Senior Program Officer, Maternal and Newborn Health, Emergency Referral Systems

Program implementation and operational coordination

• Support development of regular activity work plans and budgets and ensure that deliverables and milestones are met in a timely fashion;
• Coordinate implementation of national-level ERS activities in line with the approved program document, work plan, budget and agreed milestones, working closely with the Technical Advisor and Provincial Coordinators.
• Coordinate planning and delivery of trainings, workshops, assessments, supervision visits and other program activities, ensuring appropriate documentation and follow-through.
• Support procurement, deployment, servicing, and maintenance arrangements for ambulances, motorcycle ambulances, communications equipment and related ERS commodities, in collaboration with CHAI operations teams, government counterparts and service providers.

Referral-system strengthening and policy coordination

• Conduct an assessment on the availability of existing ambulances and develop a strategy for an efficient and cost-effective mode of operation and maintenance
• Coordinate the design, refinement, and implementation of community-to-facility and inter-facility referral mechanisms, including triage, dispatch, escalation, documentation, and feedback processes.
• