Project Management Expert

Purpose of Job

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) are working together to strengthen Africa’s epidemic and pandemic preparedness. This collaboration is framed under a Joint Action Plan (JAP) that focuses on five key priority areas for CEPI:

• Operationalization and Implementation of the Partnership for African Vaccine Manufacturing
• Strengthened Public Health and Research Institutions in Africa
• Strengthened Engagement with Africa CDC Stakeholders on Policy, Health Diplomacy, and Communication
• Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Capabilities Strengthened
• Africa’s Clinical and Public Health Laboratory Systems and Networks Strengthened

Reporting to the Head of the Program Implementation Unit (PIU), the Project Management Specialist will play a critical role in supporting the successful implementation of the CEPI Joint Action Plan (JAP) by managing and monitoring daily project operations, ensuring adherence to established guidelines, procedures, and timelines. The incumbent will also guide organizational planning, programme delivery, and reporting processes to uphold Africa CDC’s results-based approach, ensuring alignment with Africa CDC’s strategic objectives and global best practices, and contributing to the overall effectiveness and impact of the CEPI-Africa CDC partnership.

Main Functions

• Provide technical and intellectual support for the design, planning, and coordination of Africa CDC-CEPI-funded projects.
• Support the development of guidelines, policies, and frameworks for program delivery and strategic decision-making.
• Oversee daily CEPI project activities within the PIU, ensuring compliance with Joint Action Plan, financing agreements, and operational policies.
• Facilitate coordination and communication with Technical Working Groups (TWGs), CEPI and management team, and stakeholders for effective project execution.
• Contribute to project monitoring, evaluation, and reporting, ensuring timely deliverables and knowledge sharing.
• Review deliverables and ensure accurate and timely submission of progress reports.
• Provide technical and operational support to implementing business units within Africa CDC; including but limited to support of planning of activities, preparing semi-annual work plans, providing the right means of verification for the activity execution.

Specific Responsibilities

1. Project Design, Planning, and Implementation

• Support the design, planning, and execution of CEPI funded project, ensuring alignment with strategic goals, donor requirements, and operational policies.

2. Technical and Administrative Support

• Liaison with procurement, logistics, financial teams to facilitate project implementation, and provide operational support for implementing technical business units (BUs).
• Document control to ensure smooth project implementation and administrative compliance.

3. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting

• Contribute to the development and execution of monitoring and evaluation frameworks in collaboration with the Monitoring and evaluation specialist, track project progress, and ensure timely reporting to Africa CDC leadership, donor, and stakeholders.

4. Stakeholder Coordination and Communication

• Facilitate effective communication and coordination with project stakeholders, including CEPI, and Africa CDC technical teams, to ensure transparency and alignment throughout the project lifecycle.

5. Donor Compliance and Governance Support

• Ensure adherence to donor guidelines and operational procedures, supporting audit readiness and facilitating supervision missions by external stakeholders.

6. Support to Leadership and Governance Structures

• Assist the Head of PIU and Africa CDC leadership in managing steering committees, coordination meetings, and strategic decision-making processes for project oversight.

7. Cross-functional Team Support and Synergy

• Promote team cohesion, support coordination across PIU units, and contribute to streamlining workflows and enhancing overall project performance.

8. Capacity Building and Knowledge Management

• When applicable and relevant, Support capacity building, and knowledge-sharing initiatives for PIU staff and project teams, fostering continuous improvement and institutional learning.

Academic Requirements and Relevant Experience

• A master’s degree in, Public Health, Project Management, Business Administration, or a related field with a minimum of seven (7) years of project management experience, including at least three (3) years’ experience working with or on projects financed by bilateral or multilateral donor organizations OR Bachelor’s degree in the same fields with a minimum of ten (10) years of relevant professional experience, including at least three (3) years’ experience working with or on projects financed by bilateral or multilateral donor organizations.
• Certification in Project Management Professional (PMP), PRINCE2, or an equivalent qualification is considered an advantage.
• Proven experience in developing, coordinating, and managing organizational work plans and performance evaluation frameworks of donor funded public health projects within African continental or multi-country organizations.
• Experience in liaising with Member States, intergovernmental bodies, or international partners.
• Strong ability to design and apply strategic plans, results frameworks, annual work plans, key performance indicators (KPIs), and theory of change models.
• Proficiency in using project management tools such as Excel for work plans, Gantt charts, and web-based workflow management platforms.

Required Skills

• Significant experience working in Global Health organisations, and/or not-for public health or global health related projects, as a project manager in multidisciplinary teams
• Demonstrated project planning and management skills for organizing, planning, and executing strategic public health initiative projects in multidisciplinary teams
• Strong critical and objective interpretation of development and scientific issues with the ability to articulate and establish processes which impact cross-functional activities.
• Excellent diplomatic, representational, inter-personal and communication skills, and ability to interact with stakeholders and decision-makers in technical and other professional settings.
• Ability to translate highly technical information into presentations, briefings and report and funding proposals for both technical and lay audiences.
• Demonstrated computer skills, including excellent word-processing capabilities, proficiency with e-mail and internet applications and experience in using office software applications such as MS Excel, Power Point and Word.
• Pro-active and solutions oriented.
• Proven ability to work under pressure, stay on track and meet deadlines. And ability to work with minimum supervision.
• Proficiency in one of the AU official working languages (Arabic, English, French, Kiswahili, Portuguese, or Spanish) is mandatory. Fluency in additional one or more AU official working languages is an added advantage

Skills Required:

• Health / Medical
• Sales / Marketing / Business / Management
• Social / Science / Project / Management / Development