JOB PURPOSE
The Programme Assistant provides operational and administrative assistance to the programme staff, performs a variety of administrative, coordination and logistical services in support of the operations of the Programme, and assists with information management for the team.
PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Programme Support
- Provide programme and administrative support to the programme team in the preparation of various programme documents, such as work plans, budgets, reports, and proposals on programme implementation arrangements.
- Provides administrative support to the Programme team and supports in meeting scheduling, including support in follow up on actions and deadlines.
- Assist the team by maintaining calendars, receiving and composing communications as correspondence, and replies to inquiries.
- Assist other team members in preparing and formatting documents, including PowerPoint presentations, in liaison with the communications department.
- Develops and maintains an efficient filing system for the team, including assistance in processing calls for proposals as required.
- Liaises and communicates with other teams and external stakeholders on various activities as may be requested.
- Organizes regular team meetings and conference calls/video-conferences, often over different time zones, including the preparation and distribution of documents and providing necessary technical devices.
- Takes minutes of regular team meetings and other meetings with the assistance of and coordination from programme managers as required.
- Performs other related duties in accordance with instructions from team members.
Travel and Events Management
- Manage the programme travel and events calendar in liaison with programme staff.
- Works with the travel and events staff to process the internal travel requisition for programme staff before events / travel.
- Working with the travel staff, advise the program team members of visa requirements and assist in compilation of required documents.
- Responsible for formatting, distribution, and filing of trip reports.
- Reconcile travel expenditures for all team members and submits them for authorization and payment.
Workshops and Events
- Liaises with members of other host organisations and the internal travel and events Officer to coordinate logistical arrangements for workshops and events.
- Liaises with the Events and Travel Officer and other outside agencies regarding venue, travel, hotels, and catering services when necessary.
- Works closely with the Communications team to disseminate all internal and external material, including publicity and background documents for local and international SFA Foundation events. Coordinates appropriate mailings or distribution.
- Coordinates registration process and acts as contact person for the applicants.
PERSON SPECIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, social sciences, Business Administration or its equivalent from a recognised institution.
- At least 1–3 years’ experience supporting programs in non-profit organisations.
- Proven working experience, programme coordination.
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JOB PURPOSE
The Senior Programme Officer (SPO) is responsible for taking ideas within the strategy through the full programme cycle, ensuring impact. The SPO has his/her primary responsibility to provide technical assistance for the design and implementation of the programme; build partnerships, collaborations and manage networks, deliver high-level project-related research, and provide thought leadership in various areas of science.
The overall aim of the SPO (Grand Challenges Africa) role is to deliver work within the Science, Innovation, Translation and Entrepreneurship (SITE) programme under the Grand Challenges (GC) Africa Initiative. The Science for Africa Foundation hosts GC Africa as part of the Grand Challenges partner family in collaboration with Gates Foundation.
The GC Africa initiative seeks to promote Africa-led scientific innovations to help countries better achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by awarding seed and scale up grants to the continent’s most impressive solutions.
PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Scientific and technical leadership participate in the programme management cycle by contributing to:
- Project-specific planning and budgeting
- Lead in effective technical and financial management to ensure Value For Money (VFM) throughout the programme cycle, including using evidence to enhance program learning and development. Seeking out and implementing solutions which achieve a good mix of quality and effectiveness for the least outlay, in line with grant and donor requirements.
- Ensuring that technical outputs throughout the program cycle, including reports, are of high quality and respond to donor guidelines and requirements.
- Project-specific promotion and marketing, including social media, website page management and/or article writing, working in collaboration with the SFA Foundation communications team.
- Support in identifying, tracking and mitigating programme management risks and issues.
- Identification of experts for peer review and selection panels.
- Monitoring and evaluating scheme outcomes and impacts and communicating outcomes and learnings to key stakeholders.
- Preparing consolidated technical and financial reports from grantees. This involves reviewing reporting templates, liaising with grantees and M&E teams during reporting periods to support their reporting needs, consolidating the reports for internal use and for sharing with relevant funders. It also involves data mining from reports to prepare outcomes and impact reports.
- Liaising and managing relationships with key stakeholders (other SFA Foundation funding and delivery partners, relevant steering groups, and partners throughout the continent)
- Financial tracking of spend against budget.
- Management of scheme activities and grant awards
- Contribute, as required, to developing evidence-based positions on research and innovation policy issues linked to the core work.
