Position: SSNB Technical Specialist

MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership (MCGL), funded by the U.S. Government, is a global mechanism that saves lives and improves access to quality, integrated health services by distributing life-saving commodities, medicines, and vaccines, and providing critical health care services for pregnant mothers and children under five. The project provides safe childbirth for mothers and babies, vaccinates children, treats deadly illnesses and malnutrition, and controls disease outbreaks.  

With US Government’s investment, MCGL will continue its support to the Government of Nepal in averting life-threatening events to mothers and all newborns, especially Small and Sick New Borns (SSNBs), through strengthening Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) systems and comprehensive services for SSNBs.

The SSNB Technical Specialist will support SSNB Technical lead in designing and implementing activities related to the Small and Sick Newborn component of USG’s Momentum Country and Global leadership activity. S/he will support the SSNB Technical Lead to ensure smooth implementation of the SSNB activities at the provincial level and provide support for the scale-up of SSNB programs in five Provinces—Bagmati, Karnali, Koshi, Gandaki, and Sudur Paschim.

Technical and programmatic responsibilities

• Provide technical support to the Family Welfare Division (FWD) and provincial health directorate in planning and implementation of newborn programs in the country, especially the technical orientation of nurses, doctors and paramedics on care of small and sick newborns in level II Special Newborn Care Units (SNCU) in the country
• Engage in the National Newborn TWG and subnational MNH meetingsto provide technical inputs to FWD on scaling up quality SSNB care in the country, in line with Nepal’s Every Newborn Action Plan (NENAP). This will include contributing technical expertise to the revision of the comprehensive SNCU Level II Package
• Under the leadership of the SSNB technical lead, provide technical support to SNCU sites in Bagmati, Karnali, Koshi, Gandaki and Sudur Paschim Provinces to ensure smooth implementation of activities to strengthen life-saving health care of SSNBs
• Co-lead activities for the prioritization of quality improvement (QI) measures (indicators) and build the capacity of health workers to use these measures to improve and monitor quality of SSNB care to avert life-threatening complications and events
• Co-train health workers on the safe use of oxygen, including titration practices to prevent retinopathy of prematurity in supported SNCU sites of four provinces
• Support Technical leads and Technical Director in designing the interventions on strengthening SSNB care across level II SNCUs
• Provide technical support for the on-site training of nurses, doctors and paramedics in the provision of life-saving SSNB care in the four supported provinces
• Support M&E data management and documentation of SSNB technical activities

Quality improvement and Knowledge management 

• Contribute to the development and implementation of strategic quality improvement plans together with QI advisor/lead
• Support to develop and co-facilitate competency-based training and mentoring programs related to quality improvement and patient safety
• Provide technical support for documentation of supported SSNB activities and sharing with key stakeholders
• Review technical contents of success stories, case studies, learning and documentation materials produced for external and internal audiences on project activities for dissemination and advocacy
• Support documentation, monitoring and use of data in supported SNCUs to strengthen life-saving care for SSNBs
• Support monitoring of the SNCU sites to ensure the quality of SSNB programs in the implementing sites
• Support Project Director and Technical Director to present progress, achievements and lessons learned to key stakeholders including Ministry, FWD, PHD, Health Offices, municipalities, donors and relevant stakeholders

Additional responsibilities

• Ensure MCGL branding guidelines are correctly used by program
• Represent MCGL at national and provincial level, as and when required
• Update the donor, government counterparts, and related stakeholders about project-supported results, progress, challenges and overall achievements
• Perform or assume other MCGL activities as required and as assigned by the Supervisor to ensure the smooth functioning of the project to achieve the approved project results

• A paediatrician, preferably with an advanced degree in Public Health or health sciences/management
• Experience supporting newborn health care projects
• At least 3-5 years of progressive work experience in health projects at a technical capacity in INGO/Bilateral/Multilateral agencies
• Experience working with government bodies and professional societies preferred.
• Experiences in USG funded programs desirable
• Higher degree of taking initiatives and ability to work independently
• Sound computer skills with word processing, spreadsheet, power-point, and other basic computer software
• Ability to work in a complex environment with multiple competing demands, able to work in short deadlines
• Proficiency in writing technical and programmatic reports which document program directions and results
• Good and clear communication skills both oral and written
• Willing and able to be based, and travel (at least 50%) to project/program areas

Jhpiego offers competitive salaries and a comprehensive employee benefits package.

Applicants must submit a single document for upload, including a cover letter, resume, and references.

                       For further information about Jhpiego, visit our website at www.jhpiego.org

 Note: The successful candidate selected for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation.

Jhpiego is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to tough international child safeguarding standards.

Jhpiego, a Johns Hopkins University affiliate, is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, other legally protected characteristics or any other occupationally irrelevant criteria. Jhpiego promotes Affirmative Action for minorities, women, individuals who are disabled, and veterans.

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