Job Description for Breakthrough ACTION Sierra Leone:

Deputy Chief of Party/SBC Technical Advisor

Breakthrough ACTION is a cooperative agreement from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to lead USAID’s social and behavior change (SBC) programming around the world. Breakthrough ACTION is a partnership led by Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs.

Breakthrough ACTION works with the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) and implementing partners to 1) increase the risk communication capacity of Sierra Leone institutions to effectively address high-risk behaviors associated with priority zoonotic diseases and other emerging threats as part of USAID’s Global Health Security (GHS) portfolio; and 2) improve the adoption and uptake of malaria interventions among individuals, families, health providers, and communities under USAID’s President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI).

The Deputy Chief of Party/SBC Technical Advisor will support the Breakthrough ACTION Sierra Leone team across all the projects. This position will work closely with malaria and risk communication teams. The position will also support the close out the CN240 project in November 2023. This position will also support the Chief of Party with the overall management and leadership of the staff and the technical aspects of all the projects. The position will be based in Freetown.

Key Responsibilities

Deputy Chief of Party/Technical Advisor, the key responsibilities will include:

• Ensuring program quality across Breakthrough ACTION Sierra Leone’s programs (GHSA, PMI, COVID)
• Ensure program activities and achievements are documented, including supporting the M&E officer.
• Providing administrative and human resources support
• Supporting the Chief of Party in managing GOSL, PMI, and partner relationships
• Supporting the COP in managing relationships and communication with the USAID Mission, CCP HQ, and other potential donors

Program Quality

• Lead technical areas, larger activity/ies and/or programs independently.

• Envision, design, and initiate new program activities according to a larger program goal.

• Manage country programs with support.

• Produce and edit documents, work plans, reports, and presentations.
• Act as liaison for consultant activities, ensuring statement of work, contract and deliverables are in place.
• Maintain frequent, open, ongoing communication with program team members in all locations (offsite, in headquarters, and internationally)
• Liaise with internal and external partners.
• Adhere to JHU, CCP and donor rules, regulations, and policies.
• Upload and save deliverables on relevant knowledge management platforms.
• Identify and address STTA needs independently.

• Lead and manage technical work independently, including the development of strategies, toolkits, communication materials, scripts, job aides, needs assessments, etc.
• Lead in-country technical activities, including trainings, workshops, and program support, independently.
• Demonstrate technical expertise in relevant technical areas (e.g., SBC, knowledge management, health areas, etc.)
• Demonstrate high level technical communication, including writing reports, creating, and giving presentations, and facilitating trainings or group discussions.

Monitoring & Evaluation

• Work closely with research team to routinely review program performance data and initiate adaptations to program management and implementation.
• Lead the development of narrative and quantitative reports and documents for the GHSA RCCE project in Sierra Leone
• Support the M&E officer in monitoring and evaluating program implementation and delivering on key M&E indicators.
• Generate media briefs, reports, success stories, and other program documentation.
• In collaboration with research and evaluation division, contribute to design and implementation of research plans and activities.

Admin and HR

• Work closely with finance and administrative staff to ensure timely and compliant spending.
• Monitor budgets and make strategic decisions to reallocate funding according to strategic priorities.
• Supervise staff with support as required.

• Orient and train new staff members
• Conduct regular (at least quarterly) check ins and annual performance reviews with all supervisees.
• Provide coaching and mentoring to promote continued growth and improvement among supervisees and other staff.

• Support the Chief of Party in complying with USAID, JHU and Breakthrough ACTION processes and regulations.
• Initiate, track, and monitor procurements, contracts, work plans and other administrative and programmatic documents.
• Oversee and ensure the quality of work produced by staff or team, including that work is meeting JHU and donor branding and marking requirements.
• Manage group work and effective team functioning independently; includes identifying and filling staffing gaps and independent contractor identification and hiring.
• Operate with compliance to all JHU supervisory and operational policies.

GOSL and GHS implementing partner relationship.

• Support the COP to identify and go after new business opportunities for CCP in Sierra Leone
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with GoSL and partners at national and district levels.
• Support and build the capacity of GoSL and partners to design and implement SBC and risk communication activities.
• Ensure SBC and risk communication activities are implemented in coordination and harmonization with GoSL, partners, and other relevant platforms at all levels.
• Represent JHU and CCP at relevant external meetings and events.

• May include delivering technical presentations, networking, relationship building, and initiate and follow through with opportunities for collaboration.

• Professionally engage and collaborate with other programs across the Center.

Reporting Structure

The DCOP/SBC Technical Advisor will be reporting to the COP of Breakthrough Action Sierra Leone. S/he will also be working with project technical teams at CCP Breakthrough ACTION.

Required Qualifications:

Minimum Requirement:

Master’s degree (M.A., MHS, MPH, MSc) required. Five years related experience required. Additional relevant experience and/or training may substitute for some education.

Preferred qualifications:

• Has experience working in risk communication and SBC.
• Has proven ability to effectively engage partners and manage multi-partner consortia, preferred.
• Has experience interacting with U.S. government agencies including Missions, preferred.
• Able and willing to travel within Sierra Leone, as needed.
• Has experience with recruitment and performance management.
• Has experience with budget development, tracking and variance analysis.

To Apply

Interested individuals should send their cover letter, CV, and 3 references as one PDF document to ccpsljobs@gmail.com with “Deputy Chief of Party” stated in the email subject line. Do not send certificates. Applicants that do not follow the directions exactly will be discarded. All applications must be received no later than October 13, 2023, by 5pm GMT for consideration. Because of the number of applicants, we cannot respond to every applicant.