Advisor, Maternal and Newborn Health

The AFGHS-Jhpiego project is funded by the U.S. Department of State (DoS) to support the delivery of lifesaving, comprehensive maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) and malaria services across Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar. It aims to improve service and data quality, strengthen health-system integration and resilience, facilitate effective transition, and promote local ownership and accountability for sustained health outcomes.

Jhpiego works closely with the Ministries of Health in Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar, the Reproductive and Child Health Section (RCHS), the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), the Zanzibar Malaria Elimination Programme (ZAMEP), and Regional Administration and Local Government (RALG) structures to align implementation with national priorities and strengthen locally led implementation and oversight.

Position Summary

The Maternal and Newborn Health (MNH) Advisor provides technical and programmatic leadership to regional field implementation teams to scale up evidence-based, high-impact MNH interventions at health facility and community levels, ensuring alignment with approved project work plans, milestones, and payment-linked deliverables. S/he will work closely with the project Field Team Leads, Technical Officers and  Government of Tanzania (GoT) counterparts, including PMO-RALG and the Ministry of Health (MoH), to co-design, implement, coordinate, and monitor MNH activities aligned with national priorities outlined in the Government-to-Government (G2G) MOU and accompanying implementation plan, government systems, and AFGHS project milestones. The Advisor will collaborate with government counterparts, other technical advisors, Department of State (DoS) implementing partners, and stakeholders to strengthen integrated, efficient, and high-quality MNH service delivery and promote accountability at national, regional, and district levels.

The MNH Advisor will work closely with monitoring and evaluation staff and field implementation teams to track progress against approved project milestones and payment-linked deliverables, monitor implementation performance, identify and address gaps, and facilitate timely corrective actions to ensure achievement, documentation, verification, and payment of milestones. S/he will ensure that technical assistance, implementation priorities, and field-level support are strategically aligned with milestone requirements and contribute to measurable improvements in MNH service delivery and outcomes.

A key responsibility of the MNH Advisor will be to advance sustainability and transition by strengthening regional and subnational government leadership, ownership, and institutional capacity to independently manage and sustain priority MNH interventions aligned with the G2G MOU. At the national level, s/he will support the integration and institutionalization of evidence-based MNH interventions within existing government policies and at subnational and facility level ensure integration or priority interventions within CCHP plans, budgets, service delivery platforms, supervision mechanisms, and data systems. Working with government counterparts, the Advisor will facilitate the progressive transition of implementation, oversight, and accountability functions to national, regional, and council structures, while strengthening workforce capacity, integrated service delivery, data use, and community engagement to sustain MNH service quality and outcomes beyond project support

This position will be closed on October 19, 2026.

Technical Leadership & Skills Development

• Provide technical leadership, support, and oversight to project-supported MNH interventions, ensuring technical quality and alignment with approved project milestones and deliverables, while strengthening government capacity to progressively lead, institutionalize, and sustain priority intervention
• Ensure technical excellence related to all project activities, with a particular focus on quality improvement and capacity development approaches, across MNH clinical intervention areas in program focus regions.
• Identify evidence-based high-impact practices related to MNH programming and facilitate application in the project, providing technical guidance on integrating MNH with other clinical services including HIV, malaria, immunization, nutrition, and other related services across the continuum of care.
• Lead the implementation and institutionalization of collaborative quality improvement approaches within existing government structures and systems, strengthening government ownership and capacity to independently sustain continuous quality improvement across all levels of service delivery.
• Strengthen referral linkages and feedback loops between community, primary, and referral-level health facilities to support timely access to lifesaving MNH services.
• Collaborate closely with R/CHMTs in capacity strengthening, including supportive supervision efforts, to ensure quality service delivery to clients and strengthen government systems to independently lead and sustain mentorship, supervision, and continuous quality improvement.
• Provide leadership in building local capacity through mentoring of counterparts and close collaboration with Ministry of Health and PORALG colleagues in MNH clinical areas.

