Vital Strategies is Seeking a Program Manager – Apply Before 30 March 2026

Location: Kigali, Rwanda
Department: Environmental Health
Employment Type: Full-Time
Salary Range: RWF 33,600,000 – RWF 43,000,000
Work Arrangement: Hybrid (Kigali-based)

Vital Strategies is seeking a Program Manager to lead and strengthen its Lead Poisoning Prevention Program in Rwanda. This role offers a strategic opportunity to contribute to environmental health systems strengthening while collaborating with national stakeholders and international experts.

Organisational Overview

Vital Strategies is an international public health organisation operating in 73 countries. The organisation works to strengthen public health systems, support data-driven decision-making, advance evidence-based policies, and implement strategic communication campaigns. Its programmatic priorities focus on addressing the leading causes of illness, injury, and death globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries across Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Pacific.

Key focus areas include:

• Non-communicable disease prevention
• Tobacco control
• Road safety
• Obesity prevention
• Overdose prevention
• Environmental health
• Vital statistics systems strengthening

Vital Strategies is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, recognising that diverse perspectives enhance both programmatic impact and organisational culture. Applications from candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged.

About the Lead Poisoning Prevention Program

Vital Strategies is expanding its efforts to address childhood lead exposure in low- and middle-income countries. The programme collaborates with government agencies to strengthen health systems, improve surveillance, and support the adoption of sound, cost-effective policies aimed at reducing exposure risks.

In Rwanda, the programme focuses on enhancing surveillance capacity, generating high-quality data, and building national expertise to guide evidence-based environmental health policy.

Position Summary

The Program Manager will provide technical and programmatic leadership to enhance Rwanda’s health system capacity to reduce lead poisoning. The role involves overseeing field research activities, supporting blood lead surveillance system design and implementation, and ensuring data quality and policy relevance.

The successful candidate will work closely with environmental health scientists, epidemiologists, clinicians, statisticians, and public health professionals. The role also requires engagement with senior government officials and cross-sector stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Technical and Programmatic Support

The Program Manager will:

• Collaborate with technical teams to design and implement the lead poisoning prevention programme
• Strengthen the capacity of government and non-government staff to execute surveillance and response activities
• Support development and standardisation of surveillance frameworks and procedures
• Facilitate ethical approval processes
• Train and supervise field surveillance teams
• Support technical discussions and journalist training initiatives
• Contribute to policy analysis and evidence-based recommendations
• Facilitate training sessions for health officials, frontline workers, and other stakeholders

Stakeholder Management

The role requires strong partnership-building capabilities. Responsibilities include:

• Developing and maintaining cross-sector partnerships with government agencies, environmental authorities, academic institutions, and research bodies
• Serving, in collaboration with the supervisor, as a focal point and representative for Vital Strategies in Rwanda
• Supporting coordination across ministries and partner organisations

Data Management and Surveillance Oversight

The Program Manager will oversee data integrity and analytical processes, including:

• Monitoring data collection systems and ensuring quality assurance
• Managing datasets in collaboration with designated personnel
• Conducting site visits to selected surveillance locations
• Supporting data cleaning, analysis, and interpretation alongside senior epidemiologists
• Ensuring timely and accurate reporting of surveillance findings

Communication and Knowledge Translation

Effective communication of technical findings is central to the role. The Program Manager will:

• Develop technical reports, presentations, and policy briefs
• Prepare non-technical summaries for public audiences
• Present findings to policymakers and stakeholders
• Promote data utilisation for policy planning and environmental health reforms

Operations and Administration

The position includes operational oversight and team leadership responsibilities:

• Supervising and supporting a small, dispersed team (2–3 staff members)
• Assisting with programme start-up logistics, contracting, procurement, and expense monitoring
• Overseeing payment processing in coordination with Finance and Operations teams
• Submitting programmatic and financial updates
• Coordinating activities with partner organisations
• Supporting additional responsibilities as assigned

Qualifications

Education:

• Master’s degree in Public Health, Epidemiology, Environmental Science, Biostatistics, Demography, Public Administration, or a related field

Required Skills and Competencies

• Strong familiarity with public health systems and disease surveillance frameworks
• Knowledge of environmental risk assessment and evidence-based advocacy
• Ability to interpret and translate epidemiological data into actionable insights
• Strong organisational skills with capacity to manage competing priorities
• Experience navigating governmental and bureaucratic processes
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and native language
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
• Analytical skills using R, Stata, SAS, Excel, or similar platforms
• Experience with data visualisation tools such as Shiny or Tableau
• Demonstrated ability to supervise and mentor small teams
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusive collaboration

Required Experience

• Six to seven years of experience in epidemiology, environmental health, global health, or programme implementation
• Experience supporting national-level health surveillance design and monitoring
• Experience working with government health departments and regulatory bodies
• Experience managing or supporting large health-related surveys
• Experience conducting professional training sessions
• Experience supervising a small team and managing stakeholder coordination

Preferred Experience

• Experience managing complex data flows
• Demonstrated ability to communicate scientific findings to diverse audiences
• Familiarity with project management platforms such as Monday or Airtable

Working Conditions

• Kigali-based position (remote/hybrid structure)
• Open to Rwandan nationals or candidates with valid work residency permits
• Employment facilitated through Vital Strategies’ Employer of Record
• Willingness to travel within Rwanda for field visits and occasionally internationally

Impact of the Role

The Program Manager will play a central role in advancing Rwanda’s capacity to prevent childhood lead exposure through strengthened surveillance systems, evidence-based policy development, and multi-sector collaboration. By ensuring high-quality data and effective stakeholder engagement, the position contributes directly to improving environmental health outcomes and protecting vulnerable populations.

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Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the organization seeking for this position. For any inquiries, please contact the official organization directly. Please do not send your applications to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails, we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.