Working as the Director of the TB program with Mercy Corps since March 2024, I have successfully led the smooth initiation of a $40 million grant (GC7) funded by The Global Fund, impacting 119 districts with the collaboration of six implementing partners. Under my leadership, the program has achieved more than 120% of the major indicators in the first quarter of 2024, demonstrating our strong performance and commitment to TB control.
In my role, I develop and execute the strategic vision for the TB program, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and the national strategic plan for TB control. I oversee program administration, adhering strictly to budgetary guidelines and project timelines, and supervise a team of 50 program staff, providing guidance and ensuring accountability to Mercy Corps policies and donor regulations.

I lead the implementation of both active and passive case-finding models for TB in the private health sector, involving approximately 14,000 private clinics and 400 large private hospitals. Additionally, I coordinate community screening activities through 40 mobile vans and implement a specimen transportation model across 102 districts. My technical guidance has been pivotal in developing a digital M&E and data management system, facilitating the detection of approximately 50,000 TB cases per quarter. I also establish partnership frameworks and oversee capacity-building activities for six partners, integrating community approaches and gender sensitivity into program activities.

My responsibilities extend to team management and capacity building, where I conduct regular technical sessions to enhance staff capacity and provide career development opportunities. I work closely with senior program managers and provincial managers to ensure high-quality program delivery, fostering a work environment characterized by mutual respect and excellence. My leadership in recruitment and orientation processes ensures the efficient onboarding of new staff members.

Financial and compliance management is another critical aspect of my role. I ensure adherence to donor and organizational financial regulations through monthly Budget vs. Actual (BvA) analysis and quarterly forecasts. I conduct quarterly compliance visits to implementing partners, ensuring they meet both financial and programmatic requirements.

In terms of representation and coordination, I represent Mercy Corps at national and international forums, including the International Union Conference and the PPM Learning Network. I coordinate closely with key stakeholders such as the Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM), National and Provincial TB Control Programs, WHO, UNAIDS, USAID, UNDP, and the Directorate of Malaria Control Program. I also collaborate with subgrantees, local government authorities, and other implementing partners to maximize the program's impact.

I ensure accountability to beneficiaries by maintaining responsiveness to community needs and alignment with Mercy Corps' program guidelines and values through an efficient Community Accountability and Response Mechanism (CARM) system. I engage beneficiary communities as equal partners in program design, monitoring, and evaluation processes, ensuring their voices are heard and their needs are met.
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As a Senior Program Manager (SPM) with Mercy Corps from May 2023 to February 2024, I successfully led the implementation of a $36 million TB program funded by The Global Fund, impacting 119 districts. My leadership ensured more than 85% achievement against all major targets and notified around 325,000 TB cases within 2.5 years. Additionally, I maintained a high financial efficiency with a burn rate exceeding 80%.
 
I managed a team of over 25 individuals, including five component leads, fostering a culture of excellence and accountability. I was responsible for proposal development, budgeting, and grant-making, ensuring timely and efficient program implementation while adhering to Mercy Corps' guidelines and quality standards. My efforts led to the integration of global best practices, such as engaging approximately 13,000 general physicians and 350 private hospitals in the program. I also facilitated active case finding and community engagement through the deployment of 40 mobile vans to detect TB cases in remote areas of the country. Furthermore, I developed and implemented a digitally fluent specimen transportation model, enabling the transportation of over 200,000 sputum samples from health facilities to diagnostic centers.
 
I also ensured strict compliance with donor and organizational regulations, provided budgeting inputs, and conducted regular budget reviews. My leadership in procurement planning and management of health products ensured timely and efficient operations. Notably, in the last six months of the grant, I led the procurement of $6 million worth of equipment, preparing us for the next three years. By actively participating in Senior Management Team meetings and conducting monthly progress reviews, I contributed to strategic decision-making and continuous program improvement. Through these efforts, I maintained strong relationships with key government stakeholders and aligned program strategies with global best practices, achieving impactful outcomes.
 
In my role, I built and maintained strong relationships with donors, government counterparts, and key stakeholders including WHO, UNAIDS, USAID, and UNPD. I represented Mercy Corps at national and international forums, showcasing our program's impact and achievements. My strategic influence extended to successful negotiations, securing $40 million in funding for the next three years (Jan 2024-Dec 2026).

From April 2020 to April 2023, I served as a Senior Technical Advisor with Mercy Corps, providing essential technical input in the design and implementation of health programs. My responsibilities encompassed technical support and advisory services for programs focusing on Covid-19 prevention and control, tuberculosis control, and HIV prevention and care for key affected populations.
 
I led and successfully implemented the Covid-19 program funded by ECHO in three districts of Punjab. Additionally, I executed a Covid-19 response program in four districts of Sindh and one district of Balochistan, funded by HQ resources. I completed a training on Infodemic Management by WHO and subsequently implemented a three-month project on Socio-Behavior Change Communication (SBCC), focusing on increasing the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines in the communities.
 
I collaborated with Project Managers to identify areas for technical support and improve project deliverables, ensuring alignment with organizational goals. Additionally, I developed and implemented on-the-job mentoring and training sessions to address the training needs of program staff.
 
In my role, I represented Mercy Corps in various forums and maintained close coordination with key government and non-government stakeholders, including WHO, UNAIDS, and community-based organizations.
 
I oversaw the implementation of Public Private Mix (PPM) intervention, engaging 12,000 General Practitioners in the TB program supported by The Global Fund. I also supervised the development of a digitally fluent “Sputum Specimen Transport Model,” enabling the transportation of sputum samples by Community Riders in 85 districts.
 
