23/09/2025
We are hiring a program manager consultancy in Sierra Leone. Please follow the instructions below to apply.
Assignment: Program Manager
Employment Type: Consultancy
Open to: Sierra Leone Nationals Only
Location: Freetown, Sierra Leone
Duration: One year with the possibility of extension
Reporting to: Maybe Garmai Livingstone, Program Lead, Mental Health Liberia
Application deadline: October 3, 2025
1. Background
The Carter Center (TCC) is a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization founded in 1982 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, in partnership with Emory University. The Center has helped to improve millions of lives in more than eighty countries by waging peace, fighting disease, and building hope. TCC is guided by a fundamental commitment to human rights and the alleviation of human suffering. It seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and improve health.
TCC collaborates with other organizations, public and private, in its mission worldwide. Current information about the Center’s many programs and activities is available on the TCC website (https://www.cartercenter.org/).
Within the Mental Health and Caregiver Program, the Global Mental Health (GMH) team is actively engaged in developing sustainable, quality, accessible health systems for behavioral health (mental health and substance use management) in Liberia, Uganda, Sierra Leone, and other countries through comprehensive support and technical assistance. The knowledge and lessons learned from successfully developing the mental health workforce and shaping mental health policy in Liberia supports other countries in meeting their behavioral health needs and implementing best practices to enhance mental health systems of care.
Supported by funding from Grand Challenges Canada under the Being Initiative, the GMH team aims to build a comprehensive ecosystem for mental health prevention, promotion, and stigma reduction, specifically targeting youth and communities in Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone faces significant mental health challenges exacerbated by civil war trauma, Ebola outbreak impacts, poverty, and limited economic opportunities. With only three psychiatrists and 24 mental health nurses serving a population of nine million, there is an urgent need for systematic mental health promotion and prevention initiatives.
2. Objectives of the assignment
TCC seeks a local independent consultant to function as the Program Manager (PM) for its growing mental health work in Sierra Leone to accomplish the following objectives over 12-24 months:
· Effectively manage daily project and administrative duties for TCC’s Being Initiative project in Sierra Leone
· Represent TCC with a high level of professionalism to external stakeholders and collaborate effectively with mainline Ministries (Health, Social Welfare & Gender, Education, Youth Affairs, etc.), non-governmental organizations (local and international), mental health leaders, practitioners, advocates, and people with lived experience.
· Effectively and efficiently support grant management, ensuring timely delivery of program deliverables according to TCC and donor requirements.
· Assist with monitoring, evaluation, and reporting.
· Develop, manage, and evaluate project work plan and budget.
· Increase TCC’s engagement in the mental health sector in Sierra Leone.
· Work collaboratively with the TCC teams in Monrovia, Liberia and Atlanta, USA.
3. Scope of Work and Responsibilities
In consultation with TCC (Atlanta/Liberia) and Sierra Leone Ministry of Health (MOH) stakeholders, the PM will function as the local point of contact and manager of TCC's Ecosystem Catalyst grant from Grand Challenges Canada/BEING Initiative in Sierra Leone. The PM will work closely with and receive guidance from the Mental Health Program teams based in Liberia and Atlanta. The PM will oversee and support the planning, implementation, and monitoring of the Being Initiative project interventions, ensuring compliance with the approved budget and work plans. The PM will ensure the completion of deliverables by the specified due dates to satisfy TCC and donor requirements Additionally, the PM will coordinate with other TCC staff to ensure the organization's objectives and mission are accomplished. The PM will provide coordination and management support to the following activities included in the Ecosystem Catalyst grant:
Policy and Regulatory Reform
• Support revision and advocacy around policy and legal frameworks related to mental health and substance use.
• Support and advocate for an updated Mental Health Law to replace the 1902 Lunacy Act.
• Support revisions to the National Mental Health Policy and Strategic Plan to reflect youth priorities and prevention.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to develop mental health regulations for licensing, standards, staffing, and monitoring.
• Facilitate stakeholder consultations, document feedback, and contribute to the development of policy briefs and regulatory guidelines.
• Align related national planning efforts with youth priorities, stigma reduction, and rights-based approaches.
Financing and Investment
• Coordinate a financing study and investment case development for youth mental health and substance use prevention.
• Lead advocacy for increased national budget allocations, support costing of the national strategy, and promote classification of mental health workforce positions in the national health system.
• Collaborate with research partners on data collection and economic analysis.
• Support advocacy efforts to increase government budget allocations for mental health.
• Coordinate a multistakeholder platform with government, CSOs, youth, and donors.
• Conduct stakeholder mapping and engagement, including mental health funders and service providers.
Stakeholder Coordination & Youth Engagement
• Establish and support a Youth Mental Health Champions Council and facilitate regular stakeholder meetings and bi-annual “pause-and-reflect” sessions to align strategies and reduce fragmentation.
• Ensure meaningful participation of youth, people with lived experience, civil society, and donors in all planning and decision-making processes.
Public Awareness, Communication & Innovation
• Partner with media to create and disseminate ethical reporting guidelines and conduct journalist capacity-building workshops on mental health and substance use.
