Project Implementation Lead

Job Description

Are you a change maker who wants to play a pivotal role in restoring vision for millions of people in low-income settings across Nigeria? Would you like to work for an organisation that is a pioneer in social impact practices?

We are seeking a highly motivated, Fast rising young professional, dynamic, and self-driven candidate who would like to have a challenging and meaningful career path in the social sector. 

The Vision Access Program is a key focus area at our organisation and requires a proactive and dynamic approach. The candidate must be dedicated, process oriented and sincere towards her/his work and should always be open to learning new things. The candidate must have in-depth subject matter knowledge, expertise, and experience. Timely and high-quality delivery of goals would be essential and will be a key performance measurement criterion. S/he will develop and grow our Vision Access Program, the aim of which is to make our communities refractive error free. S/he will establish and roll out technical protocols, steward partnerships with sponsors and community stakeholders, oversee seamless execution of all field activities, and build evidence of the program’s efficacy. 

The Project Implementation lead will be based out of Lagos, Nigeria, and will report to the Country Manager Nigeria and Manager of Africa Vision Access Programs (who is based in Nairobi, Kenya). 

About You

• You are passionate about improving the accessibility of affordable eyeglasses to communities/sectors vulnerable to poverty. You know this will be incredibly fun and requires technical excellence. 
• You are great at thinking on your feet. You recognize that programs in the field can sometimes deviate from the plan, and are always able to quickly move to Plan B. 
• You are a project manager. Nothing gives you more satisfaction than flawless execution and bringing in deliverables on time and on budget. 
• “Prove it.” Ideas are nice. Evidence matters more. You love evaluating projects to find out what worked, what didn’t, and what you should be doing in the future. 
• You are a stellar communicator and can tailor messages to different stakeholder groups. You have a particular knack for capturing kids’ attention and imagination. You keep partners engaged at all phases of the project. 
• You are a leader. You manage a team effectively through clear communication and goal setting. 

 

 About Us

• VisionSpring increases lifelong earning, learning, safety, and well-being through eyeglasses for people vulnerable to poverty. We believe in the wonder of clear vision for everybody. 
• We sell and deliver radically affordable optical products and services and develop markets for eyeglasses—a 700-year-old technology that has failed to reach 1 billion people in need of vision correction, most of whom live on less than $4 a day.
• We serve low-income consumers, not as beneficiaries but as customers. Our customers expect quality, affordable products and eyecare services, and will spend limited discretionary income for the immediate and tangible benefits of vision correction.
• As a social enterprise, we are purpose first. We blend philanthropic and earned revenue, draw on non-profit and business practices, and use sales and efficiency metrics and social impact measures to bring vision correction to ever more people. 
• We catalyze collaborative action in an expansive, multisector partner network and use our evidence and experience to influence systems change and close the global clear vision gap.
• We believe in scaling our impact, not our organization. We are a lean team of doers.
• Our big goal: Everyone who needs eyeglasses will have them by 2050.
  

Job Requirements

• Graduate degree in relevant field. Preference for trained optometrists or ophthalmologists, or relevant experience in the eye care sector.
• At least 5 years professional experience, 2 years project experience. Project cycle management certification (PMP) will be a plus.
• Experience working in community and engaging partners.
• Understanding of behavior communication and community mobilization.
• Excellent communication skills in English.
• Willingness to travel within Nigeria.
• Proficiency in MS Office (especially PowerPoint and Excel).
  

Job Responsibilities

Program Management

• Lead stakeholder engagement and communications with all project stakeholders. These include: 1) Field representatives of project sponsors (corporations, NGOs, government agencies); and 2) Implementing partners
• Create program collateral (documents, presentations etc.) to support program delivery.
• Support the Head of Vision Access Projects in annual planning and budget development, and in tracking progress against VisionSpring’s strategic plan.
• Identify and share opportunities for strategic partnerships with state and district level government agencies and school systems in support of business development objectives.

 

Program Integrity, Monitoring, and Reporting

• Provide technical input for all Program design, delivery, and reporting framework.
• Develop a process to monitor accuracy of diagnosis and glasses fulfillment against prescriptions.
• Oversee field data collection and data analysis.
• Identify program successes and areas for improvement, and tailor project design accordingly. Share learning across the team. Establish quality improvement processes.
• Prepare basic impact reports to disseminate among all project partners.

 

Project Team Development & Implementation

• Execute projects on-time and on-budget. Develop project schedules. Identify risks and develop field execution contingency plans.
• Supervise the day-to-day operation of the Implementing Partners. Manage project staffing and deployment to field posts.
• Train team members who have both optometric and project coordination experience.
• Ensure all implementing partner project staff are effective in creating a memorable and motivational experience for all people.

 

Resource Mobilization & Management

• Support the development of funding proposals, concept notes, and program budgets in collaboration with relevant teams.
• Contribute to identifying new funding opportunities and donor engagement strategies for program scale-up.
• Ensure optimal use of financial and human resources across projects to maximize efficiency and impact.
  

Job Benefits
Compensation

• Salary based on experience and education.
• Competitive benefits, including health insurance and generous vacation time.

 

To Apply

• We want to know more than just what you have done. We want to know who you are. What are the passions and talents that draw you to this role?
• Please update your CV/résumé to include a phrase or sentence describing the business of each organization where you have worked. Applications without this information are disadvantaged in the process.
• Please submit a complete application, including a thoughtful cover letter and CV/résumé.
• Please note, only candidates invited to interview will be contacted.
• At VisionSpring, diversity, equity, and inclusion are directly aligned with our core value to advance equity. Our mission is predicated on removing a fundamental barrier to full economic and social participation—uncorrected blurry vision. The values that underpin our mission energize our commitment to a diverse and inclusive team. A diverse team also allows VisionSpring to approach problems with nuance and develop unique insights that drive an outsized positive impact in the world. We actively recruit, develop, and retain talented people from diverse backgrounds and support everyone in being exactly who they are. VisionSpring is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes people from all experiences, abilities, and perspectives to apply.

 

VisionSpring increases lifelong earning, learning, safety, and well-being through eyeglasses for people vulnerable to poverty. We believe in the wonder of clear vision for everybody. We sell and deliver radically affordable optical products and services and develop markets for eyeglasses—a 700-year-old technology that has failed to reach 1 billion people in need of vision correction, most of whom live on less than $4 a day. We serve low-income consumers, not as beneficiaries but as customers. Our customers expect quality, affordable products and eyecare services, and will spend limited discretionary income for the immediate and tangible benefits of vision correction. As a social enterprise, we are purpose first. We blend philanthropic and earned revenue, draw on non-profit and business practices, and use sales and efficiency metrics and social impact measures to bring vision correction to ever more people. We catalyze collaborative action in an expansive, multisector partner network and use our evidence and experience to influence systems change and close the global clear vision gap. We believe in scaling our impact, not our organization. We are a lean team of doers. Our big goal: Everyone who needs eyeglasses will have them by 2050.