Job Description:

1. Overview

The Manager (Project) will lead the Vaccination Initiative in Islamabad. The initiative aims to improve routine immunisation coverage in underserved and hard-to-reach communities by identifying zero-dose and under-immunised children and linking them to vaccination services.

The project will use local immunisation data and input from communities to prioritise outreach locations and plan sessions with health facilities. Community mobilisers will work with local leaders and caregivers to address barriers to vaccination and communicate where and when services are available.

The Manager will oversee technical planning, field operations and performance monitoring in coordination with the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), local health authorities and development partners. The role is responsible for linking outreach with routine services and ensuring that project activities follow national immunisation guidelines.

2. Key Responsibilities

A. Project Planning and Implementation

• Translate the approved Annual Work Plan into implementation schedules with activity milestones, assigned responsibilities and reporting timelines.
• Lead district- and union council-level microplanning with EPI teams. Use coverage data and local mapping to identify underserved settlements and prioritise areas with concentrations of zero-dose and under-immunised children.
• Develop vaccination session plans with EPI teams and health facilities, specifying locations, target populations, staffing and logistical requirements.
• Align outreach plans with routine immunisation schedules and the Reaching Every District (RED) and Reaching Every Community (REC) strategies.
• Review progress against milestones and agreed targets, identify implementation gaps and adjust field plans with EPI counterparts.

B. Field Operations and Team Management

• Supervise field supervisors, vaccinators, community mobilisers and data collectors, with clear responsibilities for session delivery, mobilisation and reporting.
• Deploy field teams according to approved microplans and coordinate staffing, transport and supplies ahead of each session.
• Review session readiness, including vaccine and injection supply availability, cold chain arrangements and transport.
• Conduct supportive supervision visits to assess session delivery, document operational gaps and follow up on corrective actions.
• Review team performance against work plans and assign responsibility and timelines for resolving field issues.

C. Stakeholder Coordination and Engagement

• Maintain working relationships with EPI authorities, District Health Offices, health facilities, UNICEF, WHO and other partners.
• Review implementation with government counterparts to ensure project activities align with national immunisation policies and EPI operational guidelines.
• Represent the project in coordination meetings, technical working groups and stakeholder forums.
• Work with community leaders and mobilisers to identify reasons for missed vaccination and adapt community engagement and session plans where feasible.
• Work with EPI teams and health facilities to incorporate outreach schedules and reporting into routine immunisation operations.

D. Monitoring, Supervision, and Data Quality

• Track planned and completed sessions, vaccination coverage and zero-dose identification against agreed indicators and targets.
• Use supportive supervision to assess adherence to immunisation protocols and follow up on service quality issues with field teams.
• Cross-check vaccination data across session tally sheets, monthly EPI reports and the National Electronic Immunization Registry (NEIR), where applicable.
• Review reports for completeness and consistency, verify discrepancies with field teams and document corrections before submission.
• Support coverage assessments, including Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS), and use the findings to identify areas requiring follow-up.
• Review performance by area to identify coverage gaps and adjust session schedules, team deployment or community mobilisation as needed.

E. Reporting and Documentation

• Prepare progress reports for management and partners that show results against targets and explain implementation delays or deviations from work plans.
• Document field adaptations, implementation challenges and lessons for future planning.
• Maintain approved work plans, supervision records, activity reports and supporting documentation.
• Brief management on progress, risks and corrective actions that require a decision or additional resources.

F. Cold Chain, Logistics, and Supply Management

• Oversee vaccine storage, handling and transport with designated EPI personnel. Review temperature records and follow up on cold chain issues in line with national protocols.
• Confirm that vaccines, injection supplies and safety boxes are available in quantities appropriate for planned sessions.
• Review vaccine consumption, wastage and stock balances. Coordinate replenishment through established EPI supply channels to prevent stock-outs.
• Verify adherence to national vaccine management and cold chain protocols during field supervision.

G. Financial and Administrative Management

• Manage the project budget and review expenditure against approved activities and allocations.
• Follow organisational policies, donor requirements and approved financial and administrative procedures.
• Coordinate staffing, procurement and transport requirements with Finance, HR, Procurement and Administration ahead of planned activities.
• Review expenditure variances and provide inputs for financial reporting and forecasts.
• Manage project assets, vehicles and other resources used by field teams.

3. Required Qualifications and Experience

• Master's degree in Public Health, Health Management, Social Sciences, Development Studies, or a relevant discipline.
• Minimum 7–8 years of relevant experience in public health, immunisation, health systems strengthening or development programmes.
• Experience managing or coordinating public health projects, preferably in immunisation or community health.
• Experience planning and delivering activities, supervising teams, coordinating with partners and tracking results.
• Experience working with government health departments, EPI teams and development partners.
• Experience managing budgets and operational resources in donor-funded programmes.

4. Required Skills and Competencies

• Ability to manage a project and supervise field teams.
• Working knowledge of Pakistan’s routine immunisation programme and EPI operational guidelines.
• Knowledge of zero-dose identification, immunisation microplanning and community-based vaccination.
• Ability to coordinate with partners, negotiate and communicate clearly with different audiences.
• Ability to interpret immunisation indicators, assess data quality and prepare technical and narrative reports.
• Ability to organise work, solve problems and make decisions under field conditions.
• Strong spoken and written English and Urdu.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint.

5. Desirable Skills and Experience

• Experience delivering vaccination activities or coordinating outreach to zero-dose children and underserved communities.
• Familiarity with RED/REC, LQAS, NEIR and other EPI monitoring and reporting tools.
• Experience working with international development organisations and donor-funded health programmes.
• Familiarity with health services, communities and field conditions in Islamabad and surrounding areas.
• Working knowledge of relevant local or regional languages.

6. Key Performance Expectations

Performance in this role will be assessed against the following expectations.

• Deliver approved activities on schedule.
• Meet agreed targets for vaccination coverage and identification of zero-dose children.
• Coordinate regularly with EPI teams and other project partners.
• Maintain adherence to immunisation protocols and submit complete, consistent vaccination reports.
• Manage staff, budgets and field resources within approved plans.
• Help integrate vaccination outreach into routine immunisation services so it can continue over time.

 * Hiring on rolling basis