Program Manager

Study Description:

“Advancing mHealth-supported Adoption and Sustainment of an Evidence-based Mental Health Intervention for Youth in a School-based Delivery Setting in Sierra Leone”, is an NIMH-funded implementation science research study. The main study objective is to evaluate a new implementation strategy for delivering an evidence-based mental health intervention to youth (aged 14-24) in Sierra Leone’s secondary schools: delivery by teachers receiving mobile-based supervision compared with standard, in person supervision. The study will also investigate barriers and facilitators to implementation of the intervention aided by mobile supervision prior to implementation and apply a user-centered design approach to adapt and refine the mobile-based supervision model. The study involves collaborations between Brown University and partners at Boston College, Caritas-Freetown (based in Sierra Leone), Innovations for Poverty Action (based in Sierra Leone), and Rising Academies Network (based in Sierra Leone). This is a fixed term position of three years, which may extend based on availability of funding.

Job Description:

The Program Manager will oversee day to day research activities in Sierra Leone, manage research budgets and maintain detailed records of study expenses, manage study data bases, prepare IRB and local ethics committee applications, and liaise regularly with partner organizations and key stakeholders in Sierra Leone to fulfill the scientific aims of the project. The Program Manager will also assist with qualitative data collection and training of research assistants in qualitative methods. The Program Manager will be based in Sierra Leone and collaborate closely with Innovations for Poverty Action and Caritas Freetown to ensure alignment of partner organizations and adherence to the study protocol. The Program Manager will also have opportunities to gain experience with implementation science, design thinking, mixed methods research, qualitative data analysis, and grants administration.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading weekly teleconference meetings; engaging stakeholders, preparing and submitting local IRB applications; assisting with NIH and adverse event reporting requirements.
• Reviewing the Caritas-Freetown project budgets and assisting with forecasting expenses; creating and maintaining detailed budget worksheets to tracking expenses; managing receipts for project expenses and documentation of expenses; preparing requisition forms according to the requirements of Brown University grants administration.
• Assisting with coordination of teacher training on the mental health intervention as well as technology training for the mHealth tool; assisting with recruitment/hiring of supervisors who will provide training and supervision to teachers.
• Lead recruitment of user-centered design participants and assist with focus group discussions and two user interface/user experience testing sessions for refinement of the mHealth tool; assist with qualitative data collection from end-users.

Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree (preferably in public health, social work, or other social science field)
• Prior international work experience in low- and middle- income countries is strongly preferred
• Prior supervisory and project management experience in a research or academic organization strongly preferred
• Experience maintaining project budgets, including detailed records of study expenses, receipts of expenses, and forecasting expenses
• Experience managing research studies and maintaining regulatory materials/IRB approvals preferred
• Experience working independently and proactively
• Experience working with diplomacy in communications and interpersonal relations; experience effectively dealing with multiple constituencies and cultural diversity with competency
• Experience evaluating problems thoroughly, showing resourcefulness in identifying solutions, and displaying sound judgment
• Proficiency in MS suite (i.e., Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Proficiency with qualitative data analysis, qualitative software (i.e., Nvivo) and citation software (i.e., Endnote) is a plus

Working Conditions:

The Program Manager may work on a schedule falling outside normal business hours in order to meet demands in the field and cross-time zones communications.

Organization:

Please note that the Program Manager will be employed by Nextsource, but will have access to all Brown University resources (i.e., software, electronic databases, trainings). The Program Manager will report to the Brown University Principal Investigator, Dr. Alethea Desrosiers.

Application Process:

Submit a cover letter and CV to alethea_desrosiers@brown.edu

Note: All offers of employment are contingent upon a criminal background check and education verification satisfactory to Nextsource.