Maternal, Child Health and Nutrition Advisor

Overview

Nakupuna Companies seeks an Maternal, Child Health and Nutrition Advisor to support U.S. Department of State global health priorities and foreign assistance programming under the America First Global Health Strategy (AFGHS). The Office of Health Programs (OHP) serves as the Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy’s (GHSD) central office for health program implementation and oversight. OHP provides technical leadership and award management for lifesaving global health programs and advances U.S. efforts to address HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, malnutrition, neglected tropical diseases, and maternal and child health challenges while strengthening sustainable health systems and advancing U.S. national, economic, and health interests.

 

The Advisor will provide technical, programmatic, and activity-management support for maternal, newborn, child health, and nutrition programs, with particular emphasis on strengthening evidence-based nutrition interventions and their integration within maternal and child health services as well as HIV, malaria and TB and other health programs. Priority interventions include:1) optimal infant and young child feeding practices through frontline healthcare workers and counseling; 2) maternal nutrition and prenatal micronutrient supplementation: 3) vitamin A supplementation; 4) nutrition surveillance and data systems to guide intervention selection and target populations for maximum impact; and 5) management of child wasting.

 

The position will support GHSD headquarters, U.S. Embassies, partner governments, implementing partners, and other stakeholders in designing and implementing high-impact, cost-effective, and context-appropriate interventions; scaling evidence-based practices and innovations; and strengthening sustainable, country-led capacity. The Advisor will also support activity and award management, contribute to the design and selection of new program instruments, apply performance metrics and milestone frameworks, and ensure timely and accurate Congressional reporting.

Responsibilities

Job Duties Include:

• Provide technical and programmatic support for nutrition programs, including assistance to country teams and partner governments on program design, implementation, and performance.
• Provide program and activity management for awards implementing nutrition programs, including performance monitoring and identification of implementation challenges and corrective actions.
• Support the design, implementation, and scale-up of high-impact nutrition interventions and their integration within maternal, newborn, child health, community, and broader health-system platforms. Priority interventions include: 1) optimal infant and young child feeding practices through frontline healthcare workers and counseling; 2) maternal nutrition and prenatal micronutrient supplementation: 3) vitamin A supplementation; 4) nutrition surveillance and data systems to guide intervention selection and target populations for maximum impact; and 5) management of child wasting.
• Support the selection, rollout, monitoring, and continuous improvement of evidence-based interventions and biomedical innovations that improve nutrition outcomes.
• Contribute to the design and selection of new program instruments, performance metrics, results frameworks, and milestone-based approaches.
• Develop and disseminate technical and operational guidance, tools, training materials, and other resources supporting nutrition, integrated service delivery, biomedical innovation, and award management.
• Monitor program performance against established metrics and milestones; identify gaps, risks, and emerging challenges; and recommend adaptive strategies to strengthen implementation and results.
• Work collaboratively with Ministries of Health, U.S. Embassies, donors, implementing partners, and other stakeholders to strengthen program coordination and sustainable country capacity.
• Provide technical assistance, training, and capacity building to country teams and local counterparts to strengthen sustainable, country-led nutrition programming within the health system.
• Prepare timely and accurate Congressional reports, leadership briefings, technical analyses, and other internal and external reporting products.
• Document and disseminate lessons learned, effective practices, and recommendations to inform global and country-level policy and program implementation.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Deliverables:

• Award management plans, technical oversight products, and performance-monitoring reports.
• Technical and operational guidance documents, tools, training materials, and capacity-building products supporting nutrition, and integrated health service delivery.
• Technical products and recommendations supporting the design, implementation, and scale-up of nutrition interventions.
• Technical assessments and recommendations supporting the selection, rollout, and monitoring of high-impact interventions and biomedical innovations.
• Inputs supporting the design and selection of new program instruments, performance metrics, results frameworks, and milestone-based approaches.
• Country-level technical assistance reports and recommendations addressing implementation challenges, performance gaps, and opportunities for program improvement.
• Congressional reports and leadership briefings prepared and submitted in accordance with required timelines.
• Regular progress reports and a final summary report detailing achievements, challenges, lessons learned, and recommendations.
• Other deliverables as assigned.

