The Opportunity

Save the Children International is inviting applications from suitably qualified personnel to fill the position of Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health Manager (ASRH Manager). The ASRH Manager will take overall responsibility for the design, technical direction, quality improvement and coordination of Save the Children’s work on Adolescent Reproductive Health and First Time Parents. She/he will provide support to the MOMENTUM Tiyeni Youth and Adolescent Advisor and the project in the design, technical direction, quality improvement and coordination of the Adolescent Reproductive Health and First Time Parents work including ensuring programming generates sound evidence for scale up within MOMENTUM1 and for future programming.  She/he will support coordinating mainstreaming of First Time Parenting, pre-adolescents and Very Young Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health in MOMENTUM1 reproductive work. S/he will provide technical inputs into the development of the content and implementation strategies for evidence-based, high impact sexual and reproductive health interventions targeting these sub groups of adolescents. At the guidance of Tiyeni Youth and Adolescent Advisor, the role will contribute to national level engagement with stakeholders working on adolescent SRH, evidence generation and knowledge management to demonstrate impact and contribute to learning on this area.

In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Technical Leadership

•  In liaison with the MOMENTIM 1 Youth TA, support continuous assessments of ASRH needs and implementation of the First Time Parenting Work, Pre-adolescents and Very Young Adolescents interventions, ensuring clear implementation strategies in line with MOMENTUM theory of change and objectives
• In close consultation with the MOMENTUM Tiyeni Technical Lead and Youth and Adolescent Technical Advisor provide technical assistance in ASRH to the MOH and other in-country development partners, including support to the development of relevant ASRH-focused national plans, strategies and policies with a particular focus on Pre-Adolescents, Very Young Adolescents and First Time Mothers/Parents programming
• In close collaboration with MOMENTUM Tiyeni SBC team, contribute to the provision of technical assistance for the development and implementation of ASRH-related behaviour change strategies and activities with a particular focus on Pre-Adolescents, Very Young Adolescents and First Time Mothers/Parents programming
• In collaboration with Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) colleagues, with technical input from the Youth, Nutrition, SBC, Maternal and Newborn Child Health Advisors support the development of feasible and effective monitoring approaches for Pre-Adolescents, Very Young Adolescents and First Time Mothers/Parents programming. Where necessary provide technical training for project staff and partners as required
• In collaboration with MEAL colleagues, support efforts to strengthen the ASRH components of the Malawi’s Health Management Information System (HMIS)
• In liaison with the MOMENTUM Tiyeni Technical Lead and Youth and Adolescent TA, coordinate with external partners to support the development of training curricula, supervision and monitoring tools, communication materials, job aids and other technical materials to support the implementation of ASRH interventions by MOMENTUM 1 and other organisations
• Support the process of generating lessons and sharing of learning to ensure high quality programming, with support from the MEAL and Knowledge Management, coordinating the collection of documentation across all the ASRH focused work

Programme Quality (Design and Implementation)

• In liaison with MOMENTUM 1 Youth TA, review ASRH component of the MOMENTUM Tiyeni annual work plan to ensure alignment with quality standards and main priorities and goals of the project
• Under the guidance of the Youth and Adolescent TA, conduct periodic field visits to the MOMENTUM 1 district offices and project sites to coordinate with district managers and staff, and the government counterparts to monitor the technical quality of ASRH-focused interventions; work with implementation teams to understand impacts, operational challenges, and continuously identify opportunities for learning and improvement
• In close collaboration with MOMENTUM Tiyeni Technical Lead and Youth and Adolescent TA, promote the Adolescent Responsive Health Systems approach as the overarching framework in collaboration and partnership with governments and national bodies, local partners and working towards impact, scale and sustainability
• Coordination with Youth TA in contributing to development of quality and timely ASRH donor reports; working closely with programme implementation and SBC colleagues as needed

