Volunteer Clinical Operations Officer 258 views

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 Burundi Chief Operating Officer, or in the absence of that person, under the supervision of the Country Director and the Director of Procurement. This position will work to strengthen VHW’s supply chain, ensuring that VHW is able to procure the right drugs, at the right time, and the right price. 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.

Daily responsibilities will center on increasing the quality of clinical data and ensuring smooth operation of the organization’s medical equipment, implementing process improvements as needed.

This position requires a minimum commitment of 12 months, as well as full-time residence at our main site in rural Kigutu, Bururi Province, Burundi.

Specific Responsibilities

· Work directly with the VHW Pharmacist to improve clinical data quality, improving VHW’s ability to forecast consumption of drugs and limiting the frequency of stock outs as the organization grows.

· Accompany, supervise and strengthen clinical operations systems, especially those relating to clinical data quality, implementing process improvements as needed.

· Support the VHW Chief Medical Officer, Pharmacist, and pharmacy team in the organization of “clinical committees” that evaluate the drugs on the formulary and whether any should be added, removed, or used differently.

· Support clinical and lab procurement in all stages of the supply chain cycle – inventory management, distribution, reporting and quantification.

· Collaborate on annual international bulk purchasing of pharmaceuticals, medical consumables, medical durables and lab supplies, working closely with the international supply chain team.

· 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; develop and train on inventory management SOPs and warehousing best practices.

· Implement systems to track and procure consumables needed for all of VHW’s medical equipment to function, in addition to ensuring that all medical equipment is well maintained, under warranty, and that all key staff are properly trained in its use.

· Work closely with and facilitate coordination between VHW Pharmacist, Clinicians, Procurement and Finance teams to ensure smooth clinical operations.

· Build the capacity and share knowledge and experience with the pharmacy team, sharing skills in Excel and other programs wherever possible with the Pharmacist, the Pharmacy Assistant, and all additional relevant staff.

Qualifications

· Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in supply chain or other relevant field 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.