Maternal Health Advisor

at  Public Health Institute

POSTING NUMBER: #030-24

POSITION TITLE: Maternal Health Advisor
CLOSING DATE: Until Filled
LOCATION: Washington, DC
Job Location: Washington, DC
Telework Eligible: Yes, at least 3 days per week in-person reporting at Washington, DC office.
Remote Eligible: No.

A. SUMMARY STATEMENT:

The Public Health Institute (PHI) is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting health, well-being, and quality of life for people throughout California, across the nation and around the world. As one of the largest and most comprehensive public health organizations in the nation, we are at the forefront of research and innovations to improve the efficacy of public health statewide, nationally, and internationally.
We are hiring for positions under the Global Health Training, Advisory, Support Contract (GHTASC) in support of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Global Health (GH). These roles deliver institutional support services in a wide range of technical areas at the junior, mid-, senior, and expert levels.
The world has witnessed an extraordinary 70 percent decline in child mortality over the last 50 years, and a reduction in child deaths from over 12 million in 1990 to 5.9 million in 2015. Over the same timeframe, maternal deaths declined by 43%, from an estimated 532,000 in 1990 to 302,000 in 2015. New WHO global and national estimates and trends in maternal mortality are forthcoming. Despite this progress, significant work remains to increase coverage of high-impact interventions, strengthen the health systems that support these interventions, improve quality, and address equity gaps that are bottlenecks to ending preventable child and maternal deaths.
In 2014, with technical input from USAID, a 2030 global target of fewer than 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births was adopted by WHO. In June of that year, USAID outlined its support for this goal in the report Ending Preventable Maternal Mortality: USAID Maternal Health Vision for Action. The Vision emphasizes equity, sustainability, country ownership, capacity building, innovation, and collaboration across disciplines and sectors to end preventable maternal mortality. An update of a Maternal Newborn Health Vision for 2020-2015 is underway that will emphasize the USAID Journey to Self-Reliance.
The Maternal and Newborn Health (MNH) Division of the Office of Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition (MCHN) within USAID’s Bureau for Global Health (GH) provides technical leadership and supports strategic planning, innovative program design, and monitoring and evaluation in maternal, newborn, child and environmental health programs globally and in USAID field Missions. The MNH Division plays a central role in technical leadership and management of USAID’s efforts to prevent maternal and newborn deaths and other similar global commitments and initiatives.
B. Position Summary:
The Maternal Health Advisor will be assigned to the Maternal and Newborn Health (MNH) Division within USAID’s Office of Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition (MCHN) in USAID’s Bureau for Global Health (GH) as a PHI Institutional Support Contractor (ISC). The incumbent will provide program support, and policy and technical guidance for MNH awards, as well as provide technical advice to the maternal and newborn health teams. The Maternal Health team lead will serve as the USAID point of contact, and the Advisor will work in collaboration with other MCHN Divisions, GH Offices and Centers, and USAID Bureaus and Missions through USAID management and technical teams to promote maternal and newborn survival and health.
Employment Type: Full Time
Full salary range for this position is $94,900 to $147,940.00 per year, with the starting salary determined based on candidate’s knowledge, skills, experience, as well as budget availability.
C. Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO FIELD MISSIONS, GH OFFICES, REGIONAL BUREAUS, AND IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS (60%)

• Serve as a maternal health resource for GH offices, regional bureaus, and USAID Missions to advance maternal survival and health, including healthy behaviors, care seeking, provision of quality care, monitoring and evaluation.
• Provide short-term maternal health expertise to designated priority countries in design and evaluation of maternal health programs and long-term support as a team member or GH country coordinator for a selected country(ies).
• Provide expert maternal health technical assistance as needed to USAID’s implementing partners.
• Provide expert maternal health technical assistance and support coordination with other USG partners.
• Respond to internal and external requests for information, prepare background and briefing documents, and serve as a technical mentor and member of working groups and technical committees, as necessary.
• Provide guidance on strengthening health systems as it relates to MNH.
• Provide technical input and advice to guide maternal health research, with emphasis on qualitative and implementation research.
• Bring new findings from technical literature to the attention of USAID and implementing partners.
• Work at least 3 days per week in-person at Washington, DC office.
• Ability to travel up to 50% of the time.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree with 6 years of relevant experience, bachelor’s degree with 8 years of relevant experience, Associate’s degree and 10 years of relevant experience, or High School graduate and 12 years of relevant experience.
• US Citizenship or US Permanent Residency with the ability to obtain and maintain a Facility Access clearance is required. For Permanent Residents, this means having resided in the US for at least 3 of the past 5 years.

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS:

• A minimum of five years’ experience in design, implementation and evaluation of public health or related programs, of which two-three years focused on international or resource-poor settings.
• An understanding of health systems issues related to maternal care in low and middle income (LMIC) countries.
• Demonstrated skill in conducting critical analysis and evaluation of technical and programmatic aspects of programs.
• Ability to think and operate strategically and programmatically.
• Excellent understanding of current issues in international maternal and neonatal health programs.
• Demonstrated experience in working directly with host-country governments, developing country program clinicians, managers and/or policy makers.
• Basic understanding of programs and organizational aspects of major international donors, multilateral agencies, and nongovernmental/private voluntary organizations supporting the social sector, with a focus that includes maternal health.
• Excellent interpersonal and diplomacy skills and experience in working effectively in an independent capacity and as a member of a team.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills, including ability to write technical documents and give presentations on the technical and public health advances on maternal health to colleagues in and outside of USAID.
• Good computer skills.
• Willingness to travel internationally up to 50% of time.
• Ability to work at least 3 days per week in-person at Washington, DC office.

Please refer the Job description for details