Project Officer

Overview

Project Oview

The Pandemic Fund South Africa Project supports the strengthening of national systems for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. Through investments in surveillance and human resources for health, the project aims to enhance early warning systems, improve disease detection and reporting, and build capacity for coordinated emergency response. Implemented in collaboration with the National Department of Health, Jhpiego, and other key stakeholders, the project contributes to building a resilient health system aligned with South Africa’s National Action Plan for Health Security.

Role Overview

Jhpiego is seeking a dynamic and motivated Project Officer to support the implementation of activities under the Pandemic Fund South Africa Project. The Project Officer will work closely with technical teams, finance, and operations staff to coordinate project activities, monitor progress, support reporting, and ensure the smooth delivery of project outputs. The role will involve supporting project work planning, documentation, logistical coordination, budget monitoring, communication with stakeholders, and compliance with Jhpiego and donor requirements. This position requires strong organizational skills, an understanding of project management principles, and a passion for contributing to South Africa’s pandemic preparedness efforts.

This position is supported through a donor-funded project with an anticipated implementation period of three years. The successful candidate will be appointed on an initial 12-month fixed-term contract, which may be renewed or extended subject to funding availability, operational requirements of the organisation, and/or satisfactory performance

Responsibilities

• Support day-to-day coordination of project activities to ensure timely implementation of workplan deliverables.
• Assist in developing, updating, and tracking project workplans, calendars, and task lists.
• Work closely with finance and operations teams to monitor project budgets and expenditures.
• Assist technical and program teams with compiling, formatting, and submitting required donor and internal reports (including quarterly, annual, financial, and ad-hoc reports), ensuring accuracy, completeness, and timely delivery in line with project and organizational timelines.
• Prepare, compile, and support the submission of project reports, minutes, updates, and deliverables.
• Coordinate project meetings, workshops, trainings, and site visits, including logistical and administrative arrangements.
• Support technical teams in collecting, collating, and managing project data and information for reporting and decision-making.
• Assist in documenting best practices, lessons learned, and success stories.
• Maintain organized project filing systems (electronic and hard copy) for easy retrieval and reporting.
• Track project risks, challenges, and mitigation actions, escalating issues to project management as needed.
• Ensure compliance with Jhpiego, donor, and South African regulations for all assigned tasks.
• Support communication with internal teams, donors, partners, and stakeholders to ensure timely and effective project delivery.
• Perform other duties as assigned to support the project and the Pandemic Fund initiative.
  
  

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Public/Business Administration, Development Studies, Project Management, Social Sciences, or a related field.
• 5 to 6 years of directly relevant experience required with a minimum of three (3) years of experience supporting health programs, preferably in a donor-funded organization.
• Understanding of project management practices and principles.
• Strong organizational and administrative skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Good writing, editing, and communication skills.
• Experience with budget monitoring and financial tracking.
• Proficiency in MS Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Ability to work independently, meet deadlines, and deliver quality results with minimal supervision.
• Willingness to travel locally as needed.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Post Graduate degree (NQF level 8), in Public Health, Public/Business Administration, Development Studies, Project Management, Social Sciences, or a related field.
• Experience supporting USAID- or donor-funded health projects.
• Understanding of South Africa’s public health systems and structures.
  
  

Core Competencies:

• Teamwork and collaboration
• Organizational and time management skills
• Problem-solving and critical thinking
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy
• Communication and interpersonal skills
• Integrity and ethical standards
• Adaptability and flexibility
• Client orientation and customer focus
  
  

Jhpiego, a Johns Hopkins University affiliate, is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, other legally protected characteristics or any other occupationally irrelevant criteria. Jhpiego promotes Affirmative Action for minorities, women, individuals who are disabled, and veterans.

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