Program Officer

BACKGROUND

The spillover of infectious agents from animals to humans in recent decades has profoundly impacted the health of humans, animals, and the environment. To mitigate the potential effects of future pandemic threats, the Southeast Asia One Health University Network (SEAOHUN) was established in 2011. This initiative aimed to cultivate a skilled and proficient One Health (OH) workforce, with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development and its One Health Workforce – Next Generation (OHW-NG) project.

Since its inception, SEAOHUN has significantly expanded its network, evolving from its initial 10 member universities in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam to encompass 102 universities across eight countries. This extended membership now includes the four founding countries as well as Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and the Philippines. The expansion was made feasible through the generous support of Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), U.S. Department of State (DOS) through its Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI), and USAID. Our university members hail from diverse disciplines that are interlinked with the well-being of humans, animals, and the environment.

Our educational initiatives are geared towards fostering collaborative endeavors and projects among these nations, with a strong emphasis on enhancing the One Health workforce’s capabilities. These capabilities encompass cross-sectoral competencies aimed at efficiently preventing, detecting, and responding to a broad spectrum of hazards and emerging threats. Noteworthy examples of our educational undertakings encompass the establishment of core One Health competencies, technical skills development, reinforcement of curricula, and the introduction of innovative pedagogical methodologies, such as One Health problem-based learning cases. Additionally, our efforts encompass augmenting research capacities to underpin One Health advocacy, fostering One Health student clubs, and providing scholarship and fellowship programs that bolster sustained capacity building.

Headquartered in Chiang Mai, Thailand, the SEAOHUN Secretariat functions as the central coordinating body for all country networks. This Secretariat effectively manages subawards in collaboration with the country networks, orchestrates SEAOHUN Executive Board meetings and regional activities, fortifies One Health university networks within Southeast Asia through capacity building initiatives, and forms partnerships with national, international, and non-governmental organizations to cultivate the next generation of One Health leaders. Moreover, the Secretariat represents the interests of its country networks in various regional gatherings, conferences, and forums, such as the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) Detect 1 and Detect 5 packages, ASEAN+3 Field Epidemiology Training Network (FETN), and the Tripartite (FAO/OIE/WHO).

SEAOHUN has also established collaborations with Pfizer Thailand to address the escalating threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Thailand. Furthermore, partnerships with Chevron have been forged to bolster One Health education throughout Southeast Asia.

For more information, please visit the official SEAOHUN website at https://www.seaohun.org/ and Facebook page at http://facebook.com/seaohun 

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the overall supervision of the Program Manager, the Program Officer will primarily be responsible for SEAOHUN regional programs and will assist the other team members to organize other activities of the Secretariat. S/he will undertake the following tasks:

• Collaborate with the Program Manager to develop and refine program strategies and initiatives, ensuring they align with SEAOHUN’s overall goals and objectives.
• Take charge of formulating and executing SEAOHUN pre-service and in-service regional initiatives, including but not limited to scholarships, internships, fellowships, research grants, and student-related programs/activities.
• Serve as a focal person in preparation of work plan and budget, write-up of activity reports as related to SEAOHUN regional programs.
• Support MEL Officer in implementing monitoring and evaluation activities, consolidation of program outputs, outcomes, and impact, including verification of submitted supporting documents.
• Establish good working relationships with SEAOHUN program partners and One Health University Networks in 8 member countries.
• Coordinate and organize webinars and trainings related to the regional programs.
• Collaborate with Senior Public Engagement Officer to document, and communicate program results to donors, partners, and other stakeholders.
• Ensure that program documents are properly kept, organized, and stored in physical and electronic formats in accordance with the SEAOHUN and funders’ standards and procedures.
• Provide guidance and support to junior team members and interns involved in program-related activities, fostering a collaborative and learning-oriented environment.
• Actively participate in team meetings, sharing updates, insights, and recommendations that contribute to the overall growth and success of SEAOHUN.
• Stay up to date with technological advancements and digital tools relevant to program management and implementation and incorporate them into daily workflows as appropriate.
• Perform other tasks as assigned and needed for successful program implementation.

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree from a recognized college or university. A Master’s degree is preferred.
• A minimum of three years’ work experience (for Master’s degree holders) or five years’ work experience (for Bachelor’s degree holders) in program coordination/management.
• Experience working with government agencies, intergovernmental agencies, academic universities, or NGOs is required. Experience working in Southeast Asian countries is preferred.
• Experience with USAID-funded projects is highly desirable.
• Experience in One Health is an asset.
• Experience in effectively managing projects from conception to completion, including planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting.
• Proficiency in English, both written and spoken, is essential. Strong communication skills, including networking, negotiation, and diplomacy, are required.
• Self-driven, with a proactive approach to tasks and the ability to function with minimal supervision is required.
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a diverse and multicultural environment.
• Demonstrated willingness to adapt to changing circumstances, navigate ambiguity, and make positive contributions positively to a dynamic and evolving organization.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office/Google Suite, email communication, social media applications, and Internet navigation is mandatory.