Technical Director at Jhpiego

About the job

Overview

Jhpiego seeks a Technical Director to provide technical leadership and project oversight in the areas of maternal and child health, family planning, malaria, and nutrition health services for an upcoming USAID-funded project in Ghana. The Technical Director will provide technical assistance at the at all levels of project implementation. The $22.5 million project aims to integrate health services focusing on preventing maternal, newborn and child deaths consisting of maternal and child health, family planning, nutrition, and malaria focused activities to reduce preventable deaths in northern Ghana. The project will operate over a five-year period.
The position will operate under the leadership of the Chief of Party and Jhpiego’s senior management team, and will oversee and ensure the technical and methodological soundness of all project activities. In collaboration with project team and partners, the position will support the design and implementation of service delivery strategies based on scientific evidence and best practices.
This position is contingent upon award from USAID.
All qualified persons are strongly encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical oversight, strategic direction and definition of appropriate project activities
• Establish and implement a system to ensure a robust approach to the technical interventions in project activities
• Develop and/or update evidence-based training materials, standards, job aids, and curricula, supervisory systems needed for implementation of the Project to meet the needs of USAID and the Government of Ghana
• Provide mentoring and capacity building at the individual and to sub-partners in specific areas of expertise including but not limited to: maternal, newborn health, malaria, FP.
• Lead the formulation of innovative approaches to scale up targeted maternal and child health, family planning, malaria, and nutrition health services
• Provide technical assistance to strengthening referral systems, and solicit inputs from key stakeholder on innovative solutions to address referral challenges.
• Provide technical oversight to sub-partners to ensure they are able to deliver on project scope.
• Actively participate in relevant technical advisory/working groups and professional forums representing Jhpiego
• Work with health care providers, local authorities, community members and project team members to identify PHC service delivery issues that impede access to care and uptake of services, and kickstart solutions to address issues;
• Identify and implement appropriate facility- and community-based strategies to address maternal and child health, family planning, malaria, and nutrition health service delivery gaps
• Identify training needs for clinical and community healthcare providers and assist in the design and implementation of measures to address those needs
• Work closely with the Chief of Party on setting project priorities and direction, and responding to requests for support from local government and counterparts;
• Work with M&E staff to design, implement a plan to track data/results related to maternal and child health, family planning, malaria, and nutrition health services to inform adjustments in project implementation
• Collaborate with all local stakeholders and implementing partners, especially the Ministry of Health and other US and international implementing partners, to ensure that all activities conform to the requirements and regulations
• 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 maternal and child health, family planning, malaria, and nutrition health services
• Author/co-author abstracts, presentations, and articles for journals and conferences
• Supervise technical and program staff and manage performance and provide timely feedback.
• Maintain excellent relationships with USAID and in-country stakeholders and develop rapid responses
• Provide technical leadership to the development the project strategic plan, work plan, and project monitoring, in close collaboration with USAID, Ghana Health Services, and partner organizations, and stakeholders to ensure timely implementation and compliance to the requirements and regulations of the award

Required Qualifications

• A Medical Degree (doctor or nursing), and Master of Public Health preferred
• Minimum 9 years of experience in a mid-to-senior management experience implementing and/or providing technical assistance in integrated health programs for donor-funded projects in Ghana.
• Demonstrated experience training clinical and community-based healthcare workers on maternal and child health, family planning, malaria, and nutrition health services providing capacity building assistance at individual and organizational levels
• Skilled in at least two or more of the following technical areas: strengthening service delivery projects; training; pre-service education; performance and quality improvement; monitoring and evaluation
• Demonstrated experience with a mix of practical technical skills in maternal and child health, family planning, malaria, and nutrition health services necessary for strengthening service delivery at the regional, national, clinical and community-level
• Demonstrated in-depth understanding of Ghana healthcare system, particularly the public health system, experience living and working in Ghana preferred
• Familiarity with USAID’s administrative, management and reporting procedures and systems
• Proven track record managing a project team composed of several technical experts and fostering team work
• 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
• Expertise in research to practice—identifying and adapting best practices to specific project contexts
• Excellent verbal, written interpersonal and presentation skills in English
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office
• Ability to travel nationally to project sites and internationally.

Jhpiego offers competitive salaries and a comprehensive employee benefits package.