Community Based Maternal and Newborn Care TA at International Rescue Committee

Job Overview / Summary:

The Community Based Maternal and Newborn Care (CBMNC) Technical Advisor (TA) is primarily a field-facing position with a central responsibility on program quality. The CBMNC TA will spend most of their time supporting CBMNC programs and respective evaluation research in Somalia & South Sudan. Subsequently, more countries will be included for improvement of CBMNC services.

The CBMNC TA’s specific responsibilities are as follows:

• Support program development and start-up of a CBMNC program in Somalia and South Sudan, working closely with IRC’s research and innovation team, which will provide inputs into developing an effective and operationalizable program model that aligns with national policy, and with evaluating the effectiveness of the CBMNC program.
• In consideration of the existing heath systems and referral pathways/structures, identify and support appropriate facility- and community-based strategies to address community-level delivery gaps.
• Build technical capacity of relevant country program staff on CBMNC to ensure ongoing program quality and innovation, by coordinating technical and training needs, reviewing and adapting training materials, and conducting mentoring for program staff.
• Lead efforts to document and disseminate program findings, and contribute to the evaluation and scale-up of promising practices in community settings.
• Engage in business development and program design: support countries with establishing or implementing CBMNC programs; select or adapt interventions based on evidence and client needs, and based on context and gender analyses
• Project delivery support: work with country program colleagues, SRHR staff, and Health and Nutrition TAs to analyze data for review and course correction; to review and share program-specific tools and resources; and to contextualize and adapt global and country-specific materials.
• Assist with and advise on critical initiatives in the HU, including joint initiatives with other technical units as agreed upon by the supervisor; for example, outcomes and evidence, measurement, context adaptability, best use of resources, emergency preparedness, client voice and choice, and research and development.

Key Working Relationships:

• Position Reports to: Advisor, Maternal and Newborn Health
• Other Internal contacts: This position will engage closely with HU teams, the Research and Innovation Department, Awards Management Unit, Private Fundraising, country colleagues, and regional offices and departments. They will also work with Health TAs, Nutrition TAs, and SRH staff; the MNH Research and Innovation team; and the HU M&E Advisors on data system improvements.

Job Requirements:

• Health or other related degree, with a community health background plus MPH or equivalent;
• At least 5 years public health experience in technical and management positions, including provision of remote technical support;
• At least three years of residence or work experience in low- and middle-income countries;
• Expertise in community-based MNH, integrated community case management (iCCM), community-based provision of family planning (CBP/FP), and/or community-based nutrition (CB-N).
• Expertise in program management and fundraising (e.g., program development, proposal writing, monitoring & evaluation, and management of donor relations, local partnerships, capacity strengthening).
• Ability to work within a team, motivate others and promote efficiency, resolve challenges, and contribute to a cheerful work environment.
• Proven organizational skills, and the ability to be flexible and productive when dealing with various priorities, in a fast-paced team environment.
• Good communication skills, including writing professional documents, and building and delivering presentations to different audiences.
• Professional-level fluency in English. French proficiency will be a plus.
• Ability to travel approximately 20 - 30% of the time.