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Program and Position Overview:

While Malawi has made important advances in improving maternal and newborn health (MNH) outcomes, this progress has stagnated since 2019. High rates of maternal mortality (381 per 100,000 live births) and neonatal mortality (19 per 1,000 live births) point to major gaps in the quality of care.[1]^,[2] Malawi's health system faces numerous challenges in delivering high-quality MNH services, including inadequate facilities, insufficient medical equipment and commodities, and a shortage of qualified health workers both in terms of numbers and skill-mix.

To address these challenges, CHAI is working with the Government of Malawi and a consortium of partners to develop, implement, monitor, and evaluate a robust Country Investment Plan for strengthening MNH services and improving MNH outcomes. The MNH Investment Plan will focus on operationalizing priority interventions during antenatal care, labour and delivery, and newborn care targeted at the primary drivers of maternal and neonatal mortality and stillbirths. Under this program, CHAI staff will work closely with the Ministry of Health to implement evidence-based strategies that will improve the availability of quality MNH commodities; increase the number, competency, and skill-mix of the MNH workforce; reinforce MNH data in national health information systems; support maternity and neonatal unit infrastructure development; and strengthen referrals and emergency transport for obstetric and newborn emergencies.

CHAI Malawi therefore seeks a self-motivated results driven individual to support the implementation of this program, working closely with MOH to ensure successful implementation of program interventions. The Program Associate will be based in Lilongwe, Malawi with up to 50% travel in-country, and will report to the Program Manager, SRMNH.

This is a challenging but rewarding position which will directly impact the government’s capacity to deliver improved health services for the country’s population. It presents an opportunity to work closely with a government that is committed to finding opportunities for bolstering the national and subnational delivery of MNH services and delivering a stronger health system for the people of Malawi.

• Working closely with the CHAI Technical team to provide technical assistance to Ministry of Health, Reproductive Health Directorate on Maternal and Newborn Health.
• Support CHAI Malawi’s Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal and Newborn Health (SRMNH) and Infectious Diseases Clusters to scale up evidence-based interventions to address the primary drivers of maternal mortality, stillbirths, and neonatal mortality in high-burden facilities across Lilongwe, Blantyre, and Mzimba Districts. This will include coordinating and facilitating trainings, supportive supervision, skills building visits, and operational research to strengthen the capacity of health facilities to deploy MNH technologies, such as group antenatal care, point-of-care ultrasound, and the e-MOTIVE bundle for postpartum haemorrhage.
• Provide national and district-level technical assistance on prevention, early detection, and management of PPH, pre-eclampsia/eclampsia, sepsis, and other major maternal and newborn complications.
• Support the development and update of training materials, guidelines, and SOPs for new Maternal and Neonatal Health (MNH) products/interventions, seeking input from relevant stakeholders.
• Support implementation/operationalization of national MNH strategies, guidelines, and protocols in alignment with MOH priorities.
• Provide technical input to ensure MNH interventions are integrated within broader reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health programming and other relevant programs.
• Support implementation of QI approaches such as MPDSR in focal districts to identify root causes and promote learning.
• Promote data-driven decision-making at facility and district levels using DHIS2, MPDSR findings, and other monitoring tools.
• Collaborate with MOH and partners to strengthen the availability and use of critical MNH commodities.
• Support/coordinate provider trainings and mentorships by closely working with MOH and district coordinators.
• Support overall monitoring and evaluation for the program, including operationalizing relevant data collection and analysis tools at the national level, consolidating subnational data against program indicators for reporting, and identifying strategies to strengthen ground-level program monitoring and evaluation. Where necessary, in collaboration with district coordinators.
• Develop and implement strategies to strengthen MNH data management and supply chain systems at national, district, and facility levels.
• Creatively analyze and visualize data and develop presentations, progress reports, and other knowledge products to share successes and challenges met during program implementation.
• Support the Program Manager in the development of work plans, reports, and other program deliverables.
• Perform any other relevant duties and lead day-to-day implementation of activities as assigned.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field such as Public Health, Nursing, Social Sciences with experience in SRMNH.

Experience

• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in a demanding, results-oriented environment in the public and/or private sector.
• Experience in sexual reproductive maternal and newborn health program implementation.
• Strong knowledge of current WHO and MOH guidelines for MNH.
• Excellent understanding of quality improvement and monitoring frameworks.
• Excellent written and oral English communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and tactfully to a variety of audiences.
• Excellent Microsoft Excel skills required, including experience using Excel for quantitative analyses or costing. 
• Excellent ability to communicate effectively using PowerPoint and Word.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and quantitative skills, and ability to use data to inform program development and strategy and to present results in both narrative and graphic form.
• Proven ability to operate independently, multitask, and set and achieve ambitious targets with limited guidance.

Advantages

• Master’s degree in public health, Global Health Implementation, nursing/midwifery or related field.
• Experience working with Ministry of Health and partners within the SRMNH sector.

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