Lead - Maternal

 Bill and Melinda Gates foundation

Lead - Maternal, Newborn and Child Health

New Delhi, India

Position Summary

The focus of maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) is to support the

strengthening of public service delivery in our priority states of Uttar

Mission and inform and strengthen the domain across India.  This is in

Pradesh (UP) and Bihar aligned with priorities under the National Health

focused on institutional maternal and newborn care, comprising the following

pursuit of the goal to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality, with outcomes

core components:

·         Care for vulnerable newborns: special newborn care units, very low birth weight identification and tracking.

·         Quality of antenatal care (ANC) and postnatal care (PNC).

·         Intrapartum care and management of complications.

·         Supporting interventions such as use of behavioral insights and health system strengthening including referral networks, human resources, supply chain, integration, digital solutions, and other priorities to enhance service delivery and utilization.

·         Reinforcing integration of other family health initiative areas such as nutrition (especially maternal, infant and young child nutrition, MIYCN) and family planning into MNCH.

·         Supporting the scale up of midwifery led models of care and service delivery approaches.

·         Complementing the above, and in collaboration with relevant India Country Office (ICO) and Seattle teams, support implementation research on priority interventions such ANC/PNC quality, risk stratification, care for small and sick newborns, and others to be identified.

Much of our MNCH support is maternal and newborn health. F

integration, family planning is focused on highest unmet need, mostly spacing

for young and lower parity couples, and for nutrition in the first 1000 days of

life. Our technical assistance is designed to help accelerate achievement of

areas.

targets in government plans and commitments to the SDG goals related to these

Within the Family Health Team, the Lead – MNCH will provide

overall leadership to define/refine future MNCH priorities and

investments.  Execution responsibility for investments contributing to

MNCH goals are shared across various ICO teams, including state program teams,

program advocacy and communications (PAC), and digital & health

role in terms of guidance, support, and coordination. For the remaining MNCH

innovations.  For investments led by others, you will provide an oversight

MNCH investments span behavior change and social mobilization, outreach and

investments, you will lead their design, implementation and review. The direct health facility based quality of care, particularly expanding access to

nutrition is integrated into health service delivery through ANC, intrapartum

comprehensive emergency obstetric and neonatal care (CEmONC). Addressing under care, PNC, and incorporated into multiple community support activities linked

to flagship government programs like POSHAN Abhiyaan and National Rural

Livelihoods Mission through anganwadi centres, self-help group activities and other cross sectoral social mobilization events. Our investments also need to be designed for sustainability by building capabilities and capacities of local institutions and public systems, especially in our focus states of UP and Bihar.

You will develop and manage investments that support innovative

approaches to improving scale and quality of MNCH services.  This will

require developing strong relationships with senior technical officers of

national and state governments, donors, professional organizations, private

sector players, and implementing partners to ensure coordination and

collaboration for greater collective impact.

Although MNCH work within UP and Bihar will be led by state

teams, you will provide overarching leadership on common issues and convene

office wide consultation on this initiative area.  You will lead

This will include proactively keeping track of relevant initiatives/innovations

engagement with government and other key stakeholders at national level. 

in other states/internationally and facilitate

assessment of relevance, and consideration of adoption/adaptation.

The role will entail being the primary technical resource on

MNCH and leading on formal program reviews, convening consultation, and

ensuring full alignment across related program areas, and ensuring decision roadmaps

are being followed. Regular engagement with ICO teams and grantees will enable

this function, as well as to direct any course corrections required.

The MNCH Program Support Team (PST) at headquarters (Seattle)

lead, manage and collaborate on a range of cutting edge research initiatives to

develop tools and technologies to improve quality of care globally.  Many

research and implementation.  The Lead – MNCH will

of these have direct relevance to India, which is among the many sites for

have a role in informing design, liaison, facilitating implementation and

ownership by key stakeholders, and problem solving/coordination support, as

needed, for the part of the PST portfolio that is a high priority for our work

in the focal states, and is linked directly or indirectly to national guideline

development/review.

You will report to the Deputy Director, Family Health, India

and be part of the India office health team. As lead for MNCH in a country

office you will have collaborative links to Seattle PST counterparts in MNCH.

The position is expected to work closely with other related teams in Seattle,

measurement, learning and evaluation [MLE], etc).

as needed, and across the ICO (program advocacy and communications,

 

Leadership & Culture

Our culture shapes our choices about what we do and how we do it. We

believe that energized people, working well together, fueled by great

leadership in an inclusive environment can do extraordinary things.

 

Core Responsibilities

The selected candidate will be responsible for the following tasks:

Strategy Development and Reporting

·         Lead MNCH strategy development and implementation for the ICO, framed within the broader ICO Integrated Health Strategy.

·         Lead discussion on ICO MNCH strategic priorities (convene meetings on technical issues; present to colleagues, etc) and guide the work of other teams in such areas as policy, communications and advocacy, use of behavioral insights, MLE, strengthening government capacity, etc.

·         Lead MNCH resource allocation consultation and decision making, including updating/revision of budgets.

·         Provide impactful thought leadership on a wide range of MNCH issues that shape national and state polices, including research and evaluation products.

·         Develop/contribute to presentations and reports on the MNCH context and priorities, the ICO portfolio, progress made, challenges, etc, as briefings, talking points, strategy reviews and other outputs as needed.

