The Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP) Deputy Director provides strategic direction and operational oversight of USAID’s global flagship maternal, newborn, and child health cooperative agreement. The MCSP Deputy Director is responsible for working with the MCSP Director to provide strategic, technical and management leadership to more than 25 MCSP-assisted countries and for overseeing implementation of Save the Children’s (SC) supported MCSP activities. This critical position represents SC participation in large-scale USAID-funded maternal, newborn and child health programming and engages SC in global and country level relationships with USAID.
This position is critical in making strategic program decisions that impact both the USAID global program as well as SC’s global and field activities. The incumbent is responsible for ensuring SC’s technical leadership informs – and is informed by – MCSP programming. S/he is also responsible for promoting and maintaining relations with Jhpiego, SC, consortium partners, ministries of health in countries and USAID.
MCSP Global Leadership – 50%
- Responsible for overall management in absence of the MCSP Director, including liaison with USAID’s AOR team, partners and MCSP programs (global and field)
- Works with MCSP Director and Senior Management to ensure appropriate management structures and related support is functioning across the program
- Responsible for management leadership and support of MCSP strategic planning and annual planning process
- In collaboration with the MCSP Director, coordinates partner roles and participation within the MCSP program
- Ensures that evidence-based MNCH and cross-cutting approaches inform and are integrated into core and field programs
- Leads MCSP team to apply results-oriented focus to planning, monitoring and reporting
- Ensures documentation and sharing of MCSP program learning and results
- Ensures proper budget management of project funds.
Work with MCSP countries, both in SC presence and non-presence countries – 15%
- Provides technical leadership in the design, analysis, and synthesis of interventions
- Provides leadership in responding to USAID requests for assistance, including programming of Mission funding through buy-ins to support implementation of national-level programs
- Ensures the quality of technical interventions in collaboration with technical experts. Monitors program implementation in close collaboration with partners and support of country teams.
- Assures the quality of final documentation of results in collaboration with technical experts.
Establish and maintain partnerships with USAID Washington and field missions, host country partners, and other collaborating institutions – 20%
- Builds and nurtures relationships with USAID as well as with other USAID-funded Cooperating Agencies working in maternal, newborn and child health and with WHO, UNFPA and UNICEF
- Actively engages with USAID and other global cooperating agencies and partners, such as WHO, UNICEF, PMNCH and others, in sharing best practices and leading efforts to expand these through global and country program activities
Lead and represent Save the Children on matters related to the management and implementation of the MCSP program – 15%
- Serves as the senior SC liaison for MCSP management team, USAID AOR team and SC technical and country teams.
- Ensures SC applies evidence-based approaches and best practices and leverages SC’s expertise and experience to strengthen MCSP programming across the board.
- Ensures a strong SC team for MCSP is in place and functioning well.
- Supervises senior SC MCSP staff (technical team leads and country support manager/s
- 10-15 years country experience in health program development and management
- Demonstrated experience in managing large scale USAID or other donor-financed projects.
- Experienced in budget management and oversight of large scale projects.
- Proven developing and leading strategy as well as operational plan implementation
- Demonstrated experience in developing strategic plans on maternal, newborn and child health
- Proven technical knowledge in maternal, newborn and child health
- Understanding of and demonstrated track record responding to USAID strategic RMNCHA priorities
- Experience in recruiting and supporting high quality staff
- Proven track record directing, motivating, and managing a large project team composed of technical experts, program managers and administrative staff
- Demonstrated ability to work with senior leaders across the agency and influence on matters of significance.
- Knowledge and experience working with key international health organizations (WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank), as well as USAID and its Cooperating Agencies
- Strong communication skills, both oral and written, and ability to lead presentations
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively in a team situation
Preferred Qualifications
- Demonstrated knowledge of public health programming in developing countries, with emphasis on primary and community-based health services
- Proven track record of leading and managing comprehensive large-scale public health programs in developing countries
- Senior management experience, including demonstrated leadership skills
- Demonstrated expertise working with USAID missions and host country senior government officials and policy makers
- Fluency in a foreign language (French, Spanish, Portuguese) strongly preferred.
- Meaningful work, with a knowledge that you are changing the lives of children all around the world
- A family friendly work environment
- Highly collaborative and innovative teams
- Generous paid vacation days, holidays, family leave days, and sick time
- Healthcare plans including medical, dental, and life insurance
- Retirement savings account with matching company contributions
- Structured and formalized management development and coaching programs for mid and senior level managers
- Extensive e-learning opportunities on a variety of topics offered through our affiliation with several prestigious universities as well as language learning opportunities