Networking & External Engagement and advocacy

• Serve as Save the Children’s ASRH focal person on MOMENTUM1’s SRH interventions under the leadership of MOMENTUM1 TA and support while collaborating with the MOH, UN agencies, other NGOs, donor agencies, academic and research institutions, professional bodies and other in-country stakeholders as appropriate
• In alignment with the Save the Children Country Office strategy and leadership, engage in strategic positioning with donors, partners and government in-country. Ensure that Save the Children is influencing and learning from others through national technical coordination and networking bodies such as health and nutrition technical working groups.
• Ensure that the diverse voices of children, girls and boys are equitably heard and represented in our ASRH work ensuring their meaningful participation in ASRH work.
• Under the direction of MOMENTUM Tiyeni Youth and Adolescent Technical Advisor, represent them in national and local government representatives, donors, partner agencies, etc. as required.
• Leverage and liaise with technical colleagues from across Save the Children, including technical working groups, ensuring that learning from the MOMENTUM 1 is shared with others and global lessons are brought back
• Represent Save the Children in relevant internal and external fora including implementing
• Participate in and contribute to SC Global Initiative activities for ASRH, as relevant in liaison with the Save the Children STA H&N

MEAL, Innovation & organisational learning

• Contribute to organisational learning on ASRH ensuring that learning from our programmes is shared across the MOH, Country Office and our partners, as well as with colleagues in the wider regional and global health, nutrition, and WASH community in Save the Children
• Provide support to MOMENTUM 1 in developing ASRH indicators that align with USAID indicators, the Global Results Framework and Country Strategic Plans, monitoring quality benchmarks and supporting high-quality evaluations, formative assessments, and research in MOMENTUM 1
• Ensure that ASRH lessons and operational realities are documented and shared as part of country technical thought leadership and contributing to global thinking, advocacy, and standard setting.
• Participate in the Save the Children Malawi internal Health and Nutrition Community of practice, ensuring that ASRH components from MOMENTUM 1 are contributing to learning, sharing of technical resources, and mutual support
• In collaboration with Youth and Adolescent TA, MEAL and other technical colleagues, develop research protocols and tools related to ASRH and support ASRH focused research activities

In order to be successful you will bring/have:

• At least 7-10 years’ experience of working in ASRH in Malawi
• A medical professional with a BSc.  in public health, or equivalent relevant field.
• Significant professional experience working at a technical manager level in Adolescent Health for international NGOs, government or the private sector preferably in Malawi context.
• Understanding of the Health and Nutrition Thematic area in Malawi especially Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, and an understanding of how these are impacted on by the regional or neighbouring situation.
• Understanding of ASRH standards, adolescent responsive systems, guidelines and evidenced-based strategies for engaging adolescents.
• Familiar with Malawi health systems, and health service provision including community health and the engagement of civil society organisations.
• Demonstrated experience in program design, monitoring and evaluation skills, including designing pathways to sustainable impact at scale, training, and capacity strengthening of health and nutrition staff including supportive supervision and mentoring.
• Experience of the national context, strategies and policies to enable advocacy at national / regional level in order to hold duty bearers to account to realise children’s rights, including the right to health services
• Skilled at networking, representation and partnership development in order promote learning, strengthen civil society and mobilise resources.
• Able to generate and use data and evidence to innovate, deliver, learn and share what works and what doesn’t work for children.
• Experience of promoting quality and impact through at least one cross-cutting area: gender equality and inclusion, adaptive and safer programming; child rights; disability; migration and displacement.
• Knowledge of current global and regional public health debates especially with reference to Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health

Technical competencies:

• Drives Quality Health Programming: Trains and mentors others on the application of relevant health sector standards
• Able to build integrated multi sectoral health programmes: Builds the capacity of others to design and implement integrated health sensitive and specific programming and advocacy
• Able to link local to national and global level advocacy efforts, supporting localization of change and influencing global policy development

Generic Competencies

• Being the Voice of Children: Promotes evidence-based policy and public engagement that includes the voices of children and their communities
• Advancing Equality & Inclusion: Displays a commitment to ensuring everything we do considers the most deprived and marginalized children
• Building & Strengthening Partnerships: Promotes working with diverse partners as critical to delivery
• Child Rights: Promotes the rights of children in own work and in work with colleagues and peers.

Location:  Lilongwe

The Organisation

We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard.

We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:

• No child dies from preventable causes before their 5 ^th  birthday
• All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
• Violence against children is no longer tolerated

We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children.  We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive environment where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

Application Information:

Please attach a copy of your CV and cover letter with your application, and include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations.  A copy of the full role profile can be found at  www.savethechildren.net/careers

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

All employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our global anti-harassment policy.

To avoid disappointment, you are advised to submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications are received. This is to ensure that we can manage application levels whilst maintaining a positive candidate experience. Unfortunately once a vacancy has closed, we are unable to consider further applications.