Volunteer Clinical Operations Officer 106 views3 applications

Organization Overview

Village Health Works (VHW) is a joint American-Burundian non-profit and non-governmental organization (NGO) whose mission is to provide quality, compassionate health care in a dignified environment while treating the root causes of illness, poverty, violence, and neglect in collaboration with those we serve. The organization’s operations are based in Kigutu, in southern Burundi, with support from offices in NYC. VHW’s approach integrates clinical services with education, food security, economic development, environmental protection, music and the arts. VHW’s central program is a clinic that conducted 37,917 patient consultations in 2017 and has 4 inpatient wards. A hospital that will add surgical and emergency obstetrical capacity is currently under construction. In preparation for the hospital’s planned opening in late 2019, VHW is building a supply chain and establishing procurement practices to ensure the efficient and timely delivery of items such as medical equipment and medicines.

Position Overview

The Clinical Operations Officer works under the supervision of the Country Director with technical support and direction from the Project Manager and the Director of Procurement. This position will support VHW’s clinical operations team and the implementation of clinical activities on site, with particular emphasis on activities in the pharmacy. We are seeking an individual who is excited to implement process improvements and fine tune systems in anticipation of the increase in patient load that will result from the opening of the Kigutu Hospital and Women’s Health Pavilion. The ideal candidate is analytical and has great communication skills – for example, would be able to translate pharmaceutical consumption data into productive conversations with a variety of stakeholders. This person will work very closely with VHW’s pharmacist, as well as VHW’s clinical, procurement and finance teams.

This position requires a minimum commitment of 10 months, as well as full-time residence at our main site in rural Kigutu, Bururi Province, Burundi.

Specific Responsibilities

• Work closely with VHW Pharmacist, Clinicians, Procurement and Finance to manage clinical operations.
• Accompany, supervise and strengthen clinical operations systems, implementing process improvements as needed.
• Support clinical and lab procurement in all stages of the supply chain cycle – inventory management, distribution, reporting and quantification.
• Quantify and coordinate with the procurement and finance teams for stopgap requests that occur outside of the annual order cycle.
• Ensure the integrity of data in VHW’s stock management system; coordinate and share information with relevant stakeholders.
• Oversee all medical equipment on site, particularly with regard to maintenance and consumables needed to operate each piece of equipment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Experience implementing process improvements and enjoying them!
• Strong administrative and organizational skills, especially the ability to plan, organize and follow through.
• Self-motivated and able to work both independently and as part of a larger team.
• Poise, professionalism, and strong communication skills to diverse stakeholders.
• Able to prioritize effectively, managing multiple responsibilities simultaneously and meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent computer skills, including fluency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
• Ability to live in rural Burundi full-time is required.
• A commitment to social justice.
• Prior work experience in supply chain, sourcing, project management, international logistics and/or administration, or other relatable detail-oriented work is preferred.
• Ability to speak French is strongly preferred, but not required.

Compensation

This is a unique opportunity to gain knowledge and skills about international operations management, supply chain and procurement, construction coordination and design, medical equipment planning and maintenance, as well as project management in a global health delivery context. We are dedicated to facilitating the learning amongst our interns and volunteer analysts. While this is an uncompensated volunteer position, the work you do will both build practical experience, as well as directly influence the care given to hundreds of thousands of people in rural Burundi.