MCGL RMNCAH Program Lead Jhpiego

Title: MCGL RMNCAH Program Lead (Re – Advertised)

Department: Global Programs Office

Reports to: Zambia Country Director

Positions Supervised: Project Staff

Location: Lusaka, Zambia

Position Overview:

Jhpiego and partners are currently preparing to implement the Momentum Country and Global Leadership (MCGL) program in Zambia, whose goal is to support the Ministry of Health (MOH) to further expand and improve reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH) in Central and Northern Provinces with increased demand for, availability of, and access to quality RMNCAH services. This will be achieved through targeted technical assistance and systems strengthening at national and sub-national levels and increased coverage of high impact interventions (HII).

The MCGL award is a five-year USAID funded global award that works in tandem with country governments and local nongovernmental organizations to provide targeted technical and capacity development assistance, and contributes to the global technical leadership and policy dialogue on improving measurable outcomes for maternal, reproductive, newborn and child health, and voluntary family planning. The MCGL Zambia activity is a three-year project that will begin in late 2021.

The MCGL Zambia program areas of focus will include the following: facilitating voluntary and age appropriate family planning (FP) counseling and services with increased focus on adolescents and postpartum women, while strengthening the capacity of providers through training and mentorship. The training will be in maternal health; focused antenatal care (FANC), emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC), and active management of the third stage of labour (AMTSL). It will also include respectful maternity and bereavement care; essential newborn care for every baby (ECEB), helping babies breathe (HBB), kangaroo mother care (KMC) and caring for the newborn at home; and reaching every child (REC) and early childhood development (ECD). The program will work alongside in-country partners such as Churches Association of Zambia (CHAZ), Copper Rose Zambia (CRZ) and the Midwives Association of Zambia (MAZ) in various areas of expertise. finding new ways to approach the issue of client rights to freely and voluntarily choose to use FP, support utilization of a digital system for learning to improve awareness of postpartum fertility and prompt Postpartum family planning (PPFP) uptake prior to ovulation., and support for national scale-up of hormonal IUS .

The MCGL Program Lead will provide program and technical leadership, and will be responsible for the coordination of project planning, implementation and monitoring to ensure it delivers on the stated objectives. The MCGL Program Lead will have the overall responsibility for leadership and management of the MCGL/Zambia project, as well as reporting on project activities. S/he will be responsible for making key decisions and solving problems in short timeframes while ensuring operational and technical program quality and integrity. S/he will serve as the project’s main point of contact with USAID/Zambia and MCGL technical and global leadership on routine and strategic matters. S/he will also ensure effective organizational management and communication with all levels of the Zambian government, as well as with international partners and agencies.

Responsibilities:

Technical Leadership

Provide leadership and strategic direction to ensure programmatic and financial integrity of the project within Zambia to achieve rapid and sustained goals, objectives and targets
Supervise other key staff such as technical, financial and M & E leads and delegate some of the more specific responsibilities.
Ensure that the project is technically sound, evidence-based and responsive to the needs of Zambia,its people and donors, including alignment with USAID’s sustainable development aims
Develop and maintain strong working relationships with USAID, the Government of Zambia’s Ministry of Health, as well as implementing partners, and other key stakeholders to maximize resources and avoid duplication of effort
Represent MCGL (Jhpiego and relevant consortium partners) and project progress, achievements and lessons learned to donors, other key stakeholders, and through meetings, conferences, presentations and Technical Working Groups (TWG)
Provide technical leadership and ensure the quality and sustainability of RMNCAH interventions in conjunction with technical staff.
Collaborate and closely coordinate with MCGL consortium partners to ensure effective programmatic implementations
Advocate with national, district and community-level health institutions to raise awareness about MCGL’s role in improving RMNCAH health outcomes among specific sub-populations such as adolescent girls, youth, pregnant and breast feeding women
Provide guidance and leadership on strategic and programmatic shifts as determined by evolving public health issues, including the COVID-19 crisis
Management

Ensure compliance with the terms of the award
Ensure compliance with USAID operational policies, rules and regulations
Write and/or review project materials and publications
Work with finance and project staff to develop and track project budgets
Work with Monitoring, Evaluation and Research (MER) staff to develop M&E frameworks and effectively track data/results
Oversee the quality, preparation, and timely submission of project reports for donor consumption
Provide guidance, in collaboration with MCGL staff, to subcontractors and sub-grantees
Required Qualifications:

Advanced degree with a minimum of a Master’s degree in public health, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and child health, health administration/management, social services, international health, business administration or a related field; MD preferred
Previous experience serving as Technical Advisor, Director or Deputy Chief of Party or senior level management
At least five years of demonstrated technical experience as senior staff in at least two of the following areas: maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH); family planning/reproductive health (FP/RH); WASH3+ years’ experience in developing, managing, overseeing or evaluating public health programs in Africa of a similar size and complexity
3+ years’ experience in program management and administration, financial management, awardcontractual compliance, subaward management, and tracking project performance and costs via specific funding streams
Demonstrated experience and knowledge in establishing project systems and overseeing project start-up and closeout
Previous experience working in Zambia with intimate understanding of local health system and FP/RMNCAH gaps and opportunities, and solid relationships at government agencies
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 CBOs, as well as create synergies among stakeholders
Knowledge of USAID programs, regulations, compliance, and reporting requirements
Good management skills, strategic vision, leadership qualities, interpersonal skills, as well oral presentation skills to fulfill the diverse technical and managerial requirements of the project description
Excellent verbal, written interpersonal and presentation skills in English
Ability to coach, mentor and develop technical capacity for national, sub national program and technical staff
Proficiency in word processing and Microsoft Office
Ability to travel nationally and internationally