Senior Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Advisor

Job Description

Job ID: 2022-4809
Location: ZW-Harare
Category: International Positions
Employment Status: Full-Time

Overview

Jhpiego seeks a Senior Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) Advisor to provide MNCH leadership and oversight for an anticipated USAID-funded MNCH project in Zimbabwe. The five-year will provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC) to improve the health of women, youth, and children in Zimbabwe by strengthening maternal, newborn, child health and family planning service delivery throughout the continuum of care.

Under the leadership of the Chief of Party, this position will ensure the technical and methodological soundness of MNCH activities and, in collaboration with the project team and partners, support the design of service delivery strategies, based on the latest evidence base. The Senior MNCH Advisor will guide the technical staff to develop a unified strategy for achieving the MNCH goals of the program. This position will be a member of the project’s senior management team.

This position is contingent upon award from USAID. Zimbabwe nationals are strongly encouraged to apply.

Jhpiego is an international health organization affiliated with Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. For over 40 years, Jhpiego has put evidence-based health innovations into everyday practice to overcome barriers to high-quality health care for the world’s most vulnerable populations. Jhpiego empowers front-line health workers by designing and implementing effective, low-cost, hands-on solutions that strengthen the delivery of health care services, following the household-to-hospital continuum of care. Jhpiego partners with organizations from the community to the national levels, building sustainable, local capacity through advocacy, policy development, human resources for health (HRH) and quality and performance improvement approaches. Jhpiego has worked with more than 150 countries throughout Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical oversight, strategic direction and definition of appropriate MNCH project activities
• Oversee all MNCH activities within project result areas and lead the team of technical experts to ensure sound evidence-based delivery
• Develop/review evidence-based clinical training materials, performance standards, and supervisory systems needed for program implementation
• Work in coordination with team members to explore, design and implement appropriate technical assistance in response to country needs
• Ensure integration across technical areas and with cross cutting approaches such as gender, equity and rights based approaches to health
• Design and develop, with in-country counterparts health services strengthening strategies, with an aim to build the capacity of MOHCC in delivering high quality MNCH services as well as in establishing human capacity building and training systems that are competency-based and meet the needs of the health care system
• Lead the formulation of innovative approaches for scale up of targeted MNCH services
• Actively participate in relevant technical advisory/working groups and professional forums representing the Project and Jhpiego
• Under the leadership of the COP, contribute to the development the project strategic plan, work plan, and project monitoring to ensure timely implementation and compliance to the requirements and regulations of the award
• Work with M&E staff to design, implement a plan to track data/results related to MNCH to inform adjustments in project implementation
• Document successes, lessons learned and challenges in implementation as well as reports of project activities and results to the project and donor, including routine quarterly and annual reports and other reporting requirements as requested
• Document and maintain an inventory of successful tools and approaches for MNCH
• Author/co-author abstracts, presentations, and articles for journals and conferences
• Supervise technical staff
• Maintain excellent relationships with USAID and in-country stakeholders including MOHCC Reproductive Health unit

Required Qualifications

• A Medical Degree (doctor or nursing),
• Master of Public Health or related field
• A minimum of 10 years’ professional experience implementing and/or providing MNCH technical assistance on donor-funded projects, preferably in Zimbabwe
• Proven record of the skills and experience required to strengthen local capacity in MNCH skills, including mentoring and coaching
• Demonstrated experience with a mix of practical technical skills in MNCH service delivery at the regional, national, clinical and community-level
• Demonstrated in-depth understanding of Zimbabwe healthcare system, particularly the public health system, experience living and working in Zimbabwe preferred
• Supervisory experience
• Knowledge of best practices in MNCH to improve survival
• Experience in team building including fostering collaborative partnerships and linkages with stakeholder groups, particularly the MOHCC
• Familiarity with USAID’s administrative, management and reporting procedures and systems
• Excellent diplomacy skills and a proven ability to establish and maintain interpersonal and professional relationships with USAID, host-country counterparts and representatives from other key stakeholders such as NGOs, CSOs, and the private sector
• Excellent oral and written communications skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience living and working in Zimbabwe preferred

Applicants must submit a single document for upload to include: cover letter, resume, and references.

For further information about Jhpiego, visit our website at www.jhpiego.org

Note: The successful candidate selected for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation.

Jhpiego is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer

“Jhpiego, a Johns Hopkins University affiliate, is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, other legally protected characteristics or any other occupationally irrelevant criteria. Jhpiego promotes Affirmative Action for minorities, women, individuals who are disabled, and veterans.

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Jhpiego offers competitive salaries and a comprehensive employee benefits package including: medical and dental plans; paid vacation, holidays and sick leave; personal accident insurance; 403(b) retirement plan; life and disability insurance; travel insurance; education assistance plan and more.

Note: The successful candidate selected for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation.