Overview

Sightsavers implements projects in over 30 countries in Africa and South Asia working to eliminate avoidable blindness and promote the rights of people with disabilities.

Title: Project Assistant 

Location: Harare, Zimbabwe   

Contract: 1-year fixed term contract 

Salary: Local Terms and Conditions apply 

About the role 

The Project Assistant will manage day-to-day activities for the School Health Integrated Programme (SHIP), working closely with the Ministry of Health and Child Care and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. Based in Harare, with implementation in Glenview-Mufakose District, the role focuses on coordination, monitoring, documentation, reporting, and supporting capacity-building initiatives to ensure successful delivery of project targets.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate SHIP activities with ministries, partners, and schools to meet project objectives.

• Organise capacity-building sessions for health workers and school health coordinators.

• Prepare activity reports and contribute to quarterly and annual donor reports.

• Monitor project implementation through site visits and follow-up actions.

• Support outreach activities and ensure proper record-keeping systems are maintained.

• Track project expenditure and monitor budget variance for compliance and value for money.

• Represent the programme at meetings with ministries and other stakeholders.

• Coordinate patient satisfaction studies and assist with operational research.

• Support partners in planning, monitoring, and quality assurance of project delivery.

• Identify underperformance issues and implement corrective measures in consultation with partners.

This is a highly varied and involved role, and the above is not an exhaustive list of duties or required professional skills. Please see the Job Description for full details. 

Skills and Experience

As Project Assistant, you are organised, proactive, and experienced in coordinating health-related projects. You excel at building relationships with government ministries and partners, managing multiple priorities, and ensuring compliance with donor and organisational standards. Your ability to communicate effectively, monitor progress, and support capacity-building will help deliver inclusive and impactful health services.

Jobholder Requirements 

Essential 

• Degree in Public Health, Social Sciences, or related discipline (postgraduate degree an advantage) or equivalent relevant work experience.

• Experience in programme or project management, ideally within an INGO setting.

• Knowledge of public health and eye health in Zimbabwe.

• Understanding of Disability Inclusive Development and experience working with OPDs.

• Experience in monitoring and evaluation and research.

• Understanding of Zimbabwe’s health system and advocacy work.

Desirable 

• Ability to work with project budgets, forecasts, and reports.

• Training needs assessment and facilitation skills.

• Excellent communication skills in English; Ndebele fluency is an advantage.

• Strong networking and advocacy skills.
• Ability to travel regularly to project sites; basic computer skills required.

Next Steps

To apply for this exciting new opportunity, please complete an application via our recruitment portal. We are particularly interested in learning of your motivations for applying.

As an equal opportunity employer, we actively encourage applications from all sections of the community. Sightsavers is a Disability Confident Leader and qualified people living with a disability are particularly encouraged to apply.