Director, Health Systems Strengthening - HSQA Jordan

Job Description

Project Description

The USAID/Jordan Health Services Quality Accelerator (HSQA) Activity will be a five-year Cooperative Agreement to accelerate and sustain improvements in reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) outcomes. The goal of the HSQA Activity is to improve RMNCH outcomes by designing and evaluating innovative models, increasing private sector engagement, emphasizing gender-sensitive programming, ensuring a collaborative adaptive learning agenda, and supporting local ownership, leadership and management of sustainable RMNCH quality services.

Job Summary

The Senior Health System Strengthening (HSS) Advisor will lead the HSS team and provide effective technical and strategic leadership for HSQA to strengthen health system governance, strategic planning, the overall policy environment, and other areas as identified during implementation. The Senior HSS Advisor will primarily focus on improving Ministry of Health (MOH) leadership in these areas and will work to improve collaboration and management practices among health partners across Jordan’s health system. Under the oversight of the Chief of Party, s/he will lead HSQA’s interventions to strengthen the MOH’s capacity to lead and govern processes to sustainably improve the quality of RMNCH services at different levels. S/he will design and support activities to strengthen the MOH’s capacity to collaborate with a range of stakeholders; to enhance MOH’s capacity to lead its surveillance systems and use data for decision making; and to support MOH’s efforts in strengthening the RMNCH policy environment.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

• Responsible for the technical lead of the project’s Result 2: Ministry of Health’s leadership and governance capacity to lead for improving the quality of care strengthened.
• Strengthen governance and management of the quality of health care facilities providing RMNCH services, including oversight of non-governmental and private facilities. Review and strengthen health facility accreditation and/or certification requirements related to RMNCH services.
• Coordinate with the MEL team to improve MOH data management and use related to RMNCH care, at decentralized as well as central levels of the system.
• Assist the MOH to work with other main health bodies in Jordan to develop and use a sustainable evidence-based policy environment that incorporates best practices in RMNCH service delivery.
• Generate evidence, documentation and dissemination of lessons learned in systems strengthening related to RMNCH care to strengthen decision-making.
• Provide high-quality technical products and services, deliver required results, and use resources efficiently and cost-effectively. This includes timely preparation and submission of deliverables and coordination and oversight of the other members of the HSS team to do the same.
• Oversee and lead the HSS team in program planning (including development of implementation plans), implementation, performance management, reporting, and deliverables.
• Monitor the progress and pace of implementation, ensuring that project performance meets expectations, and bring any issues and concerns to the attention of the COP in timely manner.
• Perform/contribute as member of the project’s Senior Management Team (SMT). The SMT will provide overall technical leadership to ensure that project activities align with desired results, current best practice and strategic frameworks, and the Jordanian context. This includes input into Activity strategies and thought leadership, team management and innovation promotion processes.
• Coordinate and supervise the activities of other HSS team members, including specialists in the private health sector, family planning policy and practice, and gender equity and inclusion, and advisors seconded by institutional partners who will focus on qualitative and quantitative research, leadership development, and aspects of accreditation or certification related to RMNCH.
• Provide performance management, professional development, and supervisory support to direct reports, as well as support to these direct reports in managing their own team members.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent in experience in Public Health, Health Sciences, Health Policy and Administration or other related fields.
• Demonstrated relevant senior-level experience and successful performance in managing and implementing health system strengthening programs in the areas of governance, health policy, performance improvement, or supervision and administration with experience and successful performance in providing technical assistance related to strengthening institutional capacity in the three main component areas of health systems mentioned above.
• Experience and successful performance in working in one or more health technical areas preferred: maternal and child health, family planning/reproductive health.
• Demonstrated capacity to use quantitative and qualitative methods for health system strengthening.
• Understanding of RMNCH and quality in the health sector and reaching disadvantaged populations to improve equity.
• Experience working closely with a broad range of public and private sector counterparts.
• High level of leadership, interpersonal, technical, and analytical skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage teams on challenging projects involving diverse stakeholders, particularly for donors/U.S. government agencies.
• Knowledge of USAID procedures, rules, and regulations is desirable.
• Demonstrated experience interacting with Jordanian government agencies, civil society counterparts, and international donor agencies strongly preferred.

Minimum Qualifications

• (10+) years of experience and a bachelor degree OR the equivalent combination of education and experience.

About the Organization

Abt Associates is a global leader in research, evaluation and program implementation; driving innovation and measurable impact for more than 50 years. What sets us apart is our evidence-based and multi-disciplinary approach to solving tough challenges in health, social and environmental policy and international development.

Specific areas we work in include:

• Health
• Education and workforce development
• Climate change and the environment
• Food security and agriculture
• Housing and communities
• Survey and data collection

Abt is a mission-driven company with a staff of 2,600. Our focus is on using evidence and cutting-edge methods to improve the lives and economic well-being of people worldwide.