Company Profile

Jhpiego is an international, non-profit health organization affiliated with the John Hopkins University.  For 50 years and over and in over 155 countries, Jhpiego has worked to prevent the needless deaths of women and their families. Jhpiego works with health experts, governments and community leaders to provide high-quality health care for their people. Jhpiego develops strategies to help countries care for themselves by training competent health care workers, strengthening health systems and improving delivery of care. Jhpiego designs innovative, effective and low-cost health care solutions to ensure a level of care for women and their families. These practical, evidence-based interventions are breaking down barriers to high-quality health care for the world’s most vulnerable populations.

Job Description

As the leading global partner for the Momentum Country and Global Leadership program (MCGL), funded by USAID, Jhpiego and consortium partners including Save the Children is preparing for a series of activities in Ghana. MOMENTUM is a suite of USAID projects that aims to accelerate reductions in maternal, newborn, and child mortality and morbidity in high-burden countries by increasing host country commitment and capacity to provide high-quality, integrated health care.

Jhpiego is seeking a Newborn, Child Health and Nutrition Technical Advisor for a USAID-funded project in Ghana. 

Job Purpose
The purpose of the project is to improve the quality of RMNCAH in USAID’s Zone of Influence (ZOI), by supporting government-led leadership and accelerate gains in reproductive, maternal, new born child and nutrition outcomes. This position will provide strategic direction in the design, management, implementation, and monitoring of high quality new born and child health interventions and nutrition, working closely with relevant units at all levels of the MOH and with respective partners at national level and within target regions. The Newborn, Child Health and Nutrition Technical Advisor will represent the project at various new born and child health national technical working groups and committees, and ensure deliverables within these technical areas are implemented according to the set work plan with necessary adjustments as required based on learning and best practices while capturing key lessons learned. 

• Contract Duration:  1 year, renewable
• Job Location: Accra 
• Reports to: MCGL Technical Director
• Supervises: MCGL Clinical Master Mentor

Duties and Responsibilities

• Working under the Associate Technical Director, and in collaboration with the MCGL Technical Director, the Newborn, Child Health and Nutrition Technical Advisor will take the lead in executing the strategies and plans of the NCH and nutrition component in the Project.
• Working in collaboration with the SCUS NCH technical advisors for the implementation of state-of-the-art strategies, lead new born and child health including nutrition related technical assistance and capacity building within the project. S/he will lead the design of technical assistance and capacity building for globally recommended state-of-the-art high impact evidence based new born and child health interventions that help children survive and thrive through prevention and treatment of neonatal and child illnesses. This will include national level policy leadership and ownership for new born, child health, and nutrition.  
• Oversee the NCH and nutrition activities, ensure integration of IYCF and strong coordination with the other thematic areas of the Project. 
• Will work alongside the MOH to ensure national priorities are considered during implementation, to strengthen the quality, access, efficiency and sustainability of NCH and nutrition programs in the context of integrated RMNCAH care in Ghana 
• Will lead desk reviews and facility assessments activities to determine needs at the beginning of the project and as the project activities are being implemented.
• Working with the MOH team and will be responsible to implement NCH and nutrition high impact interventions in project supported regions
• Will be responsible to target implementation support to the selected low performing regions and councils based on data review, supportive supervisions findings, data analysis and consultations. 
• Provide technical support to ensure linkages and synergies at service delivery level from community to facility level including facilitating community engagement and outreach services.
• Coordinate and provide new born and child health technical support to central MOH and regional and district teams to address identified gaps and rolling out activities to improve quality of new born and child care
• Collaborate with the MOH staff to ensure technical integrity, quality, and measurement of new born, child health and nutrition program implementation at all levels.
• Build capacity of targeted regional MOH staff in new born and child health, using proven training approaches, mentorship and quality improvement methodologies strategies to improve service delivery and quality.
• Incorporate new born and child health best practices into strategic planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of activities to improve health services.
• Maintain strategic relationships with targeted MOH regional and district teams and other relevant stakeholders for the smooth implementation of program activities.
• In collaboration with the regional and national teams, strengthen the existing technical platform on new born and child health learning, co-facilitate the periodic review of new born and child health strategies to inform programming within the project, national guidelines and policies.
• Actively participate in national and broader organizational New born and Child Health Technical Working Groups (TWG), ensuring that all project aspects coordinate and collaborate effectively, promoting the sharing of technical resources, learning and mutual support.
• Work closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Officer and take a lead in ensuring that the project has robust monitoring plans, baselines, reviews and evaluations in line with project designs and donor guidelines. Recommend the inclusion of new program indicators as needed.  

Additional Job Responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Required Skills or Experience

• Clinical medical doctor, with a post graduate degree or public health degree or equivalent combination of training and experience. Paediatrician is highly preferred.
• At least 7+ years of relevant work experience in successful implementation of a new born and child health program.
• Previous working relationship within USAID programs and with key multilateral agencies, bilateral donors, academic institutions.
• Demonstrated ability to work within a multi-faceted health development program in collaboration with national MOH personnel and local and international partners
• Familiarity with MNCH and nutrition especially IYCF programming and policies in Ghana.
• A demonstrated track record in providing mentorship and supervision to strengthen healthcare services; training and use of quality improvement approaches
• Familiarity with evidence-based neonatal, child health and nutrition interventions and best practices that are the focus of this project.
• Ability to work in a complex environment with multiple tasks, short deadlines and intense pressure to perform.
• Ability to work independently and also as a team leader/member with diverse team of partners and counterparts.
• Ability to lead and oversee teams.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (oral, written and presentation).
• Excellent computer skills and experience working with Microsoft Office applications.
• English fluency (verbal and written) required.
• Ability to travel within Ghana. 

Desirable
Direct experience as a technical advisor on a USAID-funded health project.

Behaviours (Values in Practice) 

Accountability

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values; 
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

 
Ambition

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same; 
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters; 
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength; 
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions;
• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity
Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity.

Equal Opportunities 
The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.

Child Safeguarding
We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

The post holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work with country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

Safeguarding our Staff
The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy.

Health and Safety
The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.