Program Implementation & Coordination

• Work collaboratively with Government of Tanzania (GoT) counterparts at district, regional and national levels to co-design, implement, monitor, and oversee MNH technical and programmatic aspects of the program.
• Ensure MNH technical activities, implementation priorities, and technical assistance are aligned with approved project work plans, milestones, and payment-linked deliverables. Work closely with regional teams, government counterparts, and MEL staff to monitor progress, identify and address implementation gaps, and support the timely achievement, documentation, verification, and payment of project milestones.
• Collaborate closely with regional teams to ensure harmonization of project approaches across technical and geographical areas, regularly review performance data and progress against key indicators and milestones, identify implementation gaps, and support timely corrective actions to achieve project results.
• Improve data use among project, MOH, PORALG, R/CHMT, and health facility staff to improve indicators and support adaptive management as implementation progresses.
• Provide technical support to strengthen facilities' ability to deliver and sustain implementation of high impact interventions, and key quality improvement approaches, as part of essential MNH care.
• Provide technical input into annual and quarterly work plans, implementation strategies, and milestone achievement plans, ensuring alignment with national priorities, the G2G MOU and accompanying implementation plan, and project deliverables.
• Provide technical oversight to regional teams and ensure appropriate support and preparation for training activities.
• Provide technical support to program staff to link Community Health Workers (CHWs) with health facility staff in program areas and build sustainable mechanisms for this coordination.
• Coordinate and co-design activities with key stakeholders at the regional level, including other USG-funded activities, to facilitate the implementation of quality RMNCAH activities at scale.
• Collaborate with MOHCDGEC and other stakeholders on the development and adaptation of guidelines, policies, and SOPs aligned with new global evidence.
• Coordinate with regional teams and MEL staff to ensure timely preparation of quarterly and annual project reports, including documentation of technical achievements, progress against milestones, implementation challenges, and corrective actions.
• Support procurement coordination for MNH commodities across project sites as required.

Stakeholder Engagement & Collaboration

• Under the guidance of the Project Technical Director, engage with GoT counterparts, national authorities, and key stakeholders to strengthen government leadership and accountability for MNH service quality, integration, achievement of project milestones, and long-term sustainability.
• Coordinate with other projects and partners to identify synergies and enhance MNH outcomes.
• Respond to requests for technical support from counterparts and local partners, ensuring responsiveness and alignment with national and donor priorities.

Strategic Growth and Development

• Identify innovative, cost-effective approaches to MNH programming with potential for scale, and support their integration into project design.
• Support other strategic growth and partnership efforts for Jhpiego as may be required from time to time.

Sustainability and Transition

• Work with government counterparts at national, regional, and council levels to progressively institutionalize priority MNH interventions within government planning, budgeting, supervision, quality improvement, and accountability systems, supporting the transition of implementation and oversight responsibilities to government structures in line with project sustainability and transition milestones.

Communication & Knowledge Management

• Document and disseminate best practices, technical briefs, success stories, lessons learned, and evidence of milestone achievements to support project reporting, knowledge sharing, continuous improvement, and scale-up of effective MNH interventions.
• Identify and disseminate best practices and new technical strategies and approaches in areas of expertise.
• Ensure implementation and documentation of evidence-based clinical training materials, standards, supervisory systems, and other approaches.
• Document best practices, technical briefs, success stories, and other communication deliverables.
• Collaborate with communications staff to support implementation of communication strategies.
• Perform other duties as directed by the senior staff.

• Bachelor’s degree in public health, Nursing, or Midwifery or Medical Degree is required (an advanced degree such as an MScN, MMed, MPH is an advantage).
• Minimum of 6 to 7 years of work experience in MNH, with experience working in maternity care.
• At least two years of experience as an excellent classroom and clinical trainer and clinical mentor.
• Experience working in the private sector and/or with NGOs.
• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing capacity-building and quality improvement programs for MNH.
• Experience managing quality improvement initiatives and supervising or mentoring technical staff.

• Ability to coach, mentor, and develop the technical capacity of in-service delivery programs and technical staff in maternal and newborn health and performance and quality improvement.
• Deep technical knowledge of evidence-based MNH interventions across the continuum of care, including antenatal care, skilled delivery (including emergency obstetric care), and postnatal care.
• Strong understanding of data utilization for program monitoring, quality improvement, and informed decision-making in MNH.
• Knowledge of strengthening referral systems within and between health facilities and communities.
• Proven leadership and management skills with the ability to multi-task.
• Self-management is necessary (i.e., motivation, dealing with pressure, adaptability).
• Ability to communicate effectively, instilling trust and confidence.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks, prioritize, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Commitment to promoting respectful maternity care and family-centered approaches in healthcare delivery.
• Ability and willingness to travel across program regions as required.
• Language: Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Professional proficiency in Kiswahili is highly desirable.

Jhpiego offers competitive salaries and a comprehensive employee benefits package.

Please apply at www.jhpiego.org/careers

Applicants must submit a single document for upload to include cover letters, resume, and references.

For further information about Jhpiego, visit our website at www.jhpiego.org

Note: The successful candidate selected for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation.

Jhpiego is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer

Jhpiego, a Johns Hopkins University affiliate, is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, other legally protected characteristics or any other occupationally irrelevant criteria. Jhpiego promotes Affirmative Action for minorities, women, individuals who are disabled, and veterans.

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