Technical Director

Department: Global Programs

Position Reports To: Chief of Party in country and Regional Team Leader at Headquarters

Positions Supervised: TBD

Location: Lusaka, Zambia

Overview:

Representing Jhpiego on behalf of a USAID-funded program, the Technical Director will provide practical operational and clinical guidance on a range of integrated maternal and child health (MCH) and reproductive health (RH) areas consistent with international best practices. Specifically the Technical Director will provide technical assistance in the development and implementation of the MCH/RH program including advocacy, pre-service and in-service education, community-level delivery of MCH/RH services, and strengthening delivery of facility-based MCH/RH services. This includes ensuring clinical and educational quality of Jhpiego activities for the program and working closely with the technical advisory core team and the Chief of Party as well as the Ministry of Health (MOH) to ensure harmonization of implementation efforts. Technical Director will contribute to the training of faculty members, preceptor, and service providers deliver the pre-service curricula and services for integrated emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC) and family planning (FP).

Responsibilities:

• Provide technical guidance on implementation of integrated MCH/RH services especially emergency obstetric and newborn care that informs content for pre-service curricula and service delivery that is technically sound, evidence-based and responsive to the needs of Zambia and the USAID
• Adapt or develop evidence-based, gender-appropriate clinical training materials, standards, job aids, counseling materials and other materials needed for implementation
• Provide technical assistance for developing revised curricula and teaching approaches, using proven training approaches and quality improvement methodologies
• Provide technical assistance for updating service providers knowledge and clinical skills, using proven training approaches and quality improvement methodologies
• Facilitate the use of standardized guidelines and protocols for MCH/RH
• Provide training of trainers, follow-up support and support supervision as necessary for activities
• Assist with coordinating the necessary technical input from partners required for key activities and work closely with external stakeholders, consultants and experts as required
• Contribute/coordinate on the program’s monitoring and evaluation (M&E) activities to ensure that the program meets set targets in accordance with national and USAID standards
• Collaborate closely with key stakeholders, including MOH officials, professional associations, in-service training organizations, NGOs and other USG-funded programs for smooth implementation
• Establish and maintain relationships with development partners, international agencies and implementing partners
• Work collaboratively with other program team members to ensure necessary program planning, development, resource availability and management activities function smoothly and efficiently
• Identify other professional associations and partners to include in dissemination activities
• Coordinate with the Chief of Party for successful delivery of technical assistance and implementation of program activities
• Cultivate strategic relationships and alliances with other USG partners
• Liaise with Jhpiego’s Baltimore Technical Leadership Office on activity design
• Provide technical input for development of program annual workplans and technical assistance plan, program monitoring and reporting and overall program implementation
• Work collaboratively with program team and headquarters staff to assure proper program and financial reporting, spending and compliance with program terms and conditions
• Evaluate program progress against deliverables on a quarterly basis
• Promote and support the dissemination of program best practices and lessons learned among the program team, key stakeholders, including the MOH, local partners, USAID and other collaborators
• Ensure quality program implementation consistent with Zambian national health guidelines
• Contribute to timely, accurate and appropriate reporting of program activities and results to the donor, including progress and annual reports
• Mentor, support, supervise project support staff aligning their efforts in concert with program goals
  

Qualifications and Requirements

• Advanced clinical degree in medicine or related field, with focus on maternal and reproductive health
• 7+ years experience as a trainer with knowledge and skills in obstetrics and gynecology
• Technical expertise in pre-service education and in-service delivery in emergency obstretric and newborn care and family planning
• Experience living and working in Zambia, including supporting implementation of state-level programs
• Experience in designing/writing, reviewing and/or editing practical clinical technical resources (e.g., medical guidelines, learning resource packages, job aids, etc.)
• Demonstrated experience providing technical assistance to public health programs of over US$1M per year in developing countries, with emphasis on MCH and RH
• Ability to provide competency-based MCH and RH training and assess the quality of classroom and clinical training
• Excellent interpersonal, writing and oral presentation skills
• Strong change management, results-oriented and decision-making skills
• Ability to work in a complex environment with multiple tasks, short deadlines and intense pressure to perform
• Fluency in English
• Experience and understanding of the USAID indicator framework
• Experience in providing technical assistance to USG-financed programs
• Ability to travel nationally and internationally
• Familiarity with international donor policies and administrative procedures, and experience in design and implementation of overseas health programs
• Familiarity with the Zambian health system, key stakeholders and relevant government policies/strategies
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing successful, replicable and sustainable programs in more than one state in Zambia
• Solid publication record in areas relevant to the project
• Expertise in research to practice—identifying best practices and adapting them to program realities
• A team player accustomed to building team capacity, delegating working teams and developing communities of learning among host-country partners and counterparts

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.

Send resumes to Jhpiego Human Resources. For further information about Jhpiego and its services, visit our Web site.

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

JHU is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer