CGPP Senegal – Deputy Director and Technical Lead Short term contract

Position Title: CORE Group Partners Project (CGPP) Senegal Secretariat Deputy Director and Technical Lead

Hiring Organization: CORE Group, Inc. to be paid from the US

Type of employment: Fulltime consulting contractor

Duration of contract: May 4, 2026 – September 30, 2026 (with the possibility of extension)

Duty Station: Dakar, Senegal (with frequent travel to project-supported regions)

Reports to: CGPP Senegal Secretariat Director

The CORE Group Partners Project (CGPP) is a United States Department of State-funded, multi-country, multi-partner initiative that provides on-the-ground technical assistance and guidance to support host country efforts to eradicate polio, strengthen immunization systems, enhance disease surveillance, and increase access to essential health services. CGPP works across four technical areas – polio, nutrition, maternal and child health, and global health security – through existing networks of international and local NGOs operating in hard-to-reach areas with low immunization coverage. At the country level, a secretariat coordinates the work of CGPP partner organizations in a manner that complements the efforts of all implementing partners. In Senegal, CGPP supports national health strategies by expanding access to essential lifesaving health services and promoting child and family health through integrated community-based interventions.

The Deputy Director of the CGPP Senegal Secretariat will be based in Dakar and support the Secretariat Director in providing technical leadership of CGPP operations in Senegal to improve maternal and child health (MCH) and nutrition outcomes in five selected regions: Diourbel, Tambacounda, Sédhiou, Kolda, and Kédougou.

The Deputy Director will:

• Provide overall technical leadership for CGPP Senegal’s integrated portfolio in routine immunization, MCH, and nutrition.
• Ensure that program design and field implementation are evidence-based, aligned with national policies and global guidance, and responsive to community and health system needs.
• Support the Secretariat Director in managing partnerships, strengthening secretariat operations, and ensuring high-quality implementation, monitoring, reporting, and learning across all CGPP Senegal partners.

Strategic and Technical Leadership

• Guide the development of the project’s technical priorities and strategic plan, ensuring that they contribute to quality, integrated MCH and nutrition services.
• Develop the annual secretariat budget and work plan.
• Review and approve all capacity building workplans and training curricula developed by the secretariat and implementing partner technical staff.
• Monitor trainings on MCH, routine immunization, risk prevention, communication, data collection, and reporting tools and techniques.
• Provide technical leadership for the MCH and nutrition activities including coordination of planning, implementation, and monitoring of activities.
• Participate in the hiring of Secretariat staff when necessary.

Program Oversight, Quality, and Capacity Strengthening

• Monitor field-level operations and make necessary program adjustments to ensure effective implementation and alignment with CGPP’s goal and objectives and the national MCH and nutrition program.
• Provide capacity building, supervision, and mentoring to secretariat and implementing partner staff and ensure field staff at all levels receive appropriate training.

Planning, Budgeting, and Accountability

• Monitor implementing partners’ adherence to the approved budgets and workplans and work with the Secretariat Director to make any necessary program adjustments to ensure workplans are completed within the allotted budget and timelines.
• Meet monthly with implementing partners, in collaboration with the Finance Officer, to monitor and provide support for liquidation reporting processes.
• Monitor the implementation of the secretariat workplan to ensure activities are on course and track the secretariat expenditure pattern by reviewing monthly and quarterly financial reports. Make recommendations for corrective action if required.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

• Support project monitoring, data quality assurance, evaluation, and surveillance activities and guide the interpretation of the analyzed data.
• Support the MEAL lead in implementation of project monitoring and evaluation activities and the use of data for program decision making.

Secretariat Coordination and Representation

• Maintain close formal and informal networking and communications with national and international MCH and nutrition partners and stakeholders.
• Represent the interests of the CGPP and its partners in meetings with US DOS and other donors and stakeholders, and report on those meetings to CGPP headquarters staff in absence of the Secretariat Director.
• Represent the Secretariat Director in technical or programmatic meetings as appropriate.
• Serve as a liaison between the CGPP Secretariat and critical stakeholders at the sub-national level.
• Serve as a resource person for US Department of State Mission in Senegal for technical/programmatic matters on MCH and nutrition.

Reporting and Knowledge Management

• Produce the Senegal CGPP quarterly, semi-annual, annual reports, and other reports and ensure the timely completion of data updates.

• Strong strategic, analytical, systems thinking, and problem-solving skills, with the capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgment and decisions.
• Exceptional relationship management skills with the ability to relate to diverse stakeholders, including government counterparts, donors, implementing partners, civil society organizations, and community members
• Proven ability to lead diverse and/or multi-disciplinary teams, fostering a proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented, and results-oriented environment.
• Very good communication and presentation skills, with demonstrated ability to present briefs to donors and represent an organization at conferences and other forums.

• Medical Doctor or an advanced degree (master’s degree or PhD) in public health, nutrition, infectious diseases, or related technical field.
• Minimum of 10 years of working experience, including at least four years in a senior management position supervising senior staff in an international or multicultural environment.
• Demonstrated experience providing strategic leadership and project management for complex programs or initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience in managing donor funds, including compliance with donor regulations, financial accountability, audits, and high-quality reporting.
• Technical expertise and demonstrated experience in maternal and child health (MCH) and nutrition, combined with strong familiarity with the Senegalese health system and context.
• Ability to use data, evidence, and learning to inform strategic decision-making and program improvement.

• Technical expertise and qualifications in routine immunization and primary healthcare system strengthening
• Demonstrated experience of successful management of complex, multi-activity projects.
• Experience in staff management, mentorship, and capacity building with abilities that are conducive to a learning environment.
• Experience in MS Office package (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio), Web Conferencing Applications, and information and budget management systems.

• English (Required): Advanced professional proficiency required, with ability to communicate effectively in meetings, presentations, and written reports with international stakeholders.
• French (Required).
• Wolof (Preferred): Wolof and any other local language (Pulaar, Serer, Mandinka, Jola) is an added advantage.

• Must be willing and able to travel up to 30% to 50% of the time.

• Supervises some of the secretariat staff as assigned.

• Internal: Secretariat staff (Director, MEAL Officer, etc.), implementing partner staff, CGPP HQ Team.
• External:Ministry of Health and Social Action, Regional MOH, District MOH, National Council for the Development of Nutrition (CNDN), US DOS, GPEI partners, and others.

Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.

How to apply

• Interested candidates can apply by April 30, 2026, by sending an expression of interest letter and an updated CV to info@thecgpp.org.
• Please title your email “Senegal Secretariat Deputy Director application”.
• This position is strictly for local nationals in Senegal.

Tagged as: Agriculture, Food Security and Livelihoods