- Make recommendations for strategic investment areas in thematic areas in time, within budget and at the required quality.
- Assist in providing secretariat support to relevant steering or expert groups.
- Assist in utilising the outputs, networks, and relationships created through the programme to further the organisation’s strategic objectives.
Delivering the Science Research & Innovations Strategy
- Perform programme-relevant research to inform the development, implementation, and delivery of the projects falling within the portfolio.
- Work closely with the M&E team to identify, collate, track, assess quality, analyse and validate, and report on programme-related data.
- Identify and build relationships with relevant stakeholders. This may include universities and academic institutions, relevant African government departments and policymakers, Africa-based and international Think Tanks, and intergovernmental organisations etc.
- Prepare reports, articles, and presentations during programme inception meetings, annual grantee meetings and site visits.
- Track and perform relevant analyses (data-driven approaches) on various aspects of programme implementation to identify and address important challenges to ensure effective and efficient programme delivery.
Programme Support
- Represent SFA Foundation programmes at internal and external meetings when required.
- Work closely with SFA Foundation Communications teams to develop a media and campaign strategy for projects within the portfolio to ensure maximum exposure and coverage on the continent and beyond and to generate keen interest from potential stakeholders.
- Supervise relevant administrative team duties in support of the projects within the portfolio work with SFA Foundation professional services team members e.g procurement team to monitor deliverables (including supplies), and being the contact person for projects within the programme.
- Plan and organise relevant workshops and other activities in furtherance of the objectives of the projects within the portfolio.
- Develop a risk management framework for the programme, including developing and maintaining a risk register for the programme and a system to document, track and ensure programme issues and challenges are resolved in a timely manner.
- Support other SFA Foundation programmes and departments in the delivery of their mandate, especially for cross-cutting programmatic activities when requested.
PERSON SPECIFICATIONS
Academic Qualifications
A PhD degree in a relevant Science/Biomedical/Biosciences/Health research field obtained over the past 10 years; or an MD or equivalent training with proven research leadership qualities and experience. A background in data modelling, public health, and/or artificial intelligence is strongly desired.
Professional Qualifications
- A proven record of research capabilities in health/biomedical/biosciences research, as demonstrated by peer-reviewed publications and other quality outputs.
- At least 3-5 years’ experience working in research/research leadership capacity development programme design and implementation on the African continent.
- A professional qualification and relevant experience in large-scale programme/project management or training in research administration, ethics, leadership or related will be an added advantage.
- Familiarity or experience in science policy or translating science into policy is recommended, but not required.
Experience
- A proven record of research capabilities in health/biomedical/biosciences research as demonstrated by peer-reviewed publications and other quality outputs
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JOB PURPOSE
Responsible for high-level programme technical support and coordination, working in a dynamic environment while managing the needs of numerous stakeholders globally while keeping a finger on the pulse of numerous programmes. The Programme Officer (PO) works closely with the Programme Manager, programme team members and other SFA Foundation staff to ensure efficient implementation of the programme and effective collaboration with all role players within the programme. The PO will facilitate smooth flow of knowledge reports, financial reports, procurement processes, grants processes, technical presentations, and proposals, including ensuring partnerships database management, updating, and timely submissions of deliverables and reports.
The overall aim of the PO (Grand Challenges Africa) role is to deliver work within the Science, Innovation, Translation and Entrepreneurship (SITE) programme under the Grand Challenges (GC) Africa Initiative. The Science for Africa Foundation hosts GC Africa as part of the Grand Challenges partner family in collaboration with Gates Foundation.
The GC Africa initiative seeks to promote Africa-led scientific innovations to help countries better achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by awarding seed and scale up grants to the continent’s most impressive solutions.
PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Programme Goal Setting & Planning
- Work closely with the Programme Manager and other stakeholders to set programme goals and objectives.
- Work closely with the Programme Manager in the development of various concept notes and proposals for funding including the development of annual budgets; ToRs, annual objectives; procurement plans, and risk registers.
- Assist Programme in implementing the grants management process through stages of topic development/launch, triage, review, award selection, due diligence, and grant implementation.
- Assist in developing and monitoring programme-specific performance indicators.
- Provide quality controls checks to team members on various workflows to ensure compliance and good practice.
