Full-time Project Support Officer

The One Health Community Partnership (OHCP) project is an international development initiative (not research focused), that involves team members from Canada, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Ghana. The ultimate goal is to improve community health and equitable One Health empowerment for poor, marginalized rural smallholder farms, especially women and girls and female headed households, with high prevalence of zoonotic and human-animal-environment interface related diseases. The partnership includes students, faculty, women, men, children, domestic and international non-governmental agencies, and governments.

Primary Purpose: To provide project administration, implementation, and coordination support; and to ensure that project implementation is successfully executed. In addition, the role supports other initiatives as assigned by the Project Director.

Nature of Work: This position reports to the Project Director. The Project Officer (PO) will be expected to work with a high degree of autonomy and initiative and will be responsible for the administration and coordination of the Project’s implementation plan.

The PO will be responsible for working closely with and coordinating the Canadian team members, One Health working groups, Canadian subawardee (Veterinarians Without Borders), Canadian volunteers, and the pandemic preparedness exercises. S/he will also ensure effective financial and operational management of the project and work closely with the other project managers from Ghana, Uganda, and Ethiopia. The PO will also act as one of the main focal points and represent the project to key stakeholders in Canada. The PO is ultimately responsible for compliance and the oversight of project activities which will meet the stated objectives of the project.

The work is diverse, requiring awareness of health and gender issues in low- and middle-income countries; knowledge of development project activities; project management and quality improvement. This position will play a key role in the successful coordination and implementation of project activities in collaboration with the Project Director and Country Project Managers. To be successful, the individual must exercise sound judgment, be comfortable in a team environment, and have well-developed communication and project management skills, and comfortable working in and collaborating with diverse working cultures. The PO must have the ability to work with a variety of stakeholders (Global Affairs Canada (GAC), Project partners, Project team members, faculty members, country one health experts, and volunteers), and effectively address cultural barriers. In carrying out this work, confidentiality and close collaboration and alignment with key administrative areas will be critical. This position will work in close collaboration with other staff within the WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, development community, and Partners. The successful candidate will have the ability to manage the complex nature of a gender-focused One Health development project.

• Ensure that project implementation is on track in adherence to the project implementation plan, project frameworks, and in line with grant agreement and GAC; University of Saskatchewan technical and operational requirements;
• Ensure adequate planning and implementation documents are established, maintained, and archived;
• Identify technical and operational project supply needs and coordinate with logistics teams to put in place a sensible phased procurement plan;
• Participate in timely preparation of quality project and donor reports on project activities in compliance with internal requirements and any relevant external donor requirements;
• Ensure that regular project financial reports (monthly, quarterly, and annual) are compiled, prepared, and submitted to GAC, in collaboration with USask Finance for the duration of the project;
• Ensure that delays and constraints on planned project activities are documented and solutions identified;
• Ensure project activities are adequately resourced and with timely expenditure of approved budgets, ensuring appropriate spend and proper and effective use of project resources;
• Communicate with the Project Director on the overall progress of implementation, as well as all the key risks and mitigation measures;
• Effectively communicate project scope and expectations to team members and stakeholders in a timely and clear fashion;
• Manage and maintain “buy-in” from project stakeholders;
• In coordination with the Project Director, Partners, and the other project managers, create plans for maintaining the improvements made as a result of the activities;
• Collaborate and work effectively with the Project Director, faculty, students, and other Partners.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning

• Monitor project implementation and provide support identifying issues that need timely action and support at different levels;
• Support the work of the Monitoring and Evaluation team in tool development and capturing of ideas to ensure that the project is monitored against measurable and appropriate indicators;
• Ensure regular monitoring is carried out appropriately, and contributes to situation/response analysis, and any corresponding revision of project plans;
• Support project assessments, evaluations and other reviews required in the project;
• Ensure that learning and good practice is gathered, documented, and shared with the wider project;
• Support the production of the annual project newsletter by collecting and compiling information throughout each project year;
• Disseminate project updates as per project communication plan;
• Maintain the project’s website.

Project Coordination

• Coordination and facilitation of activities related to project management team, project volunteers and faculty working groups;
• Represent FFOHCP and maintain good working relationships with project stakeholders, visiting donor and third-party monitoring teams, and other key contacts. li>
• In coordination with the Project Director, represent Canada and the project in GAC donor meetings and with representatives from GAC as required;

Other

• Undertake any other related tasks as assigned by the Project Director;
• Comply with GAC / University of Saskatchewan policies and practice with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.

Education: Bachelor's degree in relevant subject such as Development studies, Gender, Health (e.g., health sciences, public health), or equivalent combination of education and work experience.

Experience: Three to five years' experience related to project coordination/management.

Skills:

• Excellent interpersonal communication skills (verbal and written), with a strong understanding of diversity and other cultures, and a strong ability to build and maintain harmonious partnerships with project stakeholders;
• Experience supporting multi-partner projects and projects with multiple components;
• Demonstrated experience in coordinating a team of senior staff with different backgrounds and expertise;
• Demonstrated capacity to manage multiple tasks with tight timelines and competing demands;
• Ability and willingness to travel to project focus countries as required;
• Ability to use a full range of software packages, including the Microsoft Office suite advanced word processing, spreadsheets, electronic calendars, and e-mail;
• Good work history (performance and attendance).

Assets

• An understanding of gender equality principles, practice and measurement is a strong asset;
• Experience related to international development, preferably Global Affairs Canada funded projects;
• Project management training or experience considered a major asset;
• Knowledge of the University of Saskatchewan’s financial and operational systems an asset.

This position is in scope of the Administrative and Supervisory Personnel Association (ASPA).

Department: Large Animal Clinical Sciences

Status: Term 1 year, with the possibility of extension

Employment Group: ASPA

Full Time Equivalent (FTE): 1.