Jhpiego seeks a Technical Director, Access to Quality Services (AQS) for an anticipated, five-year, USAID-funded reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) program in Nigeria. The Technical Director (AQS) will provide technical and program oversight and direction for project activities focused on improving access and availability of primary health care services at facility and community levels, as well as integrating services. The program will focus its support for service delivery in six intervention areas: family planning, malaria, routine immunization, nutrition, maternal/newborn health, and treatment of pneumonia/diarrhea. Responsibilities include providing leadership and technical guidance in the development and implementation of RMNCH health activities under the leadership of the IDIQ Country Director, the Jhpiego Country Director and Jhpiego home office Technical Directors, and utilizing and contributing to cross-cutting approaches, as well as annual phasing in of activities. This position will ensure the technical and methodological soundness of activities and, in collaboration with the project team and partners, support the design of service delivery strategies, based on sound and current scientific evidence. Nigerian nationals are strongly encouraged to apply. This position is contingent upon award.
Responsibilities:
Provide technical oversight and strategic direction, and ensure appropriate support, for the implementation of program activities focused on improving access to quality services
Develop new/review evidence-based clinical training materials, job aids, and curricula, supervisory systems and other training materials needed for program implementation
Provide mentoring and capacity building at the individual and organizational level
Coordinate assessments, training, site strengthening, follow-up and supervision, advocacy, demand creation, policy support, capacity-building and M&E across program sites as required by program activities
Lead the formulation of approaches for scale up of RMNCH services
Actively participate in all Technical Advisory Group Meetings, and represent Jhpiego in professional forums by participating and presenting in pertinent meetings and conferences, as well as technical working groups
Analyze potential strategies to improve access to quality services within the context of the program and explain these, as necessary, to policymakers, funding agencies, and program staff
Work with health care providers, local authorities, community members and program team members to identify service delivery issues that impede access to care
Identify appropriate facility- and community-based strategies to address RMNCH service delivery gaps
Formulate and test sustainable solutions to service delivery gaps, utilizing cross-cutting approaches such as performance and quality improvement and in-service training/pre-service education
Advocate with national, district and community-level health institutions to raise awareness about their role in improving RMNCH health outcomes
Guide MOH, professional associations, and other national stakeholders in the revision/development of evidenced-based standards for competency in RMNCH
Lead the design of the professional development pathway for local health care providers
Collaborate with all local stakeholders and implementing partners, especially the Ministry of Health and other US and international implementing partners
Conduct regular reporting to the Country Director, and program and technical staff, of successes, challenges and lessons learned in implementation related to areas of technical expertise
Document and maintain an inventory of successful tools and approaches for improving access to quality care
Contribute to the development of business proposals, technical reports and publications as they relate to improving access to quality care
Author and co-author abstracts and presentations for journals and conference
Document successes, lessons learned and challenges in implementation as well as reports of project activities and results to the program and donor, including routine quarterly and annual reports and other reporting requirements as requested
Supervise technical staff
Maintain excellent relationships with USAID and in-country stakeholders and develop rapid responses to USAID requests
Work with external consultants as required
Work closely with the Country Director on setting program priorities and directions, and responding to requests for support from local counterparts
Work with M&E staff to design, implement a plan to track data/results related to improving access to quality services
Provide technical leadership to develop the project strategic plan, work plan, and program monitoring, in close collaboration with MOH, USAID, and other stakeholders
Ensure timely implementation of all program inputs related to improving access to quality services
Assist in the preparation of donor reports and project reports
Oversee data collection, analysis and development of conclusions and recommendations to further strengthen program implementation
Ensure availability of resources and facilitate the procurement of equipment and supplies required for project implementation
Required Qualifications:
Advanced degree in public health, health administration, international health or a related field
Clinical degree preferred (Physician, Advanced Practice Nurse, Midwife)
10+ years of experience directing large, multi-year international health sector development programs that have implemented successful activities in areas such as reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health
Excellent diplomacy skills and a proven ability to establish and sustain interpersonal and professional relationships with USAID missions, host-country counterparts and representatives from other key stakeholders such as NGOs, PVOs, the private sector and other donors
Demonstrated outstanding leadership, strategic thinking, organizational, team-building and representational skills
Management, training or clinical background in reproductive, maternal, newborn and/or child health
Expertise in research to practice—identifying best practices and adapting them to project realities
Previous experience working in West Africa, Nigeria strongly preferred, with intimate understanding of local health system and reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health gaps and opportunities, and solid relationships at government agencies
Ability to work in a complex environment with multiple tasks, short deadlines and intense pressure to perform
Proficiency in word processing, Microsoft Office and Microsoft Excel
Fluent in written and spoken English
Excellent oral and written communications skills
Ability to travel nationally and internationally up to 30%
Nigerian nationals strongly encouraged to apply
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