Country Coordinator, Mozambique, CRVS

Vital Strategies is an international public health organization. Its programs strengthen public health systems and address the world's leading causes of illness, injury, and death. Vital Strategies currently works in 80 countries, supporting data-driven decision-making in government, advancing evidence-based public health policies, and mounting strategic communication campaigns. Vital Strategies' priorities are driven by the greatest potential to improve and save lives. They include non-communicable disease prevention and commercial determinants of health (tobacco, alcohol, and ultra-processed foods); injury prevention (including drug overdose, road safety, and gender-based violence); and environmental health (including air quality and lead poisoning). The organization’s programs are primarily concentrated in low-and middle-income countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Pacific. Please visit our website at www.vitalstrategies.org to find out more about our work.Vital Strategies is committed to building a diverse, equitable and inclusive (DEI) organization. We believe our programs are strengthened when they are developed and supported by individuals with diverse life experiences, whose understanding of social and cultural issues can help make our work and workforce more inclusive. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.Job Purpose:The Country Coordinator (CC), Mozambique, will lead the implementation of the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Improvement Program in Mozambique. The Country Coordinator is responsible for leading the design, planning, and implementation of CRVS system strengthening activities in Mozambique under the guidance of the Regional Deputy Director and the technical support team. The role ensures that interventions are country-owned, technically rigorous, aligned with national priorities, and implemented in accordance with approved workplans and budgets.The Country Coordinator, Mozambique, represents Vital Strategies in-country and works closely with senior government counterparts, development partners, and internal technical teams to institutionalize sustainable CRVS and data use improvements.Duties and Responsibilities:Government Engagement & Stakeholder Leadership -* Serve as the primary in-country focal point for the CRVS Improvement Program. * Maintain strong working relationships with senior government officials across relevant ministries (e.g., Health, Justice, Interior, National Statistics Office). * Lead or support national CRVS coordination mechanisms and technical working groups. * Represent the CRVS program in national forums and partner meetings. * Promote country leadership, ownership, and long-term sustainability of CRVS reforms.Strategic Work Planning, Program Management & Technical Oversight (CRVS Systems Strengthening) -* Lead the development of annual and multi-year CRVS workplans aligned with national strategies, in collaboration with the Regional Deputy Director. * Develop detailed, budgeted implementation plans with clear milestones and deliverables, ensuring alignment with donor requirements and organizational policies. * Prioritize activities in collaboration with government counterparts to maximize impact. * Provide technical oversight and assistance, in coordination with the technical support team, across all work plan interventions. * Ensure technical support promotes institutionalization, strengthens local capacity, and supports long-term sustainability.Financial Oversight & Agreement Management -* Monitor budgets to actuals against approved workplans and milestones. * Ensure fiscal accountability and compliance with donor and organizational requirements. * In collaboration with the Regional Deputy Director, negotiate collaboration agreements, MOUs, grant agreements, and sub-grant arrangements with government and in-country stakeholders. * Oversee drafting and execution of contracts with consultants and fiscal agents, as required.Supervision & Team Coordination -* Provide technical direction and coordination for in-country consultants and program support staff. * Ensure high level of coordination with all D4H partners and Data Impact program coordinators. * Work closely with Program Management team to ensure effective operational, logistical, and financial coordination. * Facilitate collaboration between Mozambique stakeholders and global/regional CRVS technical teams. * Contribute to cross-country learning and regional collaboration.Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting -* Monitor implementation progress against defined milestones and performance indicators. * Prepare and submit quarterly progress reports summarizing technical achievements, and work plan budget accountability. * Support development of annual country performance reviews. * Document lessons learned and contribute to CRVS knowledge products and cross-country experience sharing.Risk Management & Escalation -* Identify political, operational, financial, and implementation risks affecting CRVS program delivery and communicate with Regional Deputy Director in a timely manner . * Develop and implement mitigation strategies in collaboration with government and internal teams.Qualifications:Education and Degree –* A Master’s degree in a relevant field such as Public Health, Epidemiology, Statistics, Demography, Public Policy, or International Development.Skills and Abilities –* Ability to navigate complex government hierarchies and build consensus among diverse ministries (Health, Justice, Interior). * Skill in influencing high-level officials to prioritize long-term institutional reforms over short-term fixes. * Professionalism and confidence in representing an international program in national summits and partner forums. * Deep understanding of the legal and operational workflows for birth and death registration. * Technical knowledge of Medical Certification of Cause of Death (MCCD), ICD-10/11 coding, and quality assurance standards. * Ability to implement community-based mortality data collection, including Verbal Autopsy techniques. * Understanding of database interoperability, data privacy, and the transition from paper-based to digital registration systems. * Ability to manage complex multi-year budgets, ensuring high absorption rates while maintaining strict donor compliance. * Skill in developing "S.M.A.R.T." (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) workplans aligned with national strategies. * Proficiency in negotiating legally sound MOUs, grant agreements, and sub-contracts. * Ability to pinpoint implementation bottlenecks and design data-driven corrective actions. * Ability to lead and provide technical direction to a diverse team of consultants and support staff. * Ability to spot political, financial, or operational threats and immediately raise for contingency and de-escalation planning. * Skill in synthesizing complex technical and financial data into clear, high-quality quarterly reports for executive leadership. * Ability to facilitate learning across borders by documenting best practices and lessons learned for regional sharing. * Ability to build strong, ongoing, impactful relationships at all organizational levels and across a diverse range of cultural, generational, ethnic, racial, educational, and social backgrounds * Demonstrated commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environmentExperience:Required –* Eight years of professional experience in public health or development with at least 5 years specifically focused on strengthening national health systems or CRVS in low- and middle-income countries. * A deep understanding of health information systems, mortality surveillance, or legal frameworks for civil registration is essential. * Practical experience with CRVS, such as implementing ICD-10/11 coding, improving Medical Certification of Cause of Death (MCCD), or deploying Verbal Autopsy tools. * Experience overseeing the move from paper-based to digital registration systems. * A history of working with National Statistics Offices to analyze vital events data and successfully "translating" that data into government policy changes. * Experience directly advising or working within Ministries of Health, Justice, or Interior.Preferred -* Prior experience working with or for major global health players like the WHO, UNICEF, CDC, or the World Bank is highly preferred. * Experience managing the complex compliance requirements of major donors (e.g., Bloomberg Philanthropies, USAID, or DFAT).Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:* This is a full-time position that can be based anywhere in Maputo, Mozambique. * The successful candidate will be hired via Vital Strategies’ Employer of Record. * The candidate must have authorization to work legally in Mozambique at the time of hire. * Vital Strategies offers highly competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits. The salary range for this position in Mozambique is MZN 4,000,000 to MZN 4,650,000, depending on experience and qualifications. * The position will require travel up to 30% of the time in the country and may be required to travel internationally to attend meetings with partners. * The candidate needs to be willing to work with colleagues across different time zones.HOW TO APPLYPlease apply via our Careers page on the Vital Strategies website, or by using the link below. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. The role will remain open until filled.https://phg.tbe.taleo.net/phg01/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=VITASTRA&cws=37&rid=893