• Organize a Youth Speak Forum to amplify youth voices, generate policy recommendations, and maintain public momentum for reform.
• Promote adoption of high-impact mental health innovations and build local demand for scalable prevention strategies.
• Assist in organizing and delivering capacity-building workshops for media professionals.
• Support media engagement strategies that amplify youth voices, combat stigma, and improve public understanding of mental health.
Program Management
• Lead day-to-day implementation, budgeting, and reporting to ensure compliance with GCC grant requirements.
• Supervise the subgrantees (e.g., Mental Health Coalition)
• Prepare and disseminate a monthly project summary report for TCC.
Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting
• Provide support to the development and implementation of a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework to track progress and results.
• Collect, analyze, and report on key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Support baseline and endline assessments in coordination with external evaluators.
• Prepare and submit quarterly reports to The Carter Center and donors as needed.
• Document and disseminate best practices and innovations across partner networks.
Capacity Building and Training
• Support training programs for health workers on youth mental health promotion and substance use prevention.
• Assist in the development of training materials and awareness tools.
• Facilitate peer learning, community education, and anti-stigma campaigns.
• Work with mental coalition to establish and train Youth Mental Health Champions.
• Identify and promote youth-focused mental health innovations with potential for scale.
• Organize showcase events and dialogue forums with government, private sector, and community leaders.
• Support the documentation and dissemination of best practices and knowledge exchange across regions and partners.
4. Contract Duration
The contract for this role will begin on October 15, 2025, and conclude on August 31, 2026, with the possibility of renewal.
5. Reporting
Reporting to: Maybe Garmai Livingstone, Program Lead, MHP Liberia
6. Qualifications
Essential Requirements
• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in public health, Psychology, Social Work, International Development, or related field
• Minimum 3 years of experience in project management and coordination
• Strong understanding of mental health concepts, policies, and programming
• Experience working with government health systems in low-resource settings
• Demonstrated experience in stakeholder engagement and partnership management
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English
• Strong organizational and time management abilities
• Proficiency in data collection, analysis, and reporting
• Experience with monitoring and evaluation frameworks
Preferred Qualifications
• Master's degree in a relevant field
• Previous experience working in Sierra Leone or West Africa.
• Knowledge of Krio or local languages.
• Experience in political economy analysis.
• Experience with mental health policy development and advocacy
• Background in youth programming and community engagement
• Experience working with international NGOs or development organizations
• Knowledge of big donors’ requirements and procedures (i.e., Grand Challenges Canada, World Bank, USAID, etc.)
• Experience with participatory research methods.
• Demonstrated track record in project design and implementation in Sub-Saharan Africa, post-conflict countries, or low/middle-income countries.
7. Key Competencies
• Technical Expertise: Strong understanding of mental health systems, policy development, community-based interventions, and strengthening health systems.
• Project Management: Proven ability to coordinate complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Ability to work effectively in cross-cultural environments and understand local contexts.
• Communication: Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to facilitate meetings and workshops.
• Analytical Skills: Ability to analyze data, prepare reports, and develop recommendations.
• Adaptability: Flexibility to work in challenging environments and adapt to changing circumstances.
• Leadership: Ability to provide technical guidance and support to diverse stakeholders.
• Language and Other Skills:
o Fluent in written and spoken English.
o Strong verbal and written communication skills to convey complex information clearly and effectively.
o Quantitative data analysis and language skills are desirable.
o Proficient in using Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Excel, SharePoint, and Word.
o Experience engaging with diverse populations and global partners; ability to practice strong cultural humility, grounded by an understanding of the cultural, social, and economic factors influencing mental health.
o Ability to work effectively in ambiguous and changing situations and proactively seeds ideas with colleagues and works to support those ideas with the right human, knowledge, and financial resources.
8. Key Working Relationships
The Program Manager will need to develop key working relationships to implement this project, including:
• NCD and Mental Health Directorate staff and leadership
• Mental Health Coalition members and partner organizations
• Youth leaders and student representatives
• Health workers and community health volunteers
• Media professionals and journalists
• International technical advisors and consultants
9. Travel Requirements
• Regular travel within Sierra Leone to project implementation sites
• Participation in national and regional conferences as relevant.
10. Performance Indicators
The Program Manager's performance will be evaluated based on:
• Timely achievement of project deliverables and milestones
• Quality of technical support provided to MOHS directorate
• Effectiveness of stakeholder coordination and partnership management
• Quality and timeliness of project reports and documentation
• Contribution to capacity building and knowledge transfer activities
• Adherence to project budget and resource management
• Feedback from MOHS partners and project stakeholders
11. Submission of Application
Interested candidates should submit:
• Detailed curriculum vitae
• Cover letter addressing relevant experience and motivation
• Three professional reference letters with reference contact emails and phone numbers
• Copies of relevant academic and professional certificates
All applications must be submitted electronically by e-mail with the subject line Program Manager, Mental Health Program, Sierra Leone to [email protected].
The Carter Center is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. Women and candidates from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.
Kindly note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
