Job Opportunity at Helen Keller International (HKI) Tanzania, Program Assistant

Program Assistant – F&E Behavior Change Program NTD Programs

Helen Keller International

Job Summary

Helen Keller Intl - Tanzania is a partner in several trachoma programs supported by Sights avers International. Through our Face washing and Environmental improvement (F&E) behavior change project, our goal is to reduce active trachoma infection in endemic areas by encouraging community members to wash their faces frequently and to maintain proper sanitation near their homes. Helen Keller Intl is seeking a Program Assistant who will support the planning and implementation of F&E behavior change activities in one district in northern Tanzania.

Job Description

Established in 1915 with Helen Keller as a founding trustee, Helen Keller International works to save the sight and lives of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged. Headquartered in New York City, Helen Keller Intl currently conducts programs in 20 countries in Africa and Asia as well as in the United States. Helen Keller Intl is known for sustainability, reliability, efficiency and the highest level of technical expertise in fighting and treating blindness and malnutrition.

Country Overview:

Established in 1984, the Helen Keller Intl - Tanzania office was the organization's first in Africa set up to provide primary eye care services in central Tanzania. Helen Keller Intl has since expanded its role and currently works in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children (MoHCDGEC), Local Government Authorities (LGAs), local NGOs, and other national and international development partners in the areas of nutrition and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), particularly trachoma elimination.

Department: NTD Programs

Duty Station: TBD; likely Ngorongoro District – Loliondo village (district capital)

Reports to: Trachoma Coordination Program Manager

Direct reports: none

Duration: 12 months

Key Responsibilities:

• Assist the program manager to plan and implement all activities for the F&E behavior change activities in Ngorongoro district, including trainings, data collection, supporting women’s groups and CHWs, procuring equipment, and working closely with district health teams.
• Assist program manager in accurate collection of monitoring data and analysis in order to ensure that program keeps on track as well as in order to share with donors, inform future efforts, and increase quality of services provided to the community.
• Serve as liaison to ensure strong planning and communication between district health teams, Helen Keller Intl staff, and district authorities.
• Compose field activity plans and reports, monthly and quarterly updates, meeting minutes, fund reconciliations, PowerPoint presentations, Excel statistical reports, and other required documentation as required by Helen Keller Intl.
• Identify challenges to achieving the goal of trachoma elimination by 2030 and develop and implement solutions to overcome those challenges.
• Perform any other duties as directed by Program Manager.

Desired Qualifications and Experience

• Must possess a degree or diploma in a relevant field plus at least one (1) year of work experience in field-based health work in rural Tanzania, OR a minimum of four (4) years’ experience in the same.
• Should be willing to live and work full-time in a very rural district of Tanzania, in its district capital (likely a village), with frequent visits to remote communities.
• Must be a Tanzanian national, fluent in Kiswahili and Kimaa (the Maasai language), and with a working knowledge of English. Candidates already based in Ngorongoro district are encouraged to apply.
• Women are particularly encouraged to apply.
• Should have experience working with women’s groups, Community Health Workers (CHWs), or Local Government Authorities (LGAs).
• Experience in hygiene and sanitation/environmental health/behavior change is highly preferred. Technical skills in NTDs and trachoma are an added advantage.
• Demonstration of strong program planning, organizational, and communication skills.
• Must be competent in Microsoft packages (Excel, Word, etc.) and in use of email.
• Should be a strategic thinker, who possesses strong critical thinking, problem solving, and analytical skills.

To Apply:

Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter and current CV to Tz.recruitment@hki.org

  Applicants should clearly describe their field-based health work experience in their cover letter. Applications will be accepted until November 15th , 2020.