Regional Program Manager – Eye Health, Africa
Helen Keller Intl Job Announcement
Regional Program Manager – Eye Health, Africa
Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania
Background
Guided by the remarkable legacy of its co-founder, Helen Keller, Helen Keller Intl partners with communities striving to overcome longstanding cycles of poverty. By delivering the essential building blocks of good health, sound nutrition, and clear vision, we help millions of people create lasting change in their own lives. Working in 20 countries – across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the United States – Helen Keller is a leader in designing and implementing evidence-based strategies that combat preventable disease and improve health and nutrition.
Helen Keller Intl’s Eye Health programs strengthen health systems and expand access to quality eye health services, with a strong focus on cataract and uncorrected refractive error. The Regional Program Manager – Eye Health, Africa provides strategic leadership, coordination, and day-to-day oversight of multi-country eye health programs across Africa. The role is accountable for ensuring high-quality and compliant program implementation; alignment with organizational and regional priorities; effective stewardship of donor-funded resources; and the use of data and learning to achieve measurable impact in preventing avoidable blindness and visual impairment while driving continuous improvement.
Candidates must have work authorization in one of the following countries of hire- Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania.
Functional Relationships
The Regional Program Manager – Eye Health, Africa reports to the Vice President, Eye Health. This position works closely with colleagues in the Managing Director’s Units, Country Offices, Technical Consultants and global functions to ensure efficiency, compliance, and strong program management. Success requires proactive communication, collaboration, and teamwork.
Key Responsibilities
Program Leadership and Management
• Lead the design, implementation, and scale-up of regional eye care programs in line with global and country strategies.
• Provide technical and operational support to country teams to ensure quality service delivery.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of regional and global eye health strategies by providing field-informed insights, lessons learned, and emerging priorities.
• Support adaptive management by using program data, learning, and contextual analysis to inform course corrections and continuous improvement.
• Develop annual work plans, budgets, and implementation timelines.
• Monitor program performance using the Eye Health Indicator Library and any other agreed indicators and ensure timely reporting.
• Ensure safeguarding, risk mitigation, and compliance considerations are integrated into program design, implementation, and partner engagement. Identify programmatic, operational, or reputational risks and proactively escalate concerns in line with organizational policies and risk management frameworks.
Technical Oversight
• Ensure programs align with Helen Keller Intl standard eye health guidelines and national policies.
• Provide technical guidance on cataract, refractive error, school eye health and other priority eye conditions.
• Promote evidence-based practices and continuous quality improvement.
Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL)
• Oversee data collection, analysis, and use for decision-making.
• Support operational research and documentation of best practices.
• Ensure lessons learned are shared across countries.
Capacity Building and Team Support
• Build the capacity of country program staff through mentoring and training.
• Advance locally led development by strengthening country team leadership, supporting national partners to assume greater technical and managerial responsibility, and promoting equitable partnerships that center local expertise and decision-making.
• Foster cross-country learning and collaboration.
• Supervise regional or country-level program staff as assigned, including goal setting, performance feedback, coaching, and support for professional development.
• Contribute to workforce planning, onboarding, and succession planning to ensure continuity and depth of regional eye health capacity.
Grants and Donor Management
• Ensure compliance with donor requirements and contractual obligations.
• Contribute to proposal development, budgets, and donor reports.
• Support resource mobilization and sustainability planning.
• Oversee regional program budgets in collaboration with Finance and country teams, including budget development, monitoring of expenditures against forecasts, and identification of risks or variances.
• Promote cost-effective program delivery and responsible stewardship of donor and organizational resources across the regional portfolio.
Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement
• Engage with a diverse range of partners, including government counterparts, professional associations, private-sector actors, and regional networks, to strengthen eye health systems and promote sustainable service delivery models. Represent the organization in regional eye health forums and technical working groups.
• Support advocacy efforts to integrate eye care into national health systems.
Qualifications
• Education: Master’s degree in Public Health, Global Health, Health Management, or a related field.
• Experience: 8-10 years of experience managing health or eye care programs in Africa.
o Experience leading or coordinating multi-country programs within a matrixed or decentralized organizational structure.
o Proven experience working with donors and multi-country programs.
• Strong knowledge and familiarity with health systems in Africa, including eye health with a focus on avoidable blindness and school eye health.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence, manage competing priorities, and collaborate effectively across functions and geographies.
• Experience using program data and learning to inform decision-making and improve program performance.
• Strong strategic planning, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and analytical skills.
• Strong cross-cultural and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Willingness and ability to travel extensively within Africa.
• Fluency in English and working knowledge of French strongly preferred.
Fairness, Belonging, and Zero Tolerance to Abuse
As a member of the Helen Keller family, each employee is expected to:
• Help to develop and maintain an environment that welcomes and develops a multi- cultural workforce with varied lived experiences and identities.
• Foster a work environment where everyone feels valued and included.
• Support evaluation and promotion processes based on skills and performance.
• Promote a safe, secure, and respectful environment for all members of the Helen Keller family, stakeholders, and especially for the communities we serve.
• Follow the Helen Keller Code of Conduct to prevent abuse, including workplace harassment, sexual abuse and exploitation, and trafficking in persons.
• Adhere to the organization’s Core Values, which include courage, integrity, rigor and compassion.
Compensation
Helen Keller offers a comprehensive rewards package, including health and dental coverage, paid leave, and professional development. Specific offerings may vary by country in accordance with local laws. The compensation for this position will be aligned with the local salary structure.
To Apply
Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to HKI.Recruitment@hki.org. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
In the spirit of the extraordinary ability and vision of our founder, Helen Keller Intl fosters an environment of fairness and belonging for our workforce.
Helen Keller Intl is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment.