation awards. The Associate Vice President assures the quality and accuracy of PRB's work, writes proposals, and represents PRB in various professional settings and will have 3-4 direct reports. The position is full-time and PRB is open to remote work.

Essential/Primary Responsibilities:

MOMENTUM KNOWLEDGE ACCELERATOR (MKA)

Leadership and Coordination

• Provide technical, management, and financial oversight for all deliverables; manage budget and internal and external reporting; coordinate staff and consultants; and serve as primary point of contact for client.
• Ensure compliance with USAID financial and policy regulations and requirements. Proactively mitigate and address compliance vulnerabilities.
• Provide leadership to project strategic plans, work plans, product plans, and project monitoring, including ensuring coordination across the MKA four teams and two sub partners.
• Provide mentoring and capacity building at the individual and organizational level in specific areas of expertise.
• Represent MKA in leadership meetings with other MOMENTUM awards and USAID, delegating to team leads as appropriate.
• Contribute to visibility of MKA's portfolio to USAID, MOMENTUM awards, and other partners through outreach and strategic engagement in meetings and other forums.
• Engage in high-level metric and measurement expert advisory and working groups, representing MOMENTUM expertise, and sharing information back to the suite of awards. Ensure the project is informed by and contributes substantively to global thought leadership, for example, by sharing aggregated results and comparative analyses led by MKA.
• With the Senior Knowledge Management, MEL, Innovation and Adaptive Learning, and Strategic Communications Directors, develop and implement a strategic dissemination plan to publish key technical learning produced by MKA in global conferences and open-source, high-impact, peer-reviewed journals.
• Author/co-author abstracts, presentations, and articles for journals and conferences related to MOMENTUM work.
• Ensure visibility of PRB-led MKA work in PRB's external communications.

Project Management

• Identify gaps and implement managerial improvements in MKA that promote upward feedback, enhance staff learning, clarify roles and responsibilities, and improve internal communication.
• Establish and implement systems to ensure quality of project activities, including activities implemented by subawardees, and a system for review of MKA products for technical content and presentation.
• Set project priorities and directions and respond to requests for support from other awards and USAID.
• Support PRB staff to implement activities in collaboration with MKA partners.
• Participate in regular MKA meetings and build relationships across partners and teams.
• Work with MEL team to track data/results to inform adjustments in project implementation.
• Use adaptive management approaches to adapt project approaches to the context of the MOMENTUM suite.
• Lead development of budget requests and workplans, including defining technical priority areas.
• Oversee budgeting and financial management.
• Lead Annual and Final project/financial reporting.

PROGRAMS

• Provide thought leadership and identify new approaches to incorporate implementation research, adaptive learning, knowledge translation, and measurement priorities across PRB.
• Contribute to new business pursuits and proposals (approximately 10%), including leading concept note development and championing new opportunities as requested.
• Support projects and activities within Programs as needed (approximately 10%).
• Increase the visibility of PRB's technical work by serving on invited technical panels and review bodies, engaging with media, presenting work at technical and professional meetings, and engaging with academic institutions.
• Provide mentorship and guidance to MLE staff.
• Participate in team meetings.
• Directly supervise 2-3 staff members (3-4 for Associate Vice President).

OTHER POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU

• Contribute to PRB's Monitoring, Learning, and Evaluation Team efforts.
• Provide inputs into strategic planning.
• Provide inputs to CEO as requested
• Associate Vice President will assist the Senior Vice President of Programs in setting strategy, managing departmental and international project budgets, writing proposals, and maintaining good relations with current and potential funders. Participate in senior leadership team meetings and decision making.
• Associate Vice President will manage the staff of International Programs, including organizing team meetings, identifying growth opportunities, ensuring staff coverage, and overseeing performance reviews.
• Associate Vice President will supervise the work of direct reports and support their project management needs and professional development. Assist the Senior Vice President, Programs with recruiting for new positions or hiring consultants.

Qualifications:

• Education: Master's degree in public health, monitoring and evaluation, knowledge management, or a related field.
• Professional Experience:
  • At least fifteen (15) years of experience in international health programming, including at least ten (10) years in senior management positions leading large and complex projects focused on MNCH (Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health), FP (Family Planning), RH (Reproductive Health), and/or monitoring and evaluation.
  • At least five (5) years of experience providing technical assistance to local organizations and host country institutions.
  • At least five (5) years of experience effectively engaging partners and managing multi-partner consortia.
  • At least three (3) years of experience managing sub-awards to local organizations.
  • Extensive experience in low- and middle-income countries managing and delivering public health programming and research.
  • Experience interacting with U.S. government agencies, including overseas offices.
  • Proven experience managing USAID-funded activities, including negotiating work plans, ensuring quality and timeliness of deliverables, managing sub-awards, and financial oversight.
• Technical Leadership:
  • Demonstrated technical expertise in one or more priority health areas: MNCH, family planning, reproductive health, and nutrition.
  • Proven leadership in research-related processes with diverse technical and geographically dispersed stakeholders.
  • Demonstrated ability to produce thought leadership and a strong publication record on reproductive, maternal, neonatal, or child health topics.
  • Strong ability to collaborate and build partnerships with host country governments, U.S. government agencies, implementing partners, donor agencies, international organizations, and the private sector.
• Leadership and Team Management:
  • Demonstrated leadership and a record of accomplishment in managing for results.
  • Experience supervising mid-career and junior staff, as well as leading teams composed of individuals from various levels of an organization.
• Business Development:
  • Successful experience in business development, including writing and contributing to winning proposals.

Skills and Abilities:

• Externally-recognized technical leadership.
• Confidence as a leader coupled with openness to learning and improving.
• Strong initiative and proactive responsiveness to address problems and generate and implement solutions.
• Sound decision-making skills and good judgment.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work well with internal and external colleagues and clients at all levels.
• Exceptional organizational and management skills, including identifying and implementing approaches to improve organizational management processes and systems.
• Demonstrated flexibility and adaptability in the face of challenges and unexpected situations.
• Impeccable professional ethics and commitment to abide by organizational and funder policies and requirements.
• Experience supervising, mentoring, and coaching staff, and leading diverse teams.
• Ability to produce consistently and reliably high-quality content on deadline.
• Outstanding English oral and written communication skills are essential. Proficiency in a second language required (French language preferred.)
• Demonstrated skills in technology and software programs relevant for job responsibilities; willingness to learn and apply new technologies.
• The ability to travel overseas up to 20% of the time is required.

Applications:

Please remember to upload both a resume and cover letter. Only finalists will be contacted. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. It is especially helpful if cover letters describe why applicants are interested in working for PRB, and why they are interested in the position. Applicants from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

PRB is open to remote or hybrid work based out of PRB's Washington, D.C., office.

Equal Opportunity Employer