Position Overview

The Senior Project Manager will provide overall leadership and management of the HealthyStart Project, a collaborative research-based initiative focused on improving maternal, newborn, and child health outcomes and reducing childhood growth faltering (stunting) in Gicumbi District.

The successful candidate will be responsible for strategic planning, project implementation, monitoring, stakeholder coordination, financial oversight, reporting, and team leadership. The Senior Project Manager will ensure that project activities are delivered effectively, on time, within budget, and in compliance with donor requirements, government priorities, research protocols, and organizational policies.

Key Responsibilities

Project Planning and Strategy

• Develop and maintain comprehensive project work plans, implementation schedules, and budgets.
• Ensure alignment of project objectives with organizational strategies, donor requirements, and national health priorities.
• Develop project implementation strategies and operational plans.
• Identify project risks and develop appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Ensure effective coordination of project activities across all implementation sites.

Project Implementation and Oversight

• Provide overall leadership for day-to-day implementation of the HealthyStart Project.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams, including researchers, healthcare professionals, field teams, data teams, and technical specialists.
• Ensure timely achievement of project milestones, deliverables, and objectives.
• Monitor project progress and address implementation challenges.
• Ensure project activities are implemented according to approved work plans, budgets, protocols, and quality standards.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting

• Establish and maintain effective monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) systems.
• Track project indicators, outputs, outcomes, and performance targets.
• Promote data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Review and analyze project performance data to guide implementation.
• Prepare and submit high-quality technical and progress reports for donors, government partners, and stakeholders.
• Ensure accurate documentation of project achievements, challenges, lessons learned, and best practices.

Stakeholder Engagement and Coordination

• Build and maintain effective partnerships with government institutions, NGOs, academic institutions, donors, communities, and other stakeholders.
• Coordinate with the Ministry of Health, Rwanda Biomedical Center, research institutions, and implementing partners.
• Represent HealthyStart in technical meetings, workshops, conferences, and stakeholder forums.
• Promote collaboration and alignment with national maternal, newborn, child health, and nutrition priorities.
• Support advocacy and knowledge-sharing initiatives related to childhood stunting reduction.

Financial and Resource Management

• Oversee project budgets, expenditure tracking, and financial reporting.
• Ensure efficient use of project resources and compliance with donor and organizational financial requirements.
• Coordinate with finance and procurement teams to ensure timely procurement of goods and services.
• Monitor budget performance and identify potential financial risks.
• Ensure compliance with procurement, administrative, and operational procedures.

Team Leadership and Capacity Building

• Provide leadership, supervision, and mentorship to project staff.
• Promote accountability, teamwork, innovation, and professional development.
• Support staff performance management and capacity-building initiatives.
• Provide guidance to technical teams and ensure effective collaboration across project components.
• Foster a positive and productive working environment.

Quality Assurance and Compliance

• Ensure compliance with donor requirements, research protocols, ethical standards, and organizational policies.
• Promote quality improvement across project activities.
• Ensure proper documentation and accountability for project activities and resources.
• Support implementation of risk management and quality assurance measures.
• Perform any other duties assigned by the Project Director or Principal Investigator.

Qualifications and Experience

Essential

• PhD in Public Health, Epidemiology, Health Sciences, or a related field.
• Minimum of eight (8) to ten (10) years of experience managing large-scale, high-impact health projects, particularly in maternal, newborn, child health, nutrition, or public health programmes.
• Proven experience in project management, strategic planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting.
• Strong understanding of maternal, newborn, and child health interventions.
• Demonstrated experience managing multidisciplinary teams and complex stakeholder partnerships.
• Experience managing donor-funded projects and ensuring compliance with donor requirements.
• Strong knowledge of project management methodologies and tools.

Preferred

• Experience working in Rwanda or similar low-resource settings.
• Experience managing research-based health projects.
• Experience working with government institutions, international organizations, and academic partners.
• Experience in reducing childhood stunting and improving nutrition outcomes.

Required Technical Skills

• Project planning, implementation, and management.
• Monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems.
• Budget management and resource planning.
• Donor reporting and compliance.
• Stakeholder coordination and partnership management.
• Risk management and problem-solving.
• Report writing and presentation skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and project management tools.

