United States of America: Principal Technical Advisor, Quality of Care

Overview

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and international commitments offer the opportunity to move towards integrated models of service delivery to improve equitable coverage and quality of high impact interventions. Current evidence shows that while there have been important strides in increasing coverage of care for RMNCAH essential services, suboptimal quality of care limits the impact on health outcomes, is a deterrent for care-seeking, and may create risks for patient and health worker safety. Global and national initiatives are therefore increasingly focused on improvements in quality of care, with a particular emphasis on continuous quality improvement to ensure regular assessment and action. Concurrently, there is growing evidence and concern that services do not meet patient needs and expectations, requiring quality improvement interventions as well as potentially new human-centered models of service delivery.

MSH has extensive experience health system strengthening at all levels of the health system, including improving quality of care. MSH is looking for an outstanding professional who can bring additional technical expertise in quality of care initiatives, including quality improvement and new models of person-centered integrated care.

The Principal Technical Advisor, Quality of Care reports to the Senior Director and Cluster Lead-RMNCAH and is situated within the RMNCAH cluster. S/he will support projects and develop strategies for quality of care interventions to strengthen programs in health organizations in the public and private sectors in low and middle income settings, in particular to improve private sector engagement co-designing interventions.

Specific Responsibilities

Strategic Thought Leadership (50%)

• Provide strategic technical assistance to MSH global and bilateral projects on approaches, processes and tools for continuous quality improvement, including clinical care and responsiveness to patient needs and expectations
• Analyze projects across MSH and distil approaches to addressing issues of quality improvement, patient safety and improved service delivery models at scale
• Collaborates with PTA-MNH to identify and support project and intervention designs to improve patient-centered care through new services or innovative ways of providing existing services, including through co-design, co-creation and patient engagement
• Build capacity within projects to implement technical assistance programs for continuous quality improvement
• Work with the Performance, Learning and Impact (PLI) and other technical advisors in HPG to follow global developments in quality of care measurement and to identify standard quality of care indicators for integration in project performance and monitoring plans
• Develop and conduct implementation research on interventions to improve quality of care with country based projects in coordination with MSH’s Program Learning and Implementation Unit
• Identify and attend events and represent MSH at scientific/policy/advocacy/communication forums as speaker/presenter
• Contribute to the global public health knowledge base by preparing case studies and technical briefs, and leading efforts to ensure MSH is published in peer reviewed journals in areas related to MNCH.
• Communicate concepts related to quality management and quality improvement, including client centered care, through a variety of mechanisms, including the MSH website, fact sheets, publications, and blogs
• Act as technical strategy lead for relevant projects

Portfolio Development (50%)

• In conjunction with other technical advisors identify health system strengthening approaches that support quality of care activities to address issues of access and coverage, including relevant funding opportunities
• Ensure that MSH is represented in relevant fora to demonstrate our technical leadership in the area of quality of care and identify potential funding opportunities
• Serve as Technical Strategy Lead (TSL) for MSH proposals
• Provide technical inputs into proposals, particularly regarding quality management and continuous quality improvement, and lead positioning with donors through thought leadership, event planning, presentations, blogs and other social media outlets, including tweet on a regular basis.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with counterparts among US Government (USG) and non-USG donors and partners

Qualifications and Experience

Education

Required:

• Advanced clinical degree in nursing, midwifery, medicine or related field.

Experience

Required:

• Minimum of 8 years of experience, with at least 5 years in clinical quality management/quality improvement
• Significant relevant experience in international public health in developing country context required

Preferred:

• 10 years of progressively responsible experience is preferred.
• Additional training/education in public health, preferably in quality or performance management
• Demonstrated experience in providing technical assistance for strengthening health systems to provide primary health care, particularly maternal, newborn and child health, preferred.
• Experience in operations, implementation or other types of research.
• French language skills are preferred

Knowledge and Skills

• Strong conceptual and practical knowledge of quality improvement methods and patient safety and their application at the facility level, as well as the organizational/system supports required at management and policy levels.
• Experience in supporting person-centered, integrated care through co-creation and co-design with community participation a plus.
• Broad knowledge and strong understanding of global health and non-profit environments
• Superb analytical, interpersonal and communications skills (listening, speaking and writing).
• Demonstrated competence to assess priorities and manage a variety of activities in a time-sensitive environment and meet deadlines with attention to detail and quality.
• Expertise and/or education in applied research and proficient in analysis of quantitative data
• Publication record in peer reviewed journals desired.

Competencies

• Mission-driven with an interest in public health.
• Strategic thinker, curious and having the ability to probe.
• Demonstrated competence to assess priorities and manage a variety of activities in a time-sensitive environment and meet deadlines with attention to detail and quality.

• Navigating the Environment:

• Perspective, Dealing with ambiguity, Organizational Agility, Political Savvy and Strategic Agility

• Ensuring Delivery of Results:

• Functional/Technical skills, Client Focus, Managing through systems, Managing and Measuring work, Negotiating, Information Sharing, Process Management, Priority Setting, Problem Solving and Timely Decision Making

• Leading with Credibility:

• Managing others: Building Effective Teams, Conflict Management, Managing Vision and Purpose, Integrity and Trust, Motivating others, Approachability and Developing direct reports and others

• Core Personal Competencies:

• Ethics and Values, Integrity and Trust, Listening, Written

• Communication

• Core MSH competencies:

• Adaptability, Communication, Problem Solving, Creativity and Innovation, Quality, Quality and Timeliness of Work, Quality of work and Team Relationships, Resource Utilization

Physical Demands

• Willingness and ability to travel up to 30% of the time
• Keyboard use, pulling drawers, lifting papers <10 lbs.

https://jobs-msh.icims.com/jobs/9377/principal-technical-advisor%2c-quality-of-care/job