District Technical Manager

PACT Overview

A global nonprofit with experience in more than 60 countries, Pact fosters thriving, resilient communities that chart their own development paths. We deliver solutions that are rooted in evidence and driven by data.

Department

Programs - Pact strives for a world where all people are heard, capable, and vibrant. The Programs Team helps realize this objective by bridging program management, technical support, and business development, enabling Pact to achieve its global strategy. We ensure program excellence through continuous learning, monitoring and evaluation and provide organizational and industry-wide thought leadership by leveraging a complementary set of cross-functional, multi-disciplinary skills, expertise, and experiences. The Programs team: influences progressive change through the development and implementation of global and regional strategies and business plans; supports advancement of innovative solutions; pursues new business opportunities; and drives effective internal and external engagement to maximize Pact’s impact across the globe. Across all aspects of its role, the Programs Department adheres to and promotes a culture of inclusion, accountability, and respect.

Position Overview

Pact is initiating a new activity in Malawi as part of the ACHIEVE project, a global project funded through the U.S. Department of State. The activity in Malawi will focus on supporting the Government of Malawi to provide integrated, high-quality maternal, newborn, and child health and nutrition services at community and facility levels. The activity will be implemented in Zomba, Thyolo, Karonga, and Balaka districts with limited focus also at a national level possible. In close coordination with the Ministry of Health, ACHIEVE will support the availability of integrated, quality lifesaving services to women, newborns, and children at community and facility levels; expand the availability of lifesaving HIV services by strengthening the integration of HIV services in ANC platforms, among others; and strengthen subnational health management teams to plan, manage, monitor, and evaluate their health programs.

Pact is seeking to hire (4) District Technical Managers for the ACHIEVE activity in Malawi, one for each of the four target districts.

The District Technical Manager will represent Pact/ACHIEVE and provide technical leadership and oversight in the district for the ACHIEVE Malawi activity, which aims to improve, sustain, and further integrate MNCH and HIV/AIDS services at health facility and community levels and ensure that client-centered, high-impact, high-quality services are available to Malawians. The District Technical Manager will ensure quality, timeliness, and efficiency of all project technical activities in the district through a team of technical officers, covering clinical services, community support services, systems strengthening, and transition and sustainability interventions. 

Key Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership in the design, coordination, and supervision of project activities at district level aimed at strengthening high-quality, integrated MNCH/Nutrition/HIV services, including but not limited to:
  • Clinical capacity building for frontline health workers in areas including maternal and newborn health, Nutrition, Malaria in Pregnancy (MiP), and Integrated Management of Newborn and Childhood Illness (IMNCI), ensuring adherence to national and internationally endorsed and recognized guidance and standards
  • Strengthening referral systems and ensuring access to emergency transport
  • Expanding service delivery through integrated outreach platforms and use of Quality Improvement tools and techniques for maternal and newborn health
  • Procurement and/or management of commodities and supplies for MNCH and nutrition based on gaps identified by district councils and facilities and aligned with the essential health service package and/or essential equipment list
  • Supporting Government to develop District and Health facility implementation plans related to the activity interventions
  • Supporting the implementation of a decentralized approach to supportive supervision and mentoring to foster local buy-in, ownership, and sustainability, including field visits, peer supervision, and coaching systems
  • Supporting capacity transfer to accelerate the rollout of Direct Facility Financing (DFF) and strengthening evidence-based distribution of work public data systems to collect and monitor financial data
  • Implementing systems to measure progress and signal sustainability at the district level based on health performance, institutional capacity, and financial mobilization
• Ensure collaboration and coordination with government and other key stakeholders at district level.
• Monitor implementation of activities to ensure timely completion of objectives and targets.
• Provide supportive supervision to a team of technical officers.
• Coordinate closely with Technical Leads, MEL staff, and finance/ops/admin staff to ensure that ACHIEVE meets stated goals, outcomes, benchmarks, and reporting requirements.
• Oversee the development of project technical deliverables at district level (workplans, reports, guidance, tools, etc.).
• Represent ACHIEVE in technical working groups and in planning, coordination, and performance review meetings.
• Work closely with the U.S. DOS, government, implementing partners, and other relevant stakeholders to identify, document, and disseminate best practices.

Basic Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree and 7+ years relevant experience or equivalent combination of education and experience, including 3 years of management experience.
• Minimum of a Bachelors’ Degree in Nursing and Midwifery, Degree in Public Health, Health Management or relevant health field. Those with advanced Post-Graduate training in Public Health will have an added advantage.
• At least 5 years’ experience in project management, implementation, budget management, and reporting.
• Familiarity with the following technical subject areas: ANC, PMTCT, MiP, safe childbirth, essential newborn care, postnatal care for mothers and newborns, IMNCI, immunization, nutritional support for pregnant and breastfeeding women (PBFW) and children, screening and treatment for malaria and acute malnutrition, integrated psychosocial support to improve health outcomes in these areas, HIV case finding, ART initiation, adherence support, prevention of HIV-associated infections.
• Health systems strengthening experience.
• Experience using low-dose high-frequency and other training, coaching, and mentorship capacity strengthening approaches
• Demonstrated experience leading successful teams, achieving deliverables on time and within budget, and interacting effectively and collaboratively with a broad range of senior and mid-level public and private sector counterparts, donors, and other key stakeholders.
• Ability to develop and maintain strong relationships with government and civil society stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, presentation, communication and reporting skills.
• Sound IT knowledge and skills in word processing, spreadsheet, databases, presentations
• Ability to work independently, good leadership and communication skills, ability to work with people from all backgrounds
• Excellent written and spoken English.
• Ability to speak other Malawian local languages.
• Willingness to live in one of the ACHIEVE project districts.

Preferred Qualifications

• A minimum of 5 years’ experience working directly with clients/patients in a clinical setting.
• Knowledge of USG rules, regulations, and policies.
• Familiarity and/or experience working with the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare and/or HIV sensitive case management approaches.

Interested candidates are required to submit a motivation letter as part of their application and indicate their preferred district(s).