Core Competencies

• Strategic thinking and decision-making.
• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong organizational and time management abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work under pressure.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Commitment to ethical standards, accountability, and community engagement.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in complex environments.

Language Requirements

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of Kinyarwanda and/or French is an added advantage.

Working Conditions

The position requires regular engagement between Gicumbi District project implementation sites and the Kigali project office. The Senior Project Manager will be expected to conduct field visits, coordinate with project teams and partners, and provide leadership throughout the project implementation period.

• Develop and maintain comprehensive project work plans, implementation schedules, and budgets.
• Ensure alignment of project objectives with organizational strategies, donor requirements, and national health priorities.
• Develop project implementation strategies and operational plans.
• Identify project risks and develop appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Ensure effective coordination of project activities across all implementation sites.
• Provide overall leadership for day-to-day implementation of the HealthyStart Project.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams, including researchers, healthcare professionals, field teams, data teams, and technical specialists.
• Ensure timely achievement of project milestones, deliverables, and objectives.
• Monitor project progress and address implementation challenges.
• Ensure project activities are implemented according to approved work plans, budgets, protocols, and quality standards.
• Establish and maintain effective monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) systems.
• Track project indicators, outputs, outcomes, and performance targets.
• Promote data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Review and analyze project performance data to guide implementation.
• Prepare and submit high-quality technical and progress reports for donors, government partners, and stakeholders.
• Ensure accurate documentation of project achievements, challenges, lessons learned, and best practices.
• Build and maintain effective partnerships with government institutions, NGOs, academic institutions, donors, communities, and other stakeholders.
• Coordinate with the Ministry of Health, Rwanda Biomedical Center, research institutions, and implementing partners.
• Represent HealthyStart in technical meetings, workshops, conferences, and stakeholder forums.
• Promote collaboration and alignment with national maternal, newborn, child health, and nutrition priorities.
• Support advocacy and knowledge-sharing initiatives related to childhood stunting reduction.
• Oversee project budgets, expenditure tracking, and financial reporting.
• Ensure efficient use of project resources and compliance with donor and organizational financial requirements.
• Coordinate with finance and procurement teams to ensure timely procurement of goods and services.
• Monitor budget performance and identify potential financial risks.
• Ensure compliance with procurement, administrative, and operational procedures.
• Provide leadership, supervision, and mentorship to project staff.
• Promote accountability, teamwork, innovation, and professional development.
• Support staff performance management and capacity-building initiatives.
• Provide guidance to technical teams and ensure effective collaboration across project components.
• Foster a positive and productive working environment.
• Ensure compliance with donor requirements, research protocols, ethical standards, and organizational policies.
• Promote quality improvement across project activities.
• Ensure proper documentation and accountability for project activities and resources.
• Support implementation of risk management and quality assurance measures.
• Perform any other duties assigned by the Project Director or Principal Investigator.

• Project planning, implementation, and management.
• Monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems.
• Budget management and resource planning.
• Donor reporting and compliance.
• Stakeholder coordination and partnership management.
• Risk management and problem-solving.
• Report writing and presentation skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and project management tools.
• Strategic thinking and decision-making.
• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong organizational and time management abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work under pressure.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Commitment to ethical standards, accountability, and community engagement.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in complex environments.

• PhD in Public Health, Epidemiology, Health Sciences, or a related field.
• Minimum of eight (8) to ten (10) years of experience managing large-scale, high-impact health projects, particularly in maternal, newborn, child health, nutrition, or public health programmes.
• Proven experience in project management, strategic planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting.
• Strong understanding of maternal, newborn, and child health interventions.
• Demonstrated experience managing multidisciplinary teams and complex stakeholder partnerships.
• Experience managing donor-funded projects and ensuring compliance with donor requirements.
• Strong knowledge of project management methodologies and tools.
• Experience working in Rwanda or similar low-resource settings.
• Experience managing research-based health projects.
• Experience working with government institutions, international organizations, and academic partners.
• Experience in reducing childhood stunting and improving nutrition outcomes.
• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of Kinyarwanda and/or French is an added advantage.