Qualifications

Skills/Qualifications: The ideal candidate will possess strong technical expertise in maternal, newborn, and child health and nutrition, with particular depth in maternal and child nutrition programming and demonstrated experience translating technical evidence into effective interventions in low- and middle-income country settings.

• Strong knowledge of the drivers of maternal, newborn, and under-five morbidity, mortality, malnutrition, and poor nutrition outcomes in under-resourced settings.• Demonstrated experience designing, implementing, or providing technical support for maternal, newborn, child health, and nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and/or Latin America.• Strong technical and programmatic knowledge of maternal nutrition; infant and young child feeding; prevention and management of wasting, stunting, and micronutrient deficiencies; growth and nutrition assessment; and integration of nutrition interventions into maternal, newborn, child health, community, and health-system platforms.• Programmatic knowledge across related MCH areas preferred, including antenatal and postnatal care, labor and delivery, essential newborn care, care for small and sick newborns, integrated management of newborn and childhood illnesses, integrated community case management, vaccinations, health systems strengthening, and surveillance.• Experience managing or supporting the technical oversight of global health awards and portfolios, including multi-country or multi-partner initiatives.• Experience developing, applying, and monitoring nutritionMCHN performance metrics, results frameworks, and milestone-based approaches in low- and middle-income country settings.• Demonstrated experience providing technical assistance, training, and capacity building to country teams, Ministries of Health, and local implementing partners, including strengthening sustainable, country-led nutrition programming and integration of nutrition services within broader MCH programs as well as other health areas.• Proven ability to work collaboratively with Ministries of Health, U.S. Government stakeholders, donors, implementing partners, and international and local partners.• Ability to analyze program performance, identify implementation challenges and risks, and develop practical, evidence-informed recommendations for program improvement.• Familiarity with U.S. Government regulations and Congressional reporting requirements and processes.• Excellent written and verbal communication, stakeholder engagement, technical writing, briefing, and facilitation skills.• Strong organizational skills and ability to operate effectively in complex and evolving environments while managing multiple priorities and competing deadlines.

 

 

Education and Experience:

• Master’s degree or higher in Public Health, Nutrition, Maternal and Child Health, Biomedical Sciences, Health Policy, Medicine, or a related health-sciences field.
• Minimum 6 years of progressively responsible experience in maternal, newborn, child health, nutrition, or related global health programming, including technical assistance to countries, activity or award management, and performance management.
• Demonstrated experience supporting maternal and child nutrition programming in an international, government, donor-funded, or global health development context.
• Experience working with and in international or resource-constrained settings preferred.

Work Schedule: Position is full-time, 40 hours per week (Monday-Friday) in Washington, DC.

Travel: Up to 25% international travel required. Occasional domestic travel may also be required.

Clearance Requirements: Active Secret clearance required. Must be a U.S. citizen.

 

Physical Requirements: The ideal candidate must at a minimum be able to meet the following physical requirements of the job with or without a reasonable accommodation:

• Ability to perform repetitive motions with the hands, wrists, and fingers.
• Ability to engage in and follow audible communications in emergency situations.
• Ability to sit for prolonged periods at a desk and working on a computer.

The Nakupuna Companies use a market-based compensation strategy to ensure that our employees are compensated within applicable market ranges commensurate with multiple factors, including but not limited to the individual’s particular combination of education, knowledge, skills, competencies, and experience, as well as contract-specific affordability, organizational requirements, and position location. The projected compensation for this position is $120,000.00 to $141,000.00 (annualized USD). The salary range displayed represents the typical range for this position and is just one component of Nakupuna Companies total compensation package for employees.