Programme Manager

About Project: EpiC (Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control) in India is supporting life-saving activities to maximize HIV testing and treatment for people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the PEPFAR priority state of Maharashtra. EpiC is focused on accelerating and intensifying HIV case detection among hidden and unreached at-risk adults and youth through index testing, enhanced peer outreach approach (EPOA), social network strategies (SNS), and virtual outreach.

LEPRA work in nine PEPFAR (US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) priority districts of Maharashtra, namely: Pune, Thane, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Sangli, Satara, Solapur, Kolhapur and Raigad

Job Description

Lepra Society under EpiC India grant is implementing life-saving activities for HIV care and treatment under GHSD guidance supported by USAID India. The Program Manager will report primarily to the Lepra management with a secondary reporting to the State Manager based in Mumbai. The Program Manager located in Thane will work closely with State Manager, State M&E Manager and Cluster Coordinators to implement the agreed activities as per the workplan. Ensure coordination among various stakeholders are managed with clear roles of EpiC staff working in the ARTCs and at the regional level. Assist the FHI360 State and National EpiC team in ensuring evidence based planning, implementation and regular review of the activities. S/he will coordinate with District AIDS Prevention and Control Units (DAPCUs) and facilities where the activities are implemented. Will assist the FHI360 State team for the review/coordination meetings, timely submission of program and financial reports. Will facilitate recruitment of vacant staffs and orientation on the project deliverables, terms of reference of respective Staff.

Job Responsibilities

• Ensure the Lepra Society team members are clear about the tasks and deliverables of the approved district workplans.
• Ensure the required manpower are filled and they are trained by the project in a time-bound manner. All recruitment of program coordinators and regional M&E officers need to have a representation of FHI360 State team members during the final interview of three best shortlisted candidates.
• Ensure the program coordinators are closely working with FHi360 cluster coordinators and providing technical support to the treatment navigators working in the ARTCs for service delivery improvement in the areas of index testing, treatment and viral load outcomes.
• Ensure treatment navigators in ARTCs are coordinating with EpiC sub-partner for NCD, co-morbidities, TB and mental health related work. They should be working closely with partners working with other partners for PPTCT, care and support services for PLHIV.
• Ensure each district has quarterly action plan with targets, mentoring and training requirements, review meeting and field visit deliverables.
• Ensure that program coordinators work closely with District AIDS Prevention and Control Units (DAPCUs), ART Centers (ARTCs), Link ART Centers (LACs) and Integrated Counselling and Testing Centers in the respective clusters to implement the agreed activities.
• Ensure that regular supervisory visits are made by program coordinators, those supervisory visits are recorded and action taken reports are briefed to the FHI360 State team in fort-nightly basis.
• Represent Lepra Society in weekly meetings held by FHI360 team along with relevant team members if required. Feedback from the weekly meetings is provided to the program coordinators to improve the deliverables.
• Ensure program coordinators to ensure all compliances related to data both from MSACS/NACO and USAID perspective.
• Ensure that the data confidentiality and data sharing norms are practiced in the field level.
• Ensure Index Testing Observation Checklist is filled on monthly basis and Compliance checklist is filled every quarter for those sites implementing index testing by the program coordinators in line with USAID requirements.
• Data Quality assessments are done for treatment and viral load testing activities including triangulation of data with ARTCs, LACs and ICTCs.
• Ensure PPP ARTCs managed by MSACS reporting PLHIV clients are supported with technical assistance to improve three 95s in close coordination with Technical Advisor – HIV in Maharashtra.
• Ensure that the selected targeted interventions in PEPFAR districts are contributing to the achievement of first 95 by implementing virtual EPOA/SNS approaches. For this program coordinators need to closely work with these sites to prepare micro-plan, review periodically and strengthen those implementations for improved HIV case finding through virtual outreach.
• Ensure coordination with among various partners including sub-partner of EpiC so that duplication of efforts are minimized in EpiC project.
• Ensure that any external support or technical assistance is required for the project activities, those are discussed with FHI360 State and National team, before any decisions are taken.
• Participate in State level review/coordination meetings and represent Lepra Society in important meetings along with FHI360 State/National Team in Maharashtra as per requirements.
• Ensure participate in capacity building and mentoring activities, timely submission of activity reports in the prescribed formats.
• Ensure submission of required reports including financial reports on time and comply with required norms.
• Ensure regional M&E officers are adhering to the required norms and quality in data collection, reporting including analysis.

• Knowledge of current India’s national HIV/AIDS program and the gaps and challenges in meeting the 95:95:95 goals in PEPFAR districts of Maharashtra.
• Knowledge of the GHSD guidance on life-saving activities on HIV care and treatment services will be preferable.
• Demonstrated experience in implementation and management of index testing, treatment, viral load testing and NCD related program among PLHIV.
• Prior experience of leading a team of professionals from diverse background and supervisory experience is mandatory.
• Highly proficient with MS Project, and the Microsoft suite of programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PowerBi, Outlook, Visio).
• Preferably excellent in oral and written communication skills in English, Marathi and Hindi.
• Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills. Ability to motivate, influence and work well with others.

If you have the skills and necessary experience and are interested in this position please forward your application along with covering letter and detailed resume in the specified format downloaded from www.leprasociety.in (Get Involved – “career column”) to hrd@leprahealthinaction.in specifying the REF.NO PMEP1007 & Post applied for on or before the due date.