Technical Advisor, Health Systems
: Job Details :

Position Description

Position: (Senior) Technical Advisor, Health Systems (Exempt Position)

Employer: Vitamin Angel Alliance, Inc.

Division: Programs Division

Location: Flexible. This person can work remotely from anywhere in the US or work from our corporate headquarters in Goleta, CA or our office in Chicago, IL, or any combination thereof.

Salary Range: $100,000 - 120,000

ABOUT VITAMIN ANGELS

Vitamin Angels (VA) is a 501(c)3 non-profit, global public health organization working to improve nutrition worldwide. VA works directly with local organizations, including governments, to reach nutritionally vulnerable populations ? pregnant women, infants, and young children ? who are underserved by existing systems. Since 1994, VA has been delivering evidence-based nutrition interventions and providing technical assistance to reach more than 70 million women and children in low-resource settings annually. Vitamin Angels is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace. We are a dedicated group of individuals who aim to foster a supportive environment where everyone can contribute, thrive, and grow.

ROLE OR PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

Strong health systems are essential to improving public health. Vitamin Angels (VA) works with governments and civil society organizations to expand access to evidence-based nutrition at all levels of the health system. To further this work, VA seeks a Technical Advisor with expertise in health systems and equity to provide technical oversight and strategic direction in the areas of health systems strengthening, quality improvement, and equity. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated success in implementing health systems strengthening approaches to improve performance of frontline workers and overall quality of care in the context of maternal and child health services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

The Technical Advisor, Health Systems sits within the Program Quality and Impact (PQI) Team, overseeing the health systems strengthening efforts for VA?s global programs, including grant-funded initiatives such as the Transforming Lives Through Nutrition program. They will collaborate with internal technical experts and external partners at the global, regional, and country levels to integrate nutrition interventions into routine health services, strengthen local capacity, and ensure program sustainability and equity.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Technical Advisor, Health Systems will be responsible for the following:

Technical Leadership and Strategic Guidance

• Provide strategic guidance and technical assistance for VA?s global programs using a health systems strengthening approach
• Assist partners and stakeholders to apply best practices in integrating and mainstreaming evidence-based nutrition interventions into routine health services (e.g., antenatal care, delivery/early newborn care, postnatal care, child health visits, etc.)
• Develop strategies to strengthen the capacity of frontline health workers through pre- and in-service training, task shifting, supportive supervision, mentoring, and other approaches
• Develop strategies to strengthen systems at regional, district, and national levels, including policy and governance improvements
• Contribute to the development of funding proposals

Activity Design and Management

• Lead the design of strategies and activity plans for both government and community/NGO health systems strengthening, providing technical assistance to VA country teams and partners
• Contribute to development of workplans and budgets, ensuring alignment with project goals and intended results
• Collaborate with staff to create training curricula for governments, implementing partners, and community organizations
• Support VA country teams to select appropriate training and capacity-strengthening approaches for program partners based on local context and needs
• Assist in creating new or updating existing training and capacity building materials, including curricula, training manuals, and job aids as needed, in collaboration with VA SBC and research advisors and other key stakeholders.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning; Knowledge Application and Dissemination

• Collaborate with Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) and country teams to strengthen on-site monitoring visits and develop strategies for continuous quality improvement, and track progress toward quality goals
• Foster a culture of learning within VA and partners; support knowledge translation and application from implementation science learnings; contribute to dissemination of research and programmatic results
• Contribute to knowledge products such as case studies, program/policy/research briefs, and peer-reviewed publications for internal and external audiences

LEVEL OF DECISION-MAKING

Within the bounds of Vitamin Angels? mission, values, and policies, and sound professional practices, the Technical Advisor, Health Systems has the discretion to use independent judgment to make decisions of significant consequence that affect VA clients, partners, and employees.

ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS

VA operates under a collaborative, matrix management model. The Technical Advisor, Health Systems is supervised by the Associate Director, Program Quality and Impact (or their designee), coordinates their activities with other team members (technical advisors, other specialized technical team members, country advisors and program officers, and various contractors) or their designated staff, and interacts daily with a range of members of the VA team. Each VA team member establishes work priorities and ensures that their individual activities are continuing within the context of an established schedule and budget.

Reports to:

Associate Director, Program Quality and Impact

Supervises:

Learning & Capacity Strengthening Specialist

Primary working relationships:

Program Quality & Impact team

Technical Advisors

Program Communications team

Program Advisors/Officers

External partner staff (e.g., technical advisors and country teams working on specific grant-funded initiatives)

Various Contractors

Travel required

Up to 25%

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

• Master's Degree in nutrition, public health, international development, international affairs, or related field (PhD and/or MPH desirable)
• 10+ years of experience providing technical leadership in health systems strengthening, equity, quality improvement, or related fields in international development
• Proven success providing technical assistance in complex development or humanitarian settings
• Knowledge of health systems strengthening principles, including policy development, guideline adaptation, quality improvement, training, and supervision
• Familiarity with evidence and global guidelines for maternal and child health and nutrition and common service delivery platforms in LMICs
• Experience working with local partners to strengthen government and NGO service provider performance
• Solid understanding of quantitative and qualitative methods for measuring systems strengthening activities and quality improvement outcomes
• Strong communication skills (written and oral), with the ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks
• Ability to remain seated for extended periods of time, including but not limited to prolonged air travel and general job assignments performed at a desk
• Fluency in English

Preferred:

• Experience with integrating nutrition interventions, including counseling and support for maternal nutrition, maternal micronutrient supplementation, breastfeeding, and complementary feeding, into routine health services
• Experience with participatory capacity-strengthening and community engagement methodologies
• Familiarity with health management information systems and supporting data-driven decision-making
• Experience designing and implementing health facility assessments and measurement of service quality
• Experience with donor-funded projects and working within donor requirements
• Professional fluency in Spanish, French, or another language

BENEFITS: Comprehensive benefit package includes Medical, Dental and Vision Care, Life Insurance, 401(k), Paid Time Off, Winter/Summer Recharge Weeks, Holidays, Wellness Program, pregnancy disability, paid parental leave and more.

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PI260676314

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