Program Lead – Maternal Newborn and Child Health

Jhpiego, an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University is implementing The Challenge Initiative (TCI), a project funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) through The Bill & Melinda Gates Institute for Population and Reproductive Health (GI), Department of Population, Family & Reproductive Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public He...

Overview

• Jhpiego is seeking a visionary and results-driven Program Lead to manage a flagship newborn health initiative focused on reducing preventable newborn deaths, improving quality of care, and advancing care for small and sick newborns including preterm babies. The role offers a unique opportunity to influence policy, strengthen health systems, and deliver sustainable impact at scale.
• The role will drive implementation of evidence-based interventions, foster innovation, build strategic partnerships, and support national and county governments to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes across Kenya.
• The successful candidate will be expected to help expand access to high-quality maternal and newborn care, increase adoption of innovative life-saving interventions for small, sick and preterm babies, strengthen country ownership, improve health outcomes, and be part of the regional and global team positioning Jhpiego as a leading technical partner in maternal and newborn health.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategy, planning, budgeting, implementation, and performance management of Healthy Birth Initiative’ and contribute to broader maternal, newborn, and child health priorities across Jhpiego.

• Build and manage partnerships with global partners, government, donors, professional associations, academia, and implementing partners.

• Provide technical leadership in maternal and newborn health, quality improvement, and introduction of innovations, including mentoring multi-disciplinary teams

• Strengthen health systems, workforce capacity, referral networks, and data-driven decision making.

• Oversee financial management, compliance, risk mitigation, and partner performance

• Lead monitoring, evaluation, learning, research, and knowledge-sharing initiatives.

• Lead, supervise and mentor a multidisciplinary team of technical, programmatic, and monitoring and evaluation professionals.

• Support resource mobilization and growth opportunities.

• Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Public Health, International Development or a related field

• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible experience managing public health programs, including at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.

• At least 5 years in maternal, newborn, and child health programming.

• Demonstrated experience managing large donor-funded programs and multidisciplinary teams.

• Strong experience working with regional, national and county governments in Kenya.

• Deep familiarity with Kenya’s Maternal, Newborn and Child Health landscape

• Expertise in health systems strengthening, quality improvement, resource mobilization and stakeholder engagement.

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