United States of America: Senior Specialist, Health Systems Strengthening

Organization: Catholic Medical Mission Board
Country: United States of America
Closing date: 31 Oct 2014

Organizational Overview

CMMB is a leading faith-based NGO focused exclusively on global health care for the world’s poor, by building healthy, sustainable communities through community engagement and partnerships. Now entering its second century, CMMB is committed to integrating and focusing its programming around saving the lives of children and mothers by concentrating on leading causes of mortality in targeted communities.

Building around a new CHAMPS (CHildren And Mother PartnershipS) model, CMMB will work at both the community and clinical levels in these targeted communities to strengthen health services and address the leading causes of maternal and child death. CMMB has committed to develop 16 CHAMPS sites by 2020, incorporating at least 3 in Haiti, Kenya, Peru, South Sudan, and Zambia. In addition, CMMB will expand its volunteer program to provide medical and business expertise for community development, and will engage with the pharmaceutical industry to help meet the needs of CHAMPS communities and in other areas of need.

CMMB is committed to learning and evolving in order to successfully achieve impact in its strategy, and will have strong vertical and horizontal team structures in alignment to the global strategy in order to encourage accountability, communication, and effective project management.

Department Summary

The Country Programs department plays a critical role in helping CMMB achieve its vision by leading the provision of high quality programs focused on children’s and mothers’ health, and particularly in the development and implementation of the CHAMPS model. This team is also responsible for generating revenue from and partnering effectively with government(s), major foundations, and other major donors, and will help to position and enhance CMMB’s technical capacity and reputation in the field of global healthcare.

Job Summary

The Senior Specialist, Health Systems Strengthening, reporting to the Director, Programs is responsible for providing support, expertise and guidance in the area of health systems strengthening. In all aspects of the Senior Specialist’s work, consideration will be given to the issue of child protection and how improvements in the health systems increases the wellbeing of children. and fulfill’s CMMB’s mission and vision to provide access to quality health care in the developing world.

The Senior Specialist, Health Systems Strengthening, working closely with the Country Offices, will lead the overall clinical and technical support to women and children’s health programs with specific emphasis on health services delivery, health workforce, health information systems, access to medicines, health systems financing, leadership and governance.

This role will be based in New York, NY. Approximately 30% travel will be required.

Key Responsibilities

· Acting as CMMB programs’ global HSS technical lead and focal point for HSS quality assurance with a focus on children and women’s health for hospitals, clinics and other facility and community systems.

· Responsible for providing technical oversight and leadership to the design and implementation of CMMB programs strategies for HSS and quality assurance. Provide in-country technical assistance as needed and appropriate.

· Actively participate in the planning and reporting of program activities.

· Review and document existing and new clinical quality assurance and improvement systems for children and women’s health integrated services at both the clinical and community level.

· Develop and expand networks to ensure clinical quality improvement health systems.

· Identify, document and disseminate best practices and guidance on HSS for women and children’s health.

· Represent CMMB with partners on relevant working/technical advisory bodies and at global conferences and meetings.

· Develop presentations and advocacy materials for donor and partner outreach.

· Note: These essential functions are not to be construed as a complete statement of all duties performed. Employees will be required to perform other job-related duties as required.

Cross Functional Teaming Responsibilities

Strategy & Measurement (Member)

· Define strategy and monitor implementation of strategy.

· Define and implement end to end measurement model.

Grants Acquisition (Member)

· Identify and develop opportunities for grants acquisition.

Product Development (Member)

· Create, test, implement and monitor new products.

External Communications & Branding (Member)

· Implement brand recommendations.

· Build a unified vibrant brand.

· Develop high quality external communications in alignment with the strategy.

CHAMPS (Member)

· Define, test and implement the end to end CHAMPS model.

Qualifications & Requirements

Competencies and skills

· Excellent knowledge of district/community-level issues impacting health service delivery and demonstrated success strengthening local health systems and institutions.

· Demonstrated excellence in health program management including experience in the following: managing client relationships, developing program work plans, developing program budgets and managing program implementation.

· Demonstrated capacity to build and maintain productive working relationships with a wide network of partners and stakeholders.

· Demonstrated ability to undertake problem analyses, to translate technical information into practical guidance and tools, and to organize diverse information in a systematic way while thinking creatively in proposing approaches that improve program design, implementation and results reporting.

· Demonstrated ability to work with and manage teams that have varying technical backgrounds and levels of technical training.

· Superior presentation skills (both written and oral) and ability to communicate technical materials to a range of audiences and for differing purposes using print, electronic, and presentation media.

· Must have strong oral and written communication and presentation skills in English. French and/or Spanish language skills are a plus.

· Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite applications.

Required experience and demonstrated results

· 8+ years experience in providing technical support and/or program implementation experience in health systems strengthening in Africa and/or Latin America/Caribbean. Environmental health experience preferred.

· Training, development & implementation experience in clinical/HSS quality assurance.

· Familiarity with USAID, CDC, Global Fund, and other international donors.

· Experience working with private donors.

· International representation experience.

· Must be comfortable working for a faith-based organization.

Education and/or certification

· Bachelor’s degree required. Masters degree in Public Health, Health Economics, Health Policy or a related field required.

How to apply:

To apply for this job please send your resume and cover letter to HR@cmmb.org.