Technical Advisor Maternal and Child Health– Plan International

Job title: Technical Advisor Maternal and Child Health– NU-HITES Projec
Reports to: Director of Health Service Delivery
Job Purpose:
Working in 50 developing countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas, Plan aims to reach as many children as possible, particularly those who are excluded or marginalized with high quality programs that deliver long lasting benefits by increasing its income, working in partnership with others and operating effectively.
This position reports to the Director of Health Service Delivery and the successful candidate will be a member of the health service delivery team, serve as the project’s expert on maternal and child health programs in fifteen project districts in Northern Uganda. The MCH Technical Advisor will serve to provide technical and strategic support towards achievement of project outcomes related to availability of and accessibility to quality and sustainable maternal and child health services, creating enabling environments for maternal and child health care delivery, and promoting positive health behavior and practices. It is a full-time position based in Gulu for a five-year term, with frequent travel to districts through the Northern Region of Uganda.

Dimensions of  the Role:
• Member of the Health Service Delivery Team of the NU-HITES Project reporting to the Health Service Delivery Director.
• Supports the Health Service Delivery Director in designing, implementing and monitoring of safe motherhood and child survival activities to achieve project targets in under the five key areas of focus related to health service delivery i.e. increased availability of health services, increased accessibility to services, improved quality of services, creating enabling environments for health care delivery, and improving health-seeking behavior and practices.
• Supports the Health Service Delivery Director to ensure effective delivery of the project in compliance with USAID rules and regulations, Plan policies and procedures as well as national and other relevant international policies and guidelines.

Typical Responsibilities - Key End Results of Position:

§ Participate in designing, implementing and monitoring and evaluation of appropriate and sustainable safe motherhood and child health activities so as to contribute to achievement of project targets in the five key areas of focus related to health service delivery.
§ Handle MCH related tasks in relation to women’s health in the context of post-conflict setting
§ Participate in capacity needs assessments for both health-facility staff and community support teams (Village Health Teams);
§ Design and implement appropriate training packages for health-facility and community based teams, especially with regard to promoting safe motherhood and child survival.

Provides technical and strategic guidance to implementing partners and field based teams on integrated maternal and child health programs in line with national policies and strategic plans.
§ Represent NU-HITES project in the MCH technical working groups in the project supported districts and at national level.

§ Provides technical support to the field-based teams during the development of annual work-plans and participates in the planning and budgeting activities, especially in regard to maternal and child health services.

§ Represent NU-HITES project in the maternal and child health technical working groups in the project districts and at national level.

§ Contributes to NU-HITES periodic reports by providing technical leadership in coordinating field-level technical reporting and consolidation of field reports on MCH activities according to defined reporting schedules

§ Coordinates regular technical support, mentorship and supervision of project supported facilities in collaboration with the field-based project team, district health offices and Ministry of Health.

§ Work closely with the supply chain management people with regard to MCH drugs and related stocks supply

§ Participates in organizing periodic technical reviews and planning meetings with project stakeholders for the NU-HITES project, especially in regard to MCH.

§ Identify, document, and disseminate best practices in MCH.

§ Work closely with other members of the NU-HITES health service delivery team and implementing partners to ensure effective integration of MCH activities into other project-supported interventions.

§ Ensure that Plan’s child protection policy and guidelines are adhered to throughout project implementation.

Communications and Working Relationships:
• Nu-HITES Health Service Delivery Director for oversight role in planning, implementation and monitoring of MCH activities.
• Health Service team of Technical Advisors: Planning, implementation and monitoring of integrated health services as well as sharing experiences and lessons.
• Field based program team and district and health facility teams: Technical support in planning and budgeting, implementation and monitoring of integrated health services.

Knowledge, Skills, and Behaviors Required to Achieve Role’s Objectives:

Knowledge;
• A degree in medicine or nursing and/or a master’s degree in Public Health or other clinical disciplines.
• Additional training related maternal and child health and project planning and management
• At least 5 years of professional experience working in Maternal and Child Health programs both in public and private sector.
• Hands-on knowledge and skills in designing, planning, implementing and monitoring of facility and community-based programs for promoting safe motherhood and child survival.
• Practical experience in working with district and community health systems including Village Health Teams (VHT).
• Experience in MCH-related capacity building for health facility and community health delivery teams.
• Sound understanding of current policy developments maternal and child health.
• Willingness to work in Northern Uganda and travel 60% of the time in field.

Skills
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft office programs including MS Excel, MS Word and MS Power Point.
• Strong skills in teamwork and networking.
• Good communication skills (written and oral).
• Excellent skills in documentation and report writing
• Excellent negotiation and influencing skills in multi-cultural contexts

Behaviors
• Behaves consistently in approach to work and decision-making
• Strongly drives performance forward in area of the business for which they are responsible together with the team
• Sets a strong learning culture in their part of the organisation
• Remains calm and positive under pressure and in difficult situations
• Aware of impact on others and adjusting own behaviour accordingly

Physical Environment and Demands:

• Typical office environment

Level of Contact with Children:
• Low frequency of interaction with children
Contact/How to apply:

application@ppg.co.ug
Closing date: May 13, 2013 - 5pm