·         Lead engagement with government at the national level and support state teams on MNCH technical issues and elaboration of future priorities for support.

Generate and Use Data

·         Synthesize and analyze data related to MNCH from a diverse range of sources to identify key priorities and levers for action in line with strategy.

·         Advise on the development and production of research products and other related MLE initiatives, including processes to translate research into action, such as obtaining approvals, generating technical consensus, involving key research institutions, conducting dissemination of findings, etc.

·         In collaboration with the MLE SPO in-country and in Seattle, define and implement appropriate measures to track investment performance.

·         Actively collaborate, both contributing and drawing expertise from the MLE team, and collaborate with other teams on related areas such as use of behavioral insights, communications, policy and advocacy, and digital solutions in designing high quality investments.

·         Communicate data/learning from foundation-supported investments and global emerging evidence to grantees and other stakeholders (including government) to facilitate continuous learning that shapes strategy, policy, and programs.

Collaboration and Partnerships

·         Collaborate with the foundation's relevant (to MNCH) teams, especially the Bihar and UP teams, others within the BMGF FH cluster, state Technical Support Units, and other implementing partners to ensure that the MNCH program is being implemented in alignment with evidence and strategic priorities and integrated to optimize synergies.

·         Work in partnership with foundation colleagues in India and Seattle to build and manage relationships with donors, government, private sector, implementers, and other external partners to develop innovative results-driven plans and interventions.

·         Coordinate with other stakeholders on policy engagement, strategy development and new programs;

·         Lead collaboration and coordination with the PST on alignment of respective portfolios where appropriate, and on common research priorities, involving the Digital and Innovations Team and MNCH Discovery and Tools, where relevant.

·         Proactively maintain an extensive external network with experts, sector leaders and stake holders within the area of MNCH to ensure the India MNH work is shaped by the most up-to-date insights and research.

·         Organize partners meetings, convene technical and strategic consultations as needed; contribute to the newly established, foundation-supported AlignMNH initiative for global leadership and coordination in MNH.

·         Review and comment on new investments related to MNCH.

·         Lead strategic discussions and engagement with government, key institutions and other stakeholders on relevant issues of strategic importance and development/review of guidelines.

Program Leadership & Management

·         Compile MNCH workplans, review and manage risks, and lead reviews and government related engagement.

·         Design investments that test innovative approaches for MNH service delivery in the public sector that are impactful and scalable, documenting lessons learned and supporting the refinement of guidelines.

·         Develop and manage a portfolio of investments that are not led by state teams or the PST on themes including but not limited to scaling up midwifery, community health officer mentoring, implementation research; and providing technical assistance to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW).

·         Develop with partners, and effectively monitor, results frameworks, and MLE plans resulting in effective management of portfolio of investments to inform strategic decisions and future investments.

·         Conduct thorough analyses of grants and contracts, grantee progress reports; write high quality briefing documents and portfolio reviews that synthesize results and learnings for leadership and the broader MNCH team, actively participate in all relevant forums related to ICO’s and PST’s Rhythm of Business.

 

Core Knowledge and Skills

Strategic, Analytical, Communication

·         Strong research, analytical, critical thinking skills as well as the ability to organize and synthesize information are required.

·         Strong, multi-disciplinary, multi-sectoral strategic planning and management skills including ability to identify appropriate sources and types of data for relevant analysis to inform MNCH programming;

·         Deep understanding of data and ability to use diverse kinds of data to design robust and meaningful analyses to inform strategy and manage investments.

·         Excellent analytical thinking and communications skills, including writing and public speaking skills with a fluency in English and preferably Hindi.

 

Collaboration, Policy Engagement, Managing Partnerships

·         Experience in a role requiring collaboration as well as a demonstrated ability to work with flexibility, efficiency and diplomacy both individually and as part of a complex team effort; ability to work in a cooperative and collegial fashion.

·         Experience in engaging government, donors, and implementing partners (including the private sector) to develop and effectively manage strategic partnerships.

·         Work on complex matters or unique issues requiring diplomacy and judgment.

·         Demonstrated ability to work in a highly matrixed and diverse work environment, while effectively engaging diverse external stakeholders.

 

Program Management

·         Proactive, results-driven and flexible nature with reliable follow-through and great attention to detail;

·         Extensive experience in designing and implementing innovative and impactful approaches to health care delivery, including MNCH, through the public and private sectors, particularly the public sector.

·         Good understanding of gender transformative approaches, and experience in bringing a gender lens to MNCH programs in resource-poor settings.

·         Proven ability to structure and manage high-return, risk-mitigated grants, with clear milestones and outcomes; with experience in developing this skill in others.

·         Ability to travel up to 40% of time domestically and internationally.

Context

·         Knowledge of the MNCH context in India and the region; and familiarity with related areas of health systems, policy and financing; gender and rights; and socio-economic determinants of health.

 

Education & Experience

·         Master’s/MPH, PhD or MD/nursing/midwifery with at least 10 years of experience in leading and managing MNCH programs in the public sector in diverse contexts including substantive experience in India.

·         Experience in designing, implementing, managing investments or programs on MNCH.

·         Additional, relevant experience in strategic planning, investment, and/or policy and advocacy is preferred.

·         Experience in a relevant international development organization and portfolio management is critical.

·         Advanced specialist clinical and/or research qualifications/experience would be an added advantage.

For more information and online application click here