Child Health and Development Officer, ECD Project

PATH is an international, nonprofit organization that creates sustainable, culturally relevant solutions, enabling communities worldwide to break longstanding cycles of poor health. PATH's mission is to improve the health of people around the world by advancing technologies, strengthening systems, and encouraging healthy behaviors.

PATH is committed to improving child health and development, focusing on interventions during pregnancy, labor and the postnatal period and for children, especially in the first 3 years of life. In support of this goal, PATH is seeking a Child Health and Development Officer to provide technical guidance and manage the implementation of integrated early childhood development activities, as well as strengthen partner and staff capacity to implement these activities. The Child Health and Development Officer will be a member of the APHIAplus team in the Kisumu County Office and work closely with PATH’s maternal and child health and nutrition strategic program staff based in Washington, DC. The Child Health and Development Offier will provide overall programmatic guidance and support to ECD activities to include providing assessment, design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation guidance related to the integration of ECD into OVC, HIV, and child health programs and services.

Specifically, the responsibilities will include but are not limited to the following:

• Participate in developing a model for integrated ECD programming at the community and first level health facilities in partnership with the Regional Child Health and Development Advisor, APHIAplus, and the Integrated-ECD Project.
• Ensure smooth operation of integrated ECD activities, by implementing and monitoring ongoing activities to ensure that they are on schedule, meet program quality criteria, yield expected results, and are reported on time.
• Facilitate ECD capacity building and workplanning workshops for subgrantees.
• Support CBOs to conduct self assessments of ECD services and work with CBOs to develop and implement tailored capacity building plans and monitor activities of subgrantees to ensure timely implementation.
• Build the capacity of CBOs, health workers and staff from across government ministries to provide high-quality, integrated ECD services, and help establish mutlisectoral ECD working group.
• Adapt program materials related to ECD, including training packages, job aids, and assessment tools among others.
• Work closely with project team members in Kenya and Washington, DC.

Required Skills

• Monitoring and evaluation, and behavior change communication skills.
• Strong facilitation and training skills.
• Able to develop and adapt program materials related to ECD, including training packages, curriculum guides, job aides, and assessment tools among others.
• Fluency in English required.
• Ability to work efficiently and quickly under pressure.
• Proven ability to produce results and meet objectives.
• Exhibit creative, innovative, and strategic thinking ability; excellent oral and written communication, analytical, organizational, interpersonal and cross-cultural skills.

Required Experience

University Degree in Human Development, Developmental Psychology, Social Work, Public Health (with early childhood focus) or a related field, masters degree an added advantage.

Minimum of 5 years experience implementing early child development programs in low resource settings, and ideally within HIV, OVC, and child health programs.

A deep understanding of holistic development and cultural variation ECD programs and child rearing practices, as well as the implications of maternal care, nutrition, health and gender-based violence on development.

Experience working with multiple government ministries.

Experience building the capacity of community based organizations and facilities to provide high-quality ECD services.

Job Location

Other, KENYA

Child Health and Development Officer, ECD Project