Pathfinder Overview

Pathfinder International is a global leader in sexual and reproductive health. We place reproductive health care at the center of all that we do—believing that it is not only a fundamental human right, but is critical for expanding life opportunities for women, families, communities, and nations, and paving the way for transformations in environmental stewardship, decreases in population pressures, and innovations in poverty reduction. Pathfinder provides women, men, and adolescents with a range of quality health services—from contraception and maternal care to HIV prevention and AIDS care and treatment. Pathfinder strives to strengthen access to family planning, advocate for sound reproductive health policies, and, through all of our work, improve the rights and lives of the people we serve.

Program Overview

Transform: Primary Health Care (PHC) is a USAID funded project to improve healthcare outcomes to End Preventable Child and Maternal Deaths (EPCMD) in Ethiopia, which in turn support Government of Ethiopia efforts within the Health Sector Transformation Plan (HSTP). Transform: PHC will operate in the four most populous rural regions of Ethiopia (Amhara, Oromia, Tigray and Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s Region). This will be accomplished in part by: mitigating the drivers of child and maternal mortality in Ethiopia’s most populous regions through the facilitation and implementation of quality health service delivery; improved management and performance of health systems; and implementation of innovative and evidence-based social behavioral change and communication interventions. Transform: PHC will strengthen the capacity of the health system to effectively use management tools and implement best practices at all levels of the health system and health care delivery with a major focus at the primary care level that include primary hospitals and PHCU.

Position Purpose

Under the guidance and close supervision of the Regional technical Coordinator (RTC) and with technical support of the QA/QI Advisor, the Regional QA/QI Officer is principally responsible for planning, implementation and evaluation of all QA/QI related program activities in the region.

Key Responsibilities

• Assists the Regional management team in the development of annual plans and budgets that will lead to appropriate implementation of QA/QI Program in the Region.
• Travels to focus weredas and kebeles to provide and/or facilitates the provision of monitoring and technical support to Implementing Partners on QA/QI
• Builds the capacities of the health bureau at regional zonal weredas and kebeles levels including PHCUs to integrate QA/QI into their programmatic interventions through training and other technical support.
• Support the QA/QI programs in the region/Clusters through preparing Implementation plans.
• Carries out potential research and gathers important and new developments and best practices in QA/QI
• activities and continuing to improve program performance and sharing innovative methods. 
• Ensures that Region/clusters get the required material and technical assistance from the region and country office.
• Ensure that any outstanding issues are dealt with swiftly and effectively following identification of bottlenecks and problems in QA/QI Programs, program implementation in collaboration with Weredas (PHCUs), Cluster Coordinators and cluster level program Officers.
• Helps in the assessment of QA/QI performance of clusters from quarterly reports in collaboration with M&E Officer.
• Reviews QA/QI reports and proposal that are coming from clusters and make sure the planned activities are accomplished, and provides the necessary feedback.
• Strengthen the Transform: Primary Health Care (PHC) project network and partnership in the region and attends relevant government and partner’s meetings to further develop collaboration and to obtain new and improved QA/QI delivery approaches, methods and ideas.
• Support the implementation of national Quality strategy in the region
• Undertakes other tasks assigned by his /her supervisor.

Basic Requirements

• Post Graduate Degree in Public Health, or related fields.
• Must have minimum of five years of experience in QA/QI and RMNCH activities.  Experience in practical fieldwork and experience in NGO will be an advantage.
• Must have strong writing and communication skills both in Amharic and English.  Knowledge of local languages of the operating region will be an added advantage.
• Skills and experience in computer applications and utilization is mandatory.
• Must be able to work with minimum supervision and have strong interpersonal skills and skills to promote teamwork.
• Experience in preparing program plan (Implementation plan) will have ad added value.
• Must demonstrate strong interest and commitment to gender, family planning and maternal and child health initiatives.
• Must have demonstrable personal integrity and honesty and must have pleasant personality.
• Must be willing to travel frequently to project activity zones, weredas and facilities as per need.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with USG funded projects