Senior Program Officer, Primary Health Care, SAFEStart+ Project

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PATH is a global nonprofit dedicated to achieving health equity. With more than 40 years of experience forging multisector partnerships and with expertise in science, economics, technology, advocacy, and dozens of other specialties, PATH develops and scales up innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing heath challenges. 

PATH is implementing the SAFEStart+ project, a UNITAID-funded initiative focused on eliminating vertical transmission of HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B, and Chagas disease. The project strengthens integrated service delivery models, generates evidence, and facilitates scale-up across multiple countries.

The four-year project is designed for maximum reach and impact by scaling up integrated EVT programs in four core-engagement countries (Malawi, Nigeria, Paraguay, and Uganda); addressing specific barriers to EVT scale-up and validation in five focused-activity countries (Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal, South Africa, and Vietnam); and disseminating innovations, successes, and lessons learned to ten peer-learning countries. The project focuses on four core outputs: country-led EVT demand and scale-up through community leadership and systems strengthening; evidence generation through implementation science and cost modeling; strategic market shaping to unlock barriers to essential EVT products; and effective transition and financing of integrated EVT programs by governments and donors.

SAFEStart+ employs a co-leadership model with strong community engagement, working closely with consortium partners including the International Community of Women Living with HIV Eastern Africa (ICWEA) and World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA) to ensure meaningful participation of women with lived experience in project design, implementation, and monitoring.

Position Summary

The Senior / Program Officer provides primary support to the Project Director in managing technical, operational, and administrative aspects of SAFEStart+, operating as a deputy director to the Project Director. This position works hand-in-hand with the Project Director and co-manages partnerships with Unitaid, WHO headquarters and regional offices (AFRO & PAHO), program implementers and research partners (University of Washington, Harvard University), Africa CDC, GAVI, and other key stakeholders including country-level partners, implementers, and research institutions. Strong French language capabilities are required for effective francophone stakeholder engagement.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Product Development

• Take leadership of specific technical elements of the projects with a priority focus on the learning agenda, continuous quality improvement, project performance analyses, M&E and metrics.

• Lead development of strategic technical reports, policy briefs, and programmatic guidance documents that synthesize project findings and provide actionable recommendations for country implementation and global scale-up

• Coordinate creation of training materials, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and implementation toolkits for integrated EVT service delivery models, ensuring technical accuracy and country-specific adaptation

• Oversee production of evidence dissemination packages, knowledge products, and learning resources for diverse audiences including country partners, donors, and global health stakeholders

• Support development of technical presentations, briefing materials, and visual communication products for donor meetings, stakeholder convenings, and international conferences

• Coordinate preparation and quality assurance of project deliverables, milestone reports, and programmatic reporting for UNITAID, ensuring compliance with donor requirements and project objectives

• Ensure technical quality, consistency, and alignment across all project materials, communications, and knowledge products produced by consortium members and country partners

Project Management & Coordination

• Oversee work in Francophone countries (DRC and Senegal)

• Coordinate Project Management Team (PMT) activities including weekly meetings with PATH, ICWEA, and WHA leadership, ensuring effective communication and decision-making across consortium partners

• Support comprehensive implementation of project workplans across all four outputs, monitoring deliverables, timelines, and milestones to ensure project objectives are met within prescribed timeframes

• Ensure high-quality, compliant donor reporting—coordinating inputs and providing final technical and programmatic review.

• Provide high-level oversight and guidance to SPA-led administrative, coordination, and documentation functions—ensuring effective meeting support, information flow, compliance, and overall project operational continuity.

• Facilitate Program Steering Committee (PSC) coordination including meeting preparation, agenda development, and follow-up on action items and strategic recommendations

• Coordinate with the PADM and senior project assistant to track partner performance.

• Support risk management and mitigation strategies, working with the Project Director to identify and address potential challenges to project implementation

• Oversee project communication strategies and stakeholder engagement plans to ensure consistent technical messaging and strategic alignment across all project activities

Country Implementation Support

• Provide technical assistance and guidance to country teams on implementation of integrated EVT models, supporting adaptation of global guidance to local contexts and health system requirements

• Support coordination and strengthening of Technical Working Groups (TWGs) and Community Advisory Boards (CABs) in core-engagement and focused-activity countries

• Facilitate sharing of best practices, lessons learned, and innovative approaches across implementation sites, promoting continuous quality improvement and adaptive learning

• Support monitoring and evaluation (M&E) activities, data collection, and performance assessment across project sites to inform adaptive management and evidence generation

• Assist in coordination of implementation science studies and research activities embedded within programmatic EVT delivery across core countries

Partnership & Stakeholder Coordination

• Serve as primary day-to-day liaison with the donor, ensuring seamless communication, technical and strategic alignment, and coordination on project implementation.

• Coordinate strategic relationships and regular engagement with WHO headquarters and regional offices including PAHO & WHO

• Act as focal point for assigned countries and facilitate communication and coordination with country-level partners, including ministries of health, national technical working groups (TWGs), community advisory boards (CABs), and implementing organizations across all project countries

• Support senior staff in their engagement with external partners, donors and technical agencies.

• Coordinate with peer-learning countries and focal points to ensure effective knowledge sharing and capacity building opportunities

Deputizing Responsibilities

• Represent the SAFEStart+ project and PATH at high-level meetings, conferences, and stakeholder events when the Project Director is unavailable, ensuring continuity of strategic engagement

• Provide comprehensive project updates and strategic briefings to senior management, UNITAID, and external stakeholders as required

• Serve as primary point of contact for urgent project matters and stakeholder communications when Project Director is not available

Core Competencies

• Partnership Management: Build effective relationships with diverse stakeholders

• Technical Capabilities and Communication: Lead on specific technical areas; translate complex concepts for different audiences

• Strategic Thinking: Understand objectives within global health context

• Quality Assurance: Commitment to maintaining high standards for technical products, project deliverables, and stakeholder communications

• Project Management and Coordination: Manage multiple priorities with attention to detail

• Adaptability: Flexibility in fast-paced, evolving environment

• Results Orientation: Focus on achieving project outcomes and impact

Required Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Master's degree in public health, international development, or related field

• 3-5 years international health programming experience in LMICs including project coordination and/or partnership management experience

• Experience in HIV, STIs, viral hepatitis, and/or maternal/child health

• Experience in designing and implementing learning agendas, M&E frameworks, CQI and data use for action

Essential Skills

• Fluency in French and English (written and spoken)

• CQI and/or quantitative data analyses

• Strong technical writing and communication skills

• Effective stakeholder partnership management

• Project management and coordination capabilities

Preferred

• UNITAID program experience and policy knowledge

Working Conditions

This position is based in Geneva, Switzerland, with occasional international travel required (up to 20-25% of time) to project implementation countries, partner meetings, and global health conferences. The role requires regular participation in virtual meetings across multiple time zones to coordinate with country partners, consortium members, and stakeholders in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The position operates within a fast-paced, dynamic environment with high expectations for quality, responsiveness, and strategic thinking. Flexibility in working hours may be required to accommodate coordination across global partnerships and urgent project needs. Technical knowledge related to PrEP, innovative diagnostics, climate change and/or mpox Understanding of service delivery integration, primary health care and universal health coverage