Organization Background

JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. (JSI) is a global nonprofit dedicated to improving the health of individuals and communities throughout the world. Founded in 1978, JSI collaborates with government agencies, the private sector, and local nonprofit and civil society organizations to identify and implement solutions to the most pressing public health and education challenges. 

In Ethiopia, JSI has been working to improve health outcomes for more than 25 years, implementing more than 60 projects and working in every region. JSI has historically managed a large portfolio of projects focusing on the quality, and equity in access of, reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child, and adolescent health (RMNCAH) services, primary health care (PHC) including community health program, digital health, health information systems (HIS), supply chain management, public health emergency responses, and social and behavior change. 

Activity Overview 

The USAID Quality Healthcare Activity (QHA) is a five-year program that aims to realize Ethiopia’s health quality and equity goals and to improve health outcomes of women and children, over the next five years. Through QHA, JSI’s locally led team is building a transformative systems approach to quality that includes continuous and adaptive learning and scale-up of proven strategies and innovations. JSI’s sub-partners Institute for Healthcare Improvement; MSI Reproductive Choices, with MSI-Ethiopia; Project HOPE; and the Network of Ethiopian Women’s Associations are essential to these efforts.

Position Summary

The RMNCAH Team Lead will work under the direction of the Deputy Chief of Party and will support the QHA interventions to improve RMNCAH services, and ensure effective planning, implementation, and monitoring of cost-effective RMNCAH interventions at the national, regional, and community levels. S/he will be responsible for technical oversight and leadership for RMNCAH services in the QHA regions, zones, and woreda, and will work closely with stakeholders at National level and Area Implementation Teams to improve reproductive, maternal, and neonatal and child as well as adolescent health. S/he will provide updates and advice to QHA senior management team (SMT), technical advisors, and regional staff to improve RMNCAH service delivery in the communities we work in. The RMNCAH Team Lead sits on the technical leadership team and is a full-time position based in Addis Ababa.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Contribute to strategic planning and workplan development, as related to RMNCAH activities. 

• Provide strategic and technical leadership for the implementation of the RMNCAH interventions of QHA, including meeting operational targets and achieving or exceeding performance objectives in the targeted districts;

• Develop plans and approaches to get activities back on track if/when there are delays or challenges with implementation; 

• Lead and coordinate capacity building activities within the QHA to improve competencies, knowledge and skills in implementation of the RMNCAH services through trainings, mentorship, meetings and workshops;

• Provide supervision, and technical guidance and support for effective and efficient implementation of RMNCAH services;

• In collaboration with the technical advisors and team leads and area implementation teams, manage the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of innovative, technically sound, evidence-based, sustainable and cost-effective interventions to improve RMNACH services, and ensure that health service delivery data is regularly used to inform planning and decision-making; 

• Work with all technical advisors and specialists to ensure that RMNCAH approaches are incorporated into all technical areas;

• Work with the gender, youth, and social inclusion (GYSI) lead to ensure integration of GYSI approaches into the QHA activities; 

• Work closely with partners, grantees, regional health teams, as well as the health facilities to strengthen coordination for RMNCAH interventions implementation;

• Conduct coaching and mentorship, training and joint supportive supervision to build the capacity for RMNCAH services for the facility, community, and regional health teams;

• Develop and/or adapt evidence-based training materials, job aids, and curricula, supervisory systems, coaching and mentorship guidelines needed for implementation of RMNCAH services;

• Represent the project and contribute towards the donor and MOH guidance on technical issues, and participate in relevant (JSI/ national / regional/ district) advisory and/or technical working groups with counterparts and partner institutions in development, adaptation and operationalization of national guidelines and policies;

• In collaboration with the monitoring and evaluation team, support the regional teams to ensure that data collected is accurate, valid and captures process and outcome indicators, and is reported into project data systems;

• Work with finance team to develop and track QHA’s RMNCAH budgets;

• Ensure technical compliance with USAID rules and regulation;

• Write reports, work plans, strategic plans and other program-related documents in a timely manner and provide prompt feedback to donor requests for information;

• Contribute to documentation and strategic dissemination of best practices, success stories, abstracts, and lessons learnt from implementation of the RMNCAH health services;

• Adhere to and promote JSI’s culture and values and uphold JSI’s standards related to fraud and ethics accountability and management; protection against sexual exploitation and abuse; and child safeguarding; 

• Any additional responsibilities, as assigned. 

Job Requirements

• Advanced degree in Medicine, Public Health or any other Health related field with at least ten years’ experience in technically leading/advising large scale RMNCAH programs in Ethiopia; 

• At least five years’ related work experience, especially supporting USAID (or other funders) RMNCAH interventions in Ethiopia; 

• Knowledge of and experience working in collaboration with MOH, international and local donor agencies, and health facilities at both the national and regional levels;

• Strong knowledge of RMNCAH health issues and the evidence behind successful approaches to improve services, with a proven track record in working to improve services. 

• Demonstrated ability of improving quality of Ethiopian public health services on a large scale; 

• A good working knowledge of the guidelines for RMNCAH services;

• Strong organizational skills; be self-driven and able to work effectively under pressure;

• Ability to communicate effectively (oral and written) and be comfortable with both qualitative and quantitative methods and have solid computer skills (writing, data collection, analysis and reporting skills); 

• Knowledge of the relevant Ethiopian national health policies, strategies and structures;

• Ability and successful experience in rolling out a capacity building program for RMNCAH interventions;

• Demonstrated knowledge of the Ethiopian health system, and ability to build and sustain strong relationships with national partners in RMNCAH services;

• Ability to develop, implement and monitor project activities, including documenting project learning;

• Excellent facilitation, oral and written communications skills;

• Ability to travel to various regions throughout Ethiopia;

• Ability to communicate with local languages.

How to Apply

Interested applicants who met the minimum requirements should send and apply using THIS LINK. please submit your application letter with your CV in English detailing your experience and skills that are relevant to the post.

Please do not attach copies of your transcripts, academic degrees or recommendation letters with the application. You will provide them upon request.

JSI/WEI is a child-safe organization, and the safety and well-being of children is a priority of our organization. We have robust recruitment procedures to ensure that all staff are suited to work with the children served by our programs.

JSI/WEI is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer committed to workplace diversity. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all qualified applicants and employees without regard to age, race, color, national origin, ancestry, creed, religion, gender, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, sexual preference, genetic information, political affiliation, or protected veteran status in any employment decisions. M/F/V/D