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Senior Child Health Technical Officer - Washington, DC


Deadline Date: Open until the position is filled.
Description:
MCHIP is the USAID/Bureau for Global Health's flagship maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) program. Implemented by Jhpiego in partnership with JSI, Save the Children, MACRO International, PATH, JHU/IIP, Broad Branch Associates, and PSI, MCHIP addresses the barriers to accessing and using focused, evidence-based MNCH interventions from pre-pregnancy to age five. The Program is designed to achieve impact at scale by maximizing the contributions of each level of the health service--from the community to the national level. JSI leads MCHIP’s work in child health, immunization and pediatric HIV/AIDS and brings several decades of experience in health systems strengthening and MNCH to the project team.

The Senior Child Health Technical Officer will provide technical support to the implementation and documentation of child health activities at country level, with a focus on introducing, scaling up and documenting experiences with the integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) of pneumonia, diarrhea and fever /malaria. The Senior Child Health Technical Officer will work with the Child Health Team Leader to provide technical direction and leadership in the development and implementation of iCCM. The Senior Technical Officer will also provide technical leadership in formulating program approaches and innovations to address unique program bottlenecks in the revitalization of ORT and introduction of zinc in diarrhea case management in select countries.

The Senior Child Health Technical Officer will contribute to ensuring that MCHIP achieves, tracks and documents CCM and ORT/Zinc results and will keep themself, the other MCHIP Child Health and global leadership team members abreast of the state-of-the-art knowledge and experience in iCCM and the revitalization of ORT/zinc use. This position will advise and collaborate with USAID Missions, Ministries of Health and international agencies in planning, implementing, and review of MCHIP’s child health activities.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Senior Child Health Technical Officer¿s specific responsibilities will include but not be limited to:
  • Provide global technical leadership in formulating evidence and advocating for policy decisions that advance the field of child health. 
  • Participate in the coordination with international and national partners such as WHO, UNICEF, World Bank, and Non-Governmental Organizations, in the development and implementation of the global child health agenda.
  • Participate in the development and implementation of MCHIP¿s child health global, regional and country strategies and workplans.
  • Provide direct input to select countries for the development of national child health policies, including iCCM and ORT/zinc policies, and related strategies and programs.
  • Demonstrate and champion MCHIP¿s agenda of introducing state of the art interventions and expansion of programs to national scale for impact.
  • Work with countries and other international and national partners on preparations for and implementation of activities related to the community management of acute respiratory infections, diarrhea, fever and malaria, the revitalization of ORT/zinc, improved water, hygiene and sanitation and infant and young child feeding to prevent diarrhea, the distribution and promotion of insecticide-treated bednets, etc.
  • Provide on-site technical assistance to country programs and partners for the development and adaptation of child health/iCCM training materials; training courses and training follow-up; supportive supervision; record keeping and reporting; continuous monitoring and use of data to refine program strategies; advocacy and resource mobilization in support of iCCM; operations research; other aspects of child health strategy support.
  • Contribute to the development of guides, manuals and educational or informative materials in support of child health
  • Manage specific activities, in a timely manner and to the highest standard, and work with colleagues to prepare activity plans and budgets, liaise with USAID, orient and supervise staff and consultants, provide direct technical input in areas of expertise, monitor and report on progress, and participate in review meetings with MCHIP management and USAID team members. 
  • Prepare and/or review publications of project experience and findings in collaboration with country teams and other MCHIP staff members. 
  • Assist in identifying and supervising consultants and in mentoring and supervising junior technical and operations staff.
  • Perform other duties commensurate with training and experience, as assigned by the Child Health Team Leader.

QUALIFICATIONS

This position requires the following qualifications:
  • Must be an MD with an MPH or PhD plus at least eight (8) years of international child health experience, including a minimum of five years in developing countries. 
  • Experience is required in the design, implementation, management and evaluation of primary health care services related to child health.
  • Mastery of the technical issues related to the public health management of acute respiratory infections (ARI), diarrhea, fever, malnutrition and feeding counseling is required. Experience with water, hygiene and sanitation interventions and malaria control programs will be an asset.
  • Previous experience in community case management (CCM) of childhood illness is required, preferably working at all levels of the health system; prior experience at central level of an MOH or at least a provincial/regional health office is a must.
  • Having the above experiences with child health and CCM in an African context is preferred.
  • An effective team player who has the proven ability to work successfully with other technical and managerial colleagues in a fast-priced work setting. 
  • Demonstrated ability to assess priorities and manage a variety of activities in a time-sensitive environment and meet deadlines with attention to detail and quality.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks concurrently; excellent time management, organizational and reporting skills.
  • Excellent organizational, oral and written communication skills.
  • Written and spoken English fluency required; proficiency in other languages (for programs in Africa) is an asset.
  • Willingness to travel an estimated time of 30%.

Salary commensurate with experience.

Interested candidates should submit their resumes and cover letters online.

http://www.jsi.com/JSIInternet/Work/jobdescription.cfm?id=55725&intern=0