Furthermore, I assisted in the direct oversight and management of programs, ensuring adherence to program management standards and effective execution of responsibilities in coordination with other departments. I ensured the timely submission of project reports and key documents to HQ and donors, conducted routine reviews of technical documents, and provided feedback on project progress and budget analysis. My role also involved maintaining liaison with key stakeholders and representing Mercy Corps in relevant forums.
 
In program development, I supported the identification of new opportunities and provided technical and non-technical inputs into program design and proposal development. I collaborated with relevant stakeholders to design new programs that align with best practices and complement government, donor, and organizational strategies. Notably, I led the development of health interventions in the flood response program funded by ECHO for the 2022 floods, which was implemented in the districts of Sindh and Balochistan affected by the flood.

As the Health Coordinator for the Asia Region with the Norwegian Red Cross from May 2019 to March 2020, I ensured that the design and implementation of Norwegian Red Cross-supported projects in Asia (Pakistan, Afghanistan, DPRK, Myanmar, and Bangladesh) adhered to technical standards and best practices, with a particular focus on women and children's healthcare and psychosocial well-being. My role encompassed compliance with technical standards, capacity building, collaboration with stakeholders, and representation in health-related forums.
 
In this capacity, I advised and ensured that projects reflected established technical standards, guiding their implementation. I trained and coached Norwegian Red Cross and Host National Society teams in thematic frameworks and technical standards, facilitating their operationalization. Staying updated on global technical developments, I actively contributed to establishing and implementing organization-wide technical standards. Additionally, I offered surge support to other countries and regions when required and conducted technical assessments contributing to project development.
 
I closely monitored projects in the field, offering recommendations for improvement and ensuring their implementation in coordination with country program managers. I organized technical mid-term reviews and contributed to inception reports for final evaluations. My collaboration with Host National Societies' technical and project teams ensured relevant technical assistance, while I provided training and coaching to project staff on operationalizing technical standards and addressing challenges during implementation.
 
I advised regional and country offices on resource prioritization in the relevant technical fields, enabling colleagues to utilize available technical tools and methodologies, promoting harmonization across regions and countries. Identifying individual development needs, I facilitated access to training and professional development opportunities. I represented the Norwegian Red Cross Asia region in health meetings, seminars, and workshops, and liaised with the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) for reviewing emergency appeals in disaster-affected areas of Asia. Additionally, I offered technical support for quarterly and yearly country reports.
 
During my tenure, I successfully led the development of a community-based health model for the countries where we worked and spearheaded gender-based violence activities in all our health programs, significantly enhancing our overall impact and outreach.

As Program Manager with Mercy Corps Pakistan from October 2018 to April 2019, I oversaw the Global Fund’s tuberculosis grant, managing a budget of USD 15 million across 65 districts. In this role, I provided comprehensive program oversight, technical support, quality assurance, and staff development in coordination with stakeholders and global standards.
Despite the challenge posed by the organization's MOU with the Ministry of Interior not being renewed, which restricted new program development, I successfully maintained the program on track and managed relations with stakeholders effectively. Under my leadership, all performance indicators achieved their targets, demonstrating the program's successful outcomes.

I managed the Principal Recipient (PR) Unit, coordinated sub-grants with the Finance Department, and led planning and implementation, ensuring timely programmatic and financial reporting. I provided technical and managerial guidance, conducted regular meetings, and reviewed financial pipelines to achieve targets while upholding Mercy Corps Program Management standards.

In technical support and capacity building, I collaborated with the team to develop guidelines, training materials, and monitoring tools. I guided project partners in planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting, assessing staff knowledge and skills, and building capacity through field visits, trainings, and communication.

For monitoring, supervision, and quality assurance, I ensured program intervention quality, developed guidelines, and conducted visits to partners' sites. I served as the program focal person for evaluations, documented best practices, and maintained data systems.

I coordinated with the National TB Program, sub-recipients, and stakeholders, participated in Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) meetings, and updated supervisors on Global Fund and CCM developments. I developed Individual Operating Plans for staff, conducted reviews, and planned for reports while mentoring and fostering a culture for growth within the team.

Worked as Technical Advisor with Mercy Corps Pakistan (December 2016-September 2018). I was promoted to this position just after five months of joining the organization due to exceptional performance. The role of technical advisor is to provide technical inputs to successfully implement the Global Fund’s tuberculosis grants in 75 districts of Pakistan. The role encompassed comprehensive technical advisory responsibilities, capacity building, data management, and adherence to organizational standards and protocols.
Key Responsibilities:

Consolidated quarterly Progress Update and Disbursement Requests (PUDRs), submitting them to the Senior Program Manager.
Reviewed and finalized field monitoring reports, providing feedback on technical aspects.
Ensured timely and high-quality completion of all M&E tasks for the program.
Provided feedback and capacity building to sub-recipients on M&E practices.
Offered technical guidance to PR team members in planning, implementation, and monitoring.
Conducted regular field visits to assess intervention quality and provided actionable recommendations to Project Coordinator.
Designed and revised monitoring tools in coordination with relevant team members.
Coordinated with Sub-Recipients (SRs) for project updates and quarterly NTP briefs.
Ensured collection and compilation of sex and age disaggregated data (SAAD).
Collaborated on updating operational guidelines, technical training modules, and other technical materials.
Developed training manuals for capacity building of beneficiaries and sub-recipient staff.
Represented Mercy Corps at CCM and other forums alongside Senior Program Manager.
Participated in design and implementation of studies, assessments, reviews, and evaluations.
Oversaw data management at PR Unit level, maintaining up-to-date and validated program data through the project MIS.
Reviewed and analyze data regularly, providing justifications on trends.
Prepared and updated program presentations, briefs, and technical documents.
Provided technical support to Active Case Finding (ACF) interventions in selected districts.
Supervised Project Officer (Technical) and validated project data and record-keeping.
Ensured implementation of Mercy Corps policies and procedures, prioritizing safety and security protocols.