Project Officer -MCH

Role Overview

CPN is looking for a Project Officer – Maternal and Child Health (MCH) to run the day-to-day field operations of a community-based MCH programme. Most of the work happens in urban informal settlements, where the postholder sits between household-level action and the formal health system — walking alongside Care Group Volunteers, Community Health Promoters, Community Health Assistants and facility staff so that pregnant women, mothers, newborns and young children actually reach and complete the care they need. The role matters because the programme's credibility rests on whether families receive antenatal services, deliver safely, return for postnatal and newborn follow-up, complete immunisation schedules and finish the referrals they are given.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver MCH and community health activities against approved work plans, budgets and project objectives, adjusting delivery as field realities and donor requirements shift.
• Set up, strengthen and oversee Care Groups and their volunteers as the programme's central community mobilisation model, including supporting wider community participation in programme activities.
• Train, mentor and provide supportive supervision to Care Group Volunteers, CHPs, CHAs and other community-based actors through joint household visits, on-the-job coaching and refresher sessions.
• Provide technical guidance on maternal, newborn and child health — antenatal care, safe delivery, postnatal and newborn care, immunisation and timely health-seeking — applying community nursing approaches to health promotion, screening, counselling and disease prevention.
• Track referrals from households and Care Groups into health facilities and follow up to confirm completion and continuity of care, strengthening the links between families, volunteers, promoters, assistants and facility teams.
• Conduct routine field monitoring visits, verify and analyse programme data, and keep accurate records of beneficiaries, activities, referrals and Care Group sessions.
• Produce narrative, technical and donor reports on schedule, using data to identify bottlenecks, community health concerns and emerging needs, and to recommend appropriate action.
• Maintain working relationships with County and Sub-County health teams, health facilities, community leaders and other stakeholders, while applying CPN policies and procedures, managing programme resources responsibly, and upholding safeguarding, confidentiality, dignity, inclusion, gender responsiveness, conflict sensitivity and the principle of do no harm.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Diploma or bachelor's degree in Community Health, Community Health Nursing, Public Health, Community Development or a closely related health or community development discipline from a recognised institution.
• At least three years of relevant professional experience in maternal and child health, community health, community nursing or development programming.
• Demonstrated experience working with communities in urban informal settlements.
• Proven track record of collaborating with CHPs, CHAs, community volunteers, health facilities and government health structures.
• Hands-on experience in community-based health promotion, disease prevention, household follow-up, referral management and community mobilisation.
• Competence in project planning, implementation, monitoring, data management and reporting.
• Sound knowledge of maternal, newborn and child health, together with relevant Government of Kenya community health policies and guidelines.
• Working proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel and in digital data or reporting platforms.
• Excellent written and spoken communication in English and Kiswahili, with the interpersonal skills to coordinate a diverse set of stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, meet deadlines, and commit to professional ethics, accountability, safeguarding and confidentiality.

Interested and qualified candidates should submit:

• Cover letter stating the position applied for and highlighting relevant experience.
• Updated CV.
• Copies of relevant academic and professional certificates.
• A valid Police Clearance Certificate.
• A brief suitability statement explaining the applicant’s experience and suitability for the position, particularly in Care Group programming, MCH, community health/community nursing and work in urban informal settlements.

Three referees, including:

• One professional referee who has directly supervised the applicant; and
• One reference from a pastor.

Interested and qualified candidates should forward their CV to: [email protected] using the position as subject of email.