Regional Technical Advisor – Advanced Newborn Care

Overview

Jhpiego is an international non-profit health organization affiliated with Johns Hopkins University. Jhpiego is seeking an Africa-based regional technical advisor to provide technical expertise and leadership in the design, implementation and oversight of advanced newborn, including small and sick newborn (SSNB) health activities, as part of comprehensive maternal, newborn and child health and nutrition (MNCH-N) programs in several countries.

 

The advanced newborn regional technical advisor will optimally be based in a country in Africa with Jhpiego presence and will work closely with Jhpiego staff (global, regional, country) and country counterparts in several countries to strengthen small and sick newborn health care services, including in countries participating in two global mechanisms funded by the U.S. government and led by Jhpiego (MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership program and the Reaching Impact Saturation and Epidemic Control (RISE) program). The small and sick newborn program activities will focus heavily on increasing coverage and quality of a family-centered package of care for hospitalized small and sick newborns in level 2 or secondary care facilities. This package of care will be adapted contextually from the Global Small and Sick Newborn Model of Care, which includes a standardized “Content of Care” package for level 2 facilities, paired with strategies to promote sustainability and scale. 

 

This role will provide technical assistance to several country programs in Africa, so s/he should have experience supporting SSNB services in at least one African country. S/he should have an understanding of global SSNB guidelines and best practices that can be adapted and contextualized to various settings. S/he should have experience working with governments, UN/INGO partners and professional associations in a low- or middle-income setting, supporting the design, implementation and scale-up of neonatal/small and sick newborn services. S/he should have direct clinical experience and expertise in the provision of specialized neonatal services, as part of interprofessional caregiving teams, at secondary care hospitals (Level 2/district level). 

 

This position will be based in Africa, with a preference for countries where Jhpiego has large active newborn and child health programs

(Kenya, Rwanda, Madagascar, Zambia, Côte d’Ivoire, or Sierra Leone.) 

Responsibilities

Technical Leadership in Small and Sick Newborn (SSNB) Care

• Provide technical assistance for the design and implementation of context-appropriate SSNB interventions, primarily focusing on hospitalized SSNB populations in secondary (level 2) facilities.
• Lead the adaptation and application of global best practices and national guidance for SSNB programming and support development/revision of national SSNB policies, protocols, job aids and tools.
• Oversee planning to implement essential elements of small and sick newborn care at level 2 facilities: thermal care; respiratory support including initiation/safe monitoring of bubble CPAP; oxygen therapy and pulse oximetry; breastfeeding and alternative methods for feeding breastmilk to SSNB’s; hypoglycemia prevention/management; jaundice screening/phototherapy; infection prevention and management of neonatal sepsis; pain management; respectful, infant and family-centered developmental care (IFCDC); referral; discharge and follow-up.
• Guide introduction, procurement and optimization of essential SSNB equipment (e.g., bubble CPAP systems, oxygen sources/concentrators, phototherapy, radiant warmers/incubators, etc.) and ensure usability, safety, and maintenance systems are in place.
• Strengthen stabilization at birth, neonatal resuscitation and immediate post‑resuscitation care in maternity/newborn corners and newborn units, ensuring seamless linkage with intrapartum services and referral pathways.
• Provide strategic direction in Fostering cross‑program integration with maternal health, intrapartum/newborn care, child health, nutrition (including breastfeeding and feeding of small infants), and infection prevention and control.

 

Capacity-strengthening and Quality Improvement

• Oversee the development and/or revision and rollout of competency-based SSNB trainings, mentorship and clinical coaching for nurses, midwives, medical officers, pediatricians, and biomedical technicians.
• Collaborate with MEL and Quality Improvement teams at global, regional and country levels to improve and monitor quality of small and sick newborn health services, using routine health information data as feasible.

 

Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement

• Represent Jhpiego in strategic engagement with Ministries of Health, professional associations,