Project Director

Project Name: CDC-OPIQ


Location: Pretoria, South Africa


Type: Regular/Full Time


Salary: Commensurate with required experience and qualifications


Reports to: HQ Corporate Monitor/Principal Investigator



University Research Co., LLC (URC)



URC is a global company dedicated to improving the quality of health care, social services, and health education worldwide. With a non-profit affiliate, the Center for Human Services (CHS), URC manages projects in over 45 countries, including the United States.



Established in 1965, URC offers a range of technical assistance to strengthen health and social systems and service quality by empowering communities and health workers to identify and scale up locally appropriate solutions to critical problems. Internationally, we expand access to and improve the quality of services addressing maternal, newborn, and child health; infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria; reproductive health and family planning; food and nutrition; and vulnerable children and families. In the US, we focus on improving communication related to issues like substance abuse, with a particular focus on reaching underserved populations.



URC’s mission is to provide innovative, evidence-based solutions to health and social challenges worldwide. Please join us in carrying out our mission (http://www.urc-chs.com/).



Project Overview:


The 5-year CDC-funded Optimizing Performance by Improving Quality (OPIQ) project will focus on HIV and HIV/TB Programs in the Republic of South Africa. The project will provide a technical support to national and local level governmental and non-governmental implementing partners on quality improvement (QI) and quality assurance (QA) tools and approaches, with focus on the 27 highest burden districts and priority populations for prevention and care. To reach epidemic control, the project will aim to optimize HIV and HIV/TB program performance by improving: early identification of HIV/TB performance gaps; the capacity of IPs and DOH at all levels to use QI and QA approaches to address those gaps; the harvesting and dissemination of best practices to scale up proven interventions; and the use of innovative data-driven platforms to improve data-based planning and management.



Job Description:


URC is currently seeking a Project Director to provide management oversight through the provision of vision, direction and technical implementation of CDC South Africa Optimizing Performance by Improving Quality in HIV and HIV/TB Programs. The Project Director will be the primary liaison with CDC, the Government of RSA, and technical partners across the country.



The Project Director will work closely with other project staff and URC HQ staff to provide technical leadership to the program. Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:



Provide strategic leadership and vision in the development and implementation of strategies and approaches aimed to support the MOH efforts to strengthen HIV/TB programs


Provide administrative, programmatic and managerial oversight to all aspects of the program to ensure that all project activities are executed in line with and meet CDC performance standards


Ensure mechanisms are in place to monitor the implementation of projects including progress toward achieving objectives and benchmarks with high-quality and on-time performance


Ensure the technical capacity of staff and provide technical assistance and backstopping when required


Recruit and supervise staff to meet evolving program needs, provide technical assistance, mentoring and skills building to local staff and key counterparts


Establish and maintain highly collaborative working relationships with CDC, the Government of RSA, and other stakeholders including research institutes, and collaborating partners


Ensure documentation and dissemination of findings, impacts, innovations and lessons learned


Ensure timely, high-quality and complete submission of work plans, quarterly and annual reports, M&E reports, financial reports as required by the donor


Ensure all activities undertaken are in full compliance with URC standard operating procedures, CDC policies and regulations and national laws and policies


Promote sustainability of project activities with effective networking, linkages with other programs, capacity of project and institutional staff



Required Experience & Qualifications:


Advanced Degree in Public Health, Health Administration or related field with minimum of ten years’ experience


Demonstrated experience leading and implementing large international development projects with similar depth and complexity at the Project Director, Deputy Project director, or equivalent senior management level


Demonstrated experience working in partnership with host governments, international donors and implementing partners, and demonstrated ability to establish effective relationships with senior government officials, civil society and international donors


Experience working with TB and HIV programs in South Africa or the Southern Africa region


Considerable experience with USG-or CDC-funded activities


Strong oral and written communication skills in English



URC is an E-Verify Employer



URC is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We value and seek diversity in our workforce.

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