• The Maternal Health Specialist (MHS) is located in the Office of Population, Health, Nutrition and Education (OPHNE) and is a key member of the Health Service Delivery Pillar Team. He/she provides substantive advice and support in discussions with the host government and other stakeholders about global best practices in the area of maternal health care services. The incumbent will use his/her independent judgment and initiative to complete complex tasks with minimal supervision. He/she serves as the designated Agreement Officer`s Representative (AOR), Contracting Officer`s Representative (COR), or Activity Manager for one or more USAID-funded projects.
• The incumbent provides project management and technical advice on maternal health, provides inputs on new program initiatives, and drafts program documents to secure funding and implement activities. The incumbent helps USAID and its partners stay abreast of current best practices in the complex and evolving field of maternal health. S/He works with implementing partners, other donors, and the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) to identify areas where current maternal health service systems need to be improved to incorporate life-saving practices. S/He also works with partners and others to strengthen national policies, protocols, resource allocations, and the use of field-based research and program data for decision-making, and ensuring that the proven approaches are incorporated. S/He is responsible for a broad range of planning, monitoring, coordination, capacity building and implementation of activities, policies, and programs that reduce maternal morbidity and mortality. The incumbent represents USAID regarding Maternal Health policies, strategies and activities with outside organizations, such as the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, United Nations organizations, British Department for International Development, other development partners, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector.

Job Responsibilities

• PROGRAM/PROJECT MANAGEMENT:
• The Maternal Health Specialist manages a diverse portfolio targeting evidence-based, high impact, and cost-effective interventions for the improvement of maternal health including, but not limited to, prevention and treatment of post-partum haemorrhage, pre-eclampsia, and sepsis; strengthening maternal death surveillance and response; improving emergency obstetrics and new-born care. Close coordination, collaboration, alignment and integration with staff working to improve other components of the portfolio, including newborn care, family planning, nutrition, health systems strengthening, health seeking behaviour, commodity supply and logistics, and quality improvement is essential.
• Serves as Agreement/Contracting Officer’s Representative (AOR/COR) and program/project/activity manager. Provides review and approval of work plans, budgets, performance monitoring plans, quarterly and annual reports, and other key documents for managed activities. S/he provides guidance on new program initiatives, drafts program documents to secure funding and implement activities, and manages the relationships between USAID and implementing partners (IPs). Provides technical assistance in capacity-building, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation to key USAID governmental and non-governmental partners, to ensure that they develop measurable plans and objectives for implementation of innovative and effective OPHNE projects.

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