Job Description
Family Planning Specialist
Program Overview:
Pathfinder is seeking a Family Planning Specialist for the USAID Bangladesh Accelerating Universal Access to Family Planning (AUAFP) Activity program. The purpose of the activity is to increase utilization of FP services through universal health coverage. It will be accomplished through: 1) strengthening capacity to more effectively train medical providers and community health workers in FP in both the public and private sectors; and, 2) focusing and expanding public sector FP information and services to high need groups such as adolescents, youth, newlyweds, and postpartum girls and women.
Position Purpose:
The FP Specialist will be responsible for providing technical leadership for improving FP technical components in the three Activity IRs; FP training, increasing availability of public sector FP services, and increasing availability of FP services in the private for-profit sectors. S/he must work in close collaboration with the Adolescent/Youth Specialist and the MEL Specialist.
Key Responsibilities:
- Support Federal, State and Local Governments to develop/finalize national training curricula for FP services, including adding content related to married adolescents, and coordinate national training of trainers.
- Provide technical assistance to Federal Ministry of Health in Nigeria to tailor national and community health worker strategies to reach adolescents, youth, newlyweds, and postpartum girls and women.and their partners with FP information and services.
- Facilitate training of community-based distribution agents in healthy timing and spacing of pregnancy and effective communication and counselling around contraception and fertility for young women and their partners.
- Support facility refurbishment, commodity procurement and supply chain management.
- Develop guide for engaging male partners of young women via small groups and household visits using existing Pathfinder resources and other partner resources.
- Provide technical support to local partners to tailor community outreach strategies to address community norms around FP, RMNCH, gender, and fertility.
- Monitor implementation of activities and data collection by local partners and provide supportive supervision to improve quality of program activities.
- Maintain communication with Pathfinder US office technical advisors to build skills in FP, discuss and address challenges, and ensure that Pathfinder resources and approaches are being applied throughout the project.
- Represent Pathfinder International in technical working groups, meetings, and other forums.
- Participate in project quarterly and annual review meetings as well as report writing.
Basic Requirements (Candidates must meet basic requirements to be considered for this job.)
Basic Requirements:
- Minimum of Masters-level degree in FP, public health or a related field
- Minimum of seven (7) years’ relevant professional experience, preferably in Bangladesh.
- Proven expertise in effective public, NGO and private for-profit sector FP interventions; achieving results in improving FP availability through improved training and supervision;
- Proven ability to provide technical assistance and support to Federal, State and Local Governments and local partners in FP.
- Proven results in expanding use of FP services including developing community mobilization; successful use of FP SBCC particularly through IT and social media; demonstrated knowledge about gender and how it is linked with FP;
- Demonstrated experience in management, coordination, teamwork, and planning skills, with proven ability to function effectively with multiple counterparts in the public, NGO and private for-profit sectors;
- Experience training health care providers, outreach workers, or peer educators.
- Excellent interpersonal communication skills.
- Ability to think creatively and broadly to envision, create and implement a program.
- Strong organizational and administrative skills; emphasis on priority setting and completion of simultaneous tasks.
- Computer literacy (Word) and email (Outlook) required.
- Fluency in English required.
- Ability and willingness to travel In-county.
- Experience of work in the region and knowledge on regional perspectives is highly desired.
Pathfinder International is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex,national origin, disability, or protected Veteran status.
About the Organization
Pathfinder International is driven by the conviction that all people, regardless of where they live, have the right to decide whether and when to have children, to exist free from fear and stigma, and to lead the lives they choose. Since 1957, we have partnered with local governments, communities, and health systems in developing countries to remove barriers to critical sexual and reproductive health services. Together, we expand access to contraception, promote healthy pregnancies, save women’s lives, and stop the spread of new HIV infections, wherever the need is most urgent. Our work ensures millions of women, men, and young people are able to choose their own paths forward.
