Social Solutions International, Inc. (Social Solutions) is a Hispanic and woman-owned business emphasizing quality research and evaluation, training and technical assistance, and institutional support services. We are a mission-driven organization that believes that superior science can improve the world. Social Solutions is dedicated to the creation of social and health solutions to improve the welfare of underserved populations worldwide.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has contracted Social Solutions to recruit and hire qualified individuals for the following position:

Title: Senior Advisor for Newborn Health 

Location: Washington, DC

Application Deadline: Open until filled

Salary Range: GS-14 equivalent

Based on the momentum of the 2014 Every Newborn Action Plan endorsed by 194 member states, the 2020 Roadmap to Accelerate Progress for Every Newborn in Humanitarian Settings, and the 2019 Survive and Thrive - Transforming Care for Small and Sick Newborn initiative, USAID’s Bureau for Global Health has mobilized support to end preventable neonatal deaths and stillbirths in 25 priority countries, with a smaller footprint in other high morbidity and mortality burden countries, and with special attention to pregnant women and newborns living in fragile and conflict-affected and vulnerable (FCV) settings. Beyond survival and treatment of disability, attention is now also expanding to fostering the thriving and well-being of the newborn, including a focus on safety and respect for women.

The Office of Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition (GH/MCHN) within the Bureau for Global Health serves as the Agency’s technical and policy lead on maternal and newborn health; child survival; immunization; environmental health; and nutrition, with a focus on ending preventable newborn, child and maternal deaths. Cross-cutting activities managed by the Office in support of this goal address health resilience, bridging the humanitarian development divide, private sector partnerships, social and behavior change communication, multilateral partnerships, gender, research, and monitoring, evaluation and learning. The Maternal and Newborn Health Division of the MCHN Office provides technical leadership, and supports strategic planning, innovative program design, and monitoring and evaluation in maternal and newborn health programs globally and in USAID field Missions. Additionally, the MNH Division focuses on the major causes of mortality and associated morbidity by introducing and expanding evidence-based, innovative and cost-effective MNH interventions to address these issues through its centrally funded projects.

The Senior Advisor for Newborn Health will serve as senior advisor within the Bureau for Global Health’s MCHN Office and contribute to the overall development of MNCH strategies and activities. The Advisor will have the following major areas of responsibility: (a) technical leadership to the Agency for Newborn Health with a focus on operationalizing humanitarian development coherence and health resilience, and (b) technical assistance to USAID missions, regional bureaus, Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, Bureau for Resilience and Food Security and the Bureau for Development, Democracy and Innovation, and other Global Health offices and divisions on routine and special care of newborns. The person in this role will receive overall programmatic guidance from the Newborn Health Team Leader.

Providing senior level thought leadership, strategic guidance and expertise, including leading and supporting the preparation and/or review of Newborn Health (NH) strategies and plans to address needs at the global level:

• Provide technical assistance regarding NH issues, priorities and programming strategies in fragile settings affected by conflict, displacement and extreme weather events
• Provide technical assistance regarding networks of care
• Provide senior level expertise to designated priority countries in design and evaluation of NH programs
• Provide expert technical assistance as needed to USAID’s implementing partners for MNCH
• Contribute to integration of newborn health within USAID’s global strategies and priorities
• Develop foundational strategies to define, implement and monitor health resilience for newborn health
• Serve as senior expert on programming strategies to effectively use development resources in support of collective outcomes along the humanitarian - development continuum
• Assessing current health literature and international guidelines, and providing recommendations to USAID
• Collaborate with US Department of State, other US Government (USG) partners, bilateral donors, multilateral organizations, foundations, universities, and nongovernmental/private voluntary organizations in policy and programming related to newborn care
• Contribute to the routine work, including providing technical updates, briefers and other documents that describe USAID’s activities, research and progress; preparing portfolio reviews and reports; reviewing documents such as annual reports and operational plans; and preparing responses to Q&As and other requests for information
• Reviewing and synthesizing information about USAID programs, to identify operational priorities and make recommendations
• Participate in global efforts to implement the Every Newborn Action Plan including participation/leadership in one or more global technical working groups such as ENAP/Emergencies, Child Health Task Force/Emergencies, Inter Agency Working Group (IAWG)/MNH, among others.
• Keeping current on the latest literature, reports and international guidelines and standards
• Preparing and submitting papers to professional journals and participate as a technical expert at various global fora

Provide expert level strategic guidance at country level to strengthen the equitable access to evidence-based quality newborn health services in a functional network of care:

• Assist USAID Missions in developing their capacity to plan, manage and execute newborn health programs within broader RMNCAH and cross-sectoral investments
• Serve as an expert resource for individual countries on newborn health
• Provide guidance on building human resource capacity in countries in the field of newborn health with a special focus on strengthening community health platforms for preventive, promotive and curative MNCH services
• Serve as an expert resource for individual countries on programming in fragile settings affected by conflict, internal displacement, extreme weather events and other multi-hazard crises
• Support missions to mainstream strategies to ensure the continuity of essential newborn health services during crises through a focus on health system preparedness and to make strategic investments during the transition from humanitarian assistance

• Advanced degree in medicine or nursing and at least 9 years of experience in maternal/newborn/child health (MNCH) programs, policy, applied and program-based research.
• Medical doctor or nurse/advanced practice nurse with public health experience and significant experience working in newborn and child health

• Comprehensive understanding of technical content and programming strategies for the provision of high essential and small/sick newborn care in LMIC settings

• Demonstrated experience in newborn and child health global priorities, programming platforms and opportunities for integration

• Experience/understanding of the humanitarian and development contexts, key actors and the Global Health Cluster System   

• Prior experience in program design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of newborn and child health programs

• Fluency in spoken and written English (ILR 4 or ILR 5)    

• Ability to travel up to 30% time, both domestically and internationally

• U.S. citizenship required. The selected applicant will be subject to security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.

Additional Preferred Qualifications

• Pediatrician, Pediatric Nurse or Nurse Midwife
• Understanding of programs in fragile settings
• Expertise in health systems strengthening, social behavior change and/or gender transformative programming is an asset
• Field based public health programming experience in fragile, conflict affected and vulnerable settings
• Proven leadership in public health research, and ability to think critically and strategically
• Advanced professional proficiency in French (ILR 4 or ILR 5)

In order to fully evaluate your eligibility, your resume must include relevant paid and non-paid experience showing dates held with month, year and hours worked per week for each position.

Social Solutions offers competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits. Please submit your resume online at www.socialsolutions.biz.

Social Solutions is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by law.