Vice President Operations

BACKGROUND

Healthy Leaners is an award winning non-profit organization committed to improving the health of children in Zambia and beyond. We partner directly with the government and local communities in Zambia so that school children can stay healthy, learn effectively and have a brighter future. This year Healthy Learners was the inaugural winner of the 2021 Duke F.M. Kirby Prize for Scaling Social Impact and the UBS Optimus Foundation COVID-19 Relief Prize and has seen strong, steady growth in philanthropic support over time.

School-aged children in low resource settings suffer from a high burden of disease and lack access to even basic healthcare for otherwise preventable and curable illnesses. In the short term, these illnesses contribute to school absenteeism, poor academic performance and high drop-out rates. In the long term, they frequently result in life-long health challenges or disability that undermine physical, cognitive and emotional development and hinder economic prosperity.

Healthy Learners is bridging this gap in Zambia through our unique model of school-based community health. By training teachers to be community health workers and making schools entry points into the public healthcare system, children now receive medical attention in substantially greater numbers, improving health outcomes and reducing absenteeism. We currently serve 250,000 students in Lusaka and, with our program now adopted by the government as policy, we are working with the Zambian government to scale nationally. We plan to be in all 10 provinces of the country by the end of 2023.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Healthy Learners is built on a solid foundation of strong operations, a capable team and a robust culture. As we prepare to enter an exciting period of accelerated growth, we are looking for a talented and dedicated Vice President of Operations (VPO) to help lead the organization as we scale nationally in Zambia.

Working in close partnership with the President, the VPO will have overall operational responsibility, including developing, implementing, and managing the operational aspects of the organization. S/he will provide coordination for Healthy Learners’ senior management team and work with the President to address organizational challenges and opportunities. The VPO will directly supervise the Finance and Administration departments and support the President to manage other departments. This is a hands on position that requires regular travel to project sites. A successful candidate should be excited to join the fast-pace environment of a rapidly growing and mission driven organization.

KEY ASPECTS OF THE ROLE

Execution and Operational Leadership – 80%

The VPO focuses on the successful execution of day-to-day operations. This includes regularly meeting with managers to support the development, implementation and monitoring of work-plans, objectives and key results, budgetary items and growth strategies. S/he works to provide leadership in the development of inter- team communication and cohesiveness, promoting Healthy Learners’ values, sustaining culture and supporting staff during organizational growth. The VPO directly supervises the Finance, Administration and Human Resource Departments and supports the President to manage the organization’s other departments.

Strategy – 20%

The VPO will act as a strategic partner to the President. S/he will support the President and other members of the senior management team to assess the organization’s strengths and weaknesses, gauge future opportunities and risks, and strengthen systems, processes and controls to accommodate scale.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Execution and Operational Leadership

• Provide effective and inspiring leadership by being actively involved in all organizational services, developing a broad and deep knowledge of all programs.
• Work with Director of Programs and managers to support our scale-up and ensure the highest quality program implementation.
• Work collaboratively with the senior management team to develop and strengthen systems, processes, controls and procedures to improve efficiency and quality of programs and accommodate growth objectives
• Work with managers to develop annual and quarterly work-plans and key performance indicators, monitor progress and report results to the President
• Support the preparation and submission an annual operational budget, manage effectively within this budget, and report accurately on progress made and challenges encountered.
• Ensure the continued financial viability of Healthy Learners operational units through sound fiscal management.
• Provide the President with reports, documents and publications that showcase and outline progress towards goals, team information and strategic direction.

Strategic Plan Implementation

• Support the President and other members of the senior management team to assess the organization’s strengths and weaknesses, gauge future opportunities and risks, and strengthen systems, processes and controls to accommodate scale.
• Identify opportunities for Healthy Learners to leverage cross-program strengths to take advantage of new opportunities and/or to address organizational challenges, and work collaboratively with the managers to integrate cross program activities and functions.
• Provide leadership and input for strategic plan implementation processes with the President and staff. Coach directors as they implement the strategic plan and scale operations.
• Develop and implement a system for tracking and reporting on the progress of the strategic plan implementation.

Human Resource Leadership

• Supervise the Director of Administration, Human Resource Manager and Finance Manager.
• Support the President to manage other team leads and department heads.
• Coach and develop Healthy Learners’ management team with an emphasis on developing capacity in planning, program budgeting and problem solving.
• Develop and implement training programs and retreats to expand capacity of staff.
• Support the President to complete annual performance appraisal process

QUALIFICATIONS

This is an extraordinary opportunity for an individual with extensive management experience to grow and further develop a proven organization that has already made significant impact. The successful candidate will partner with the President and work collaboratively with a high-performance management team.

Specific requirements include:

• Action-oriented, entrepreneurial, flexible, and innovative approach to operational management.
• Excellence in organizational management with the ability to coach a senior-level staff to manage and develop high-performance teams and develop and implement organization strategies.
• Track record of effectively leading a direct service organization with a complex array of programs with the ability to leverage strengths across program areas; excellent project management skills.
• Analytic and decisive decision maker with the ability to prioritize and communicate to staff key objectives and tactics necessary to achieve organizational goals.
• Deep experience in planning, budgeting and fiscal management.
• Past experience managing human resources function including personnel, compensation, and recruiting.
• Unwavering commitment to quality service delivery and data-driven program evaluation.
• Experience with the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders and cultures.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; a persuasive and passionate communicator.
• Passion, humility, integrity, positive attitude, mission-driven, and self-directed.
• Ability to operate as an effective tactical as well as strategic thinker
• Passion for Healthy Learners’ Vision & Mission

Minimum Requirements

• Minimum BS/BA degree with at least 10 years of experience and a track record in senior program management on the African continent.
• Master’s degree in relevant field is a plus.

All Applications should be emailed to;

Director of Administration

Healthy Learners

Lusaka, Zambia

Interested applicants should email their CV and a cover letter to [email protected]

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Note: You can learn more about our work by visiting www.healthylearners.org

Find Zambia Jobs – The best Job board for jobs in Zambia