Technical Director,
Benin
Jhpiego
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Jhpiego seeks a Technical Director to provide technical leadership and project oversight to an upcoming USAID-funded malaria, maternal and child health and family planning integrated activity. 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.
This position is contingent upon award from USAID. Benin nationals are strongly encouraged to apply.
Responsibilities
- Provide technical oversight, strategic direction and definition of appropriate project activities
- Establish and implement a system to ensure technical quality of 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 Benin
- Provide mentoring and capacity building at the individual and organizational level in reproductive health (RH), maternal and child health (MCH), and malaria
- Provide technical assistance for conducting site assessments and strengthening referral systems, in-service and/or pre-service education, and supportive supervision
- Coordinate advocacy, demand generation, and policy support, across project sites as required
- Lead the formulation of innovative approaches for scale up of targeted RH, MCH, and malaria services
- 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 clinical, community, and health system issues that impede access to care and uptake of services
- Identify and implement appropriate facility- and community-based strategies to address RH, MCH, and malaria 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 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 RH, MCH, and malaria 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 RH, MCH, and malaria
- Author/co-author abstracts, presentations, and articles for journals and conferences
- Supervise technical staff
- Manage technical contributions of subgrantees, including defining scopes of work
- 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 the MOH, USAID, and other 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
- At least 8-10 years’ experience implementing and/or providing technical assistance in RH, MCH, and malaria
- At least 8 years’ experience in implementing and/or providing technical assistance of $5M per year in donor-funded projects and in the design and implementation of overseas health projects; preferably in West Africa
- Demonstrated experience training clinical and community-based healthcare workers on RH, MCH, and malaria
- Demonstrated experience 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 RH, MCH, and malaria necessary for strengthening service delivery at the regional, national, clinical and community-level
- Demonstrated in-depth understanding of the Benin healthcare system, particularly the public health system, experience living and working in Benin 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 and French
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office
- Ability to travel nationally to project sites