PATH is a global nonprofit dedicated to achieving health equity. With more than 40 years of experience forging multisector partnerships, and with expertise in science, economics, technology, advocacy, and dozens of other specialties, PATH develops and scales up innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing health challenges.

In partnership with BigWin and MoH, PATH is starting implementation of a project that named Early Childhood Development in Conflict affected areas to promote nurturing care for children affected by the conflict in northern Ethiopia. Early recovery strategies begin immediately after the disaster occurs and should include self-sustaining, nationally owned, and resilient processes for post-crisis recovery.

While the emphasis on post-conflict recovery is on reconstructing vandalized health centers and hospitals, it is crucial to revitalize the health extension program which is the backbone of Ethiopia’s primary healthcare system, and deliver critical MCH services that have been disrupted by the conflict. It is also essential to strengthen nutrition service delivery and ensure the integration of interventions to promote child development and buffer children affected by the conflict from long-term developmental consequences. When successfully rolled out, this investment is expected to raise awareness and attract additional investment in the early years in the conflicted-affected areas and beyond. It will also provide real-world example that can inform future investments and decision making.

Summary

PATH seeks to recruit regional project coordinator for the project Early Childhood Development (ECD) in conflict affected areas. The incumbent will serve as a member of the central project team, providing technical and program management support to the project.

Major Duties And Responsibilities

Project management

• Engage in planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the project-ECD in conflict affected areas.
• Engage in the project learnings documentation and sharing.
• Attend and represent PATH at relevant external briefings and meetings.
• Take other related responsibilities given by immediate supervisor.

Routine health service restoration & integration of ECD interventions in conflict affected areas

• Provide technical assistance to zonal health offices, Woreda health offices, and PHCU in promoting system strengthening interventions that help speedy restoration of the routine service and the integration of ECD interventions into the MNCHN services in conflict affected areas.
• Provide technical and service coordination to catch-up immunization and integrated community outreach service.
• Support the health system at regional, zonal, Woreda, and PHCU level to successfully integrate developmental monitoring and counselling into routine maternal and child health and nutrition services in conflict affected areas.
• Engage in the adaptation of the training materials, information, education, and communication (IEC) tools, ECD key messages tool and the ECD counselling cards to the post-conflict context.

Learning through play

• Coordinate capacity building and establishment community playgroups to promote learning through play for early childhood education.
• Coordinate distribution of community playgroup kits to the community play groups, and community toymaking forums to make locally appropriate tools with available materials.
• Coordinate efforts to strengthen linkages between the community playgroups and the formal health and protection sector by facilitating birth registration for children and visits by HEWs and health center service providers to conduct deworming, vitamin A supplementation, growth monitoring, monitoring of developmental milestones, and referrals for suspected developmental delays, disabilities, and cases of acute malnutrition.

Parental mental health

• Coordinate capacity building training of health workers and HEWs and interventions of psychosocial support through primary health care in conflict affected areas
• Coordinate establishment of group-based psychosocial support in the community to build resilience and foster a network of social support.

Social and behavioral change communication (SBCC)

• Engage in the development and adaptation of targeted SBCC tools.
• Manage dissemination of SBCC tools and nurturing care promotion activities.

Multisectional and multi-partner alignment and engagement

• Liaise and coordinate with reginal, zonal, Woreda, and PHCU level stakeholders for common goals. Work to establish and maintain strong multisectoral and multi-partner alignment and engagement.
• Engage and support creation of strong partners/stakeholders’ coordination forums at regional, zonal and Woreda level.

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Engage in establishment & management of result oriented monitoring evaluation & learning system.
• Provide technical assistance to the government counterparts to strengthen their data collection, reporting, and review skills.
• Support and engage in health sector review meetings
• Engage in the documentation and sharing of the lessons learned in supporting nurturing care in conflict-affected areas.
• Develop and submit quarterly progress report.

Requirements

Required Experience

• Advanced degree in public health or related field
• More than five years of relevant work experience in public health with strong skill and knowledge in the field of early childhood development and/or child health program in NGOs.
• Very good understanding of the primary health care and health extension program
• Good knowledge or understanding of Nurturing Care for Early Childhood Development.
• Experience in community based maternal, new-born and child health and nutrition
• Experience in ECD, nutrition, child health other related programs in conflict affected areas.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with strong interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other information processing software.
• Strong organizational skills, and ability to work independently with minimal guidance.
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Amharic.

You must currently have legal authorization to work in Ethiopia.