- Work with the Programme Manager to develop and implement project work plans. Monitor progress and ensure that deadlines and deliverables are met.
- Support the recruitment of programmatic consultants, including assisting with drafting RFPs, ToRs, MoUs and tracking payments against agreed milestones and budgets.
- Support in the design of various results frameworks (Theory of change, outcome, output, indicators of the programme, reporting tools/schedules).
- Support the writing and editing of grant proposals and reports, ensuring that proposals are clear, concise, and meet the requirements of funders.
- Support team members when implementing risk management strategies including various institutional policies and procedures.
- Support the development of new initiatives and programmes.
Research and technical support
- Assist the programme manager in gathering and analyzing data to develop evidence-based positions on research and innovation policy issues linked to the core work.
- Assist in utilising the outputs, networks and relationships created through the Programme to further the organization’s strategic objectives.
- Perform programme-relevant research to inform the development, implementation and delivery of the projects falling within the portfolio.
- Provide technical support to grantees, includes providing guidance on various aspects of the project.
Programme Tracking, Evaluation and Reporting
- With close partnership with the Programme Manager, monitor, track and control outcomes, facilitating program team meetings to ensure performance progress and address any emerging issues. Maintain accurate and up-to[1]date online documentation of program milestones.
- Assist track programme spending vis-à-vis agreed programme milestones and continuously check the budget reports for accurate reporting to the funder’s agreed milestones.
- Prepare reports, articles and presentations during programme inception meetings, annual grantee meetings, site visits and other meetings as needed.
- Work in close collaboration with the M&E team to identify, collate, track, assess quality, analyse and validate, and report on programme-related data.
- Track and perform relevant analyses on various aspects of programme implementation to identify and address important challenges to ensure effective and efficient programme delivery.
Communications and Stakeholder Relationship Management
- Provide support in developing and executing a programme communication strategy for all programme stakeholders to ensure timely reporting to internal and external stakeholders.
- Capture comprehensive stakeholder meeting minutes including action items and deadlines and circulate them promptly to support program implementation.
Collaboration and facilitation
- Represent SFA Foundation programmes at internal and external meetings when required.
- Work in close collaboration with SFA Foundation communications team to ensure all content (reports, images, videos, social media posts) is relevant and updated on a timely basis according to what is happening in the programme/programmes.
- Deliver administrative team duties in support of the programmes within the portfolio e.g. work with SFA Foundation Procurement team to monitor deliverables (including supplies), and being the administrative contact person for programmes within the programme.
- Support in planning and organise relevant workshops and other activities in furtherance of the objectives of the programmes
- Maintain a risk register for the programme and a system to document, track and ensure programme issues and challenges are resolved in a timely manner.
- Liaise with other programmes to enhance collaboration, exchange of information and optimal use of resources.
Event | Conference Planning and Management
- Support various networking management activities/ events.
- Plan, organize and coordinate and participate in high-level stakeholder meetings/convenings/round table meetings and taking note of action points and follow up thereafter to ensure stakeholder views are managed towards the best solutions – this entails high-level programme coordination skills in managing various competing priorities with various stakeholders through co-ordinating various meetings such as teleconferences, round table meetings, high-level annual meetings, review meetings that often times run in parallel.
- Scheduling stakeholder meetings and facilitating communication between the programme manager and stakeholders throughout the programme/ initiative life cycle.
Programme Governance
- Support the programme in complying with SFA Foundation programme management framework.
- Follow up on implementation of audit findings / observations from internal & external audits and/or funder due diligence processes and assist with consolidating audit related tasks/documentation.
- Assist in checking programme complies with all its contractual obligations signed with stakeholders and adheres to all applicable standards.
- Management of programme documents and records as per SFA Foundation policies and procedures.
- Efficient and effective management of programme team meetings, programme structures, etc · Provide administrative support to the programme manager including but not limited to managing budgets, scheduling meetings, and preparing reports.
PERSON SPECIFICATIONS
Minimum Academic Qualifications
- An undergraduate degree in a relevant science field or business management obtained over the past 5 years.
Professional Qualifications
- A professional qualification and relevant experience in large-scale programme/programme management or training in research administration, ethics, leadership or related will be an added advantage.
Experience
- At least 1-3 years’ experience working in research/research leadership capacity development programme design and implementation on the African continent.
- Experience in carrying out or coordinating programme management work.
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