United States of America: Advisor, Reproductive Health in Emergencies


Save the Children has global health programs in over 30 countries worldwide, with many incorporating reproductive health into their mainstream programs. The family planning (FP/CAC) initiative at Save the Children focuses in emergency settings and has service delivery in seven countries including Pakistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, Somalia, Syria, Egypt, and Central African Republic. The overall goal of this initiative is to ensure that all women in crisis are respected and supported in their reproductive health choices.


The Advisor for Reproductive Health in Emergencies position will be placed in the Department of Global Health and will sit on the Emergency Health and Nutrition Team. The Advisor is responsible for providing technical assistance for the family planning initiative (FP/CAC) to field programs in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Central African Republic (CAR).The technical assistance includes supporting quality of programs, strategy and operational planning, creating innovative approaches to service delivery, training and capacity building, and other tasks as needed to achieve the objectives of the program. The position holder will also liaise and collaborate with the West and Central African Humanitarian Health Advisor to respond to initiate and integrate FP/CAC in new humanitarian responses. The position holder will travel to the field offices frequently to provide technical assistance and to ensure that resources for program delivery and tools are available in French.


The position holder will have a clinical background and more than 10 years of experience delivering and provide technical advice to family planning and reproductive health programs in crisis situations. The position will be based in Washington DC.


Essential Duties, Responsibilities and Impact


Program Technical Support for Foundation Funded FP and CAC program (60%)


  • Provide technical assistance to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic.

  • Conduct baseline assessment for Central African Republic

  • Regular monitoring and technical assistance at field level through regular field trips to the country offices

  • Oversee/support capacity building initiatives including skill-oriented competency based trainings for field program staff

  • Have monthly feedback mechanism and weekly calls to ensure that the program is delivering as planned in the proposal

  • Engage and if feasible be present when the detailed implementation is being developed at field level for the program

  • Feedback monthly to supervisor on progress achieved and challenges in the implementation of the initiative

  • Initiate cross-learning with the other technical advisors and by sharing learning from Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of Congo

  • Be available as the first point of contact for the field team

  • Coach and mentor the health lead/RH manager and field manager of the programs in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic in delivering the FP/CAC award at high quality

  • Review monthly reports and provide feedback to the country office

  • Review and prepare biannual reports in coordination with the country office

  • Liaise and coordinate with logistics and grants team on any concerns and activities on procurement and budget for Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of Congo

Strategic and Operational Planning (15%)


  • Participates in agency and departmental strategic and operational planning processes to achieve department-wide and agency FP/CAC objectives.

  • Contribute to development of the operational plan for Emergency Health and Nutrition

  • Contribute in the implementation and reporting on the achievement of FP/CAC operational plans

  • Contribute/lead capacity building efforts in the area of emergency reproductive health and FP/CAC

  • Liaise with other members as a backstop or technical advisor to ensure that the FP/CAC achievements, challenges, and planning are shared widely in the humanitarian health working group and the backstops

  • Engage the West and Central African regional office and humanitarian team through regular program update emails and calls on the achievements, challenges, and plans of the FP/CAC program in Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic

  • Be an advocate and champion of the FP/CAC initiative at global and country office level

Program and Innovation Documentation (5%)



  • Monitor, and assists in documenting program innovations.




  • Work closely with partner agencies at country level to document learning and improve program quality for Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic




  • Encourage and lead the write-up of synthesized data on program learning from the field




  • Explore with country team/field team on innovate methods to increase utilization of family planning and comprehensive abortion care services




  • Be proactive learner and update self on latest guidance on FP/CAC



Program/Proposal Development/emergency response (15%)


  • In collaboration with Emergency Health Nutrition and country team coordinate and support proposal development on emergency reproductive health and FP/CAC

  • Deploy to new emergencies to scale-up and initiate FP/CAC service delivery, and support over all emergency health response

Other duties, as identified and prioritized by the Department or Agency (5%)


  • Document and present learning in global and regional forums

  • Publish relevant articles and technical documents for internal use and in journals

Required Background and Experience, Skills and Behaviors


  • Master’s in Public Health with focus on reproductive health highly preferred


  • A minimum of 10 years of experience with technical design, implementation, and monitoring of reproductive health, FP/CAC in emergencies




  • Proven knowledge and experience in the challenges in implementing family planning in developing countries




  • Able to prepare succinct and focused reports on program results




  • Knowledge on results driven programming with community mobilization, quality of care, provider attitude, and client/provider interaction




  • Experience/knowledge on health information systems – including health facility primary data collection tools, data compiling and analysis




  • Demonstrated knowledge and experience in capacity building – trainings, competency-based training, supportive supervision, and training on quality supervision




  • Experience with various donors in proposal development and donor reporting




  • Excellent organizational and time management skills




  • Strong written and verbal communication skills




  • Ability to independently work with minimal supervision and prioritize multiple tasks




  • Secondary language (French), required




  • Strong interpersonal skills and ability to develop and maintain relationships with key groups (internal and external) to the organization.




  • Strong change management, results oriented and decision making skills




  • Demonstrates Save the Children Core Values




  • Experience in working in insecure/hardship areas




  • Flexible to travel up to 40-50%



Save the Children invests in childhood – every day, in times of crisis and for our future. In the United States and around the world, we are dedicated to ensuring every child has the best chance for success. Our pioneering programs give children a healthy start, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. Our advocacy efforts provide a voice for children who cannot speak for themselves. As the leading expert on children, we inspire and achieve lasting impact for millions of the world’s most vulnerable girls and boys. By transforming children’s lives now, we change the course of their future and ours.


Save the Children is committed to conducting its programs in a manner that is safe for the children it serves and helping protect the children with whom Save the Children is in contact. As a humanitarian agency, Save the Children is obliged to create and maintain an environment that aims to prevent the sexual exploitation and abuse of children and promote the implementation of its child safeguarding policy. All representatives of Save the Children – employees, volunteers, interns, consultants, Board members and others who work with children on Save the Children’s behalf – are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with this commitment and obligation.


Save the Children provides an attractive benefits package including competitive salaries, a matching retirement plan, health and welfare benefits, life insurance, an employee assistance program, generous time off and much more. We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, ancestry, sexual orientation, national origin, age, handicap, disability, marital status, or status as a veteran. Save the Children complies with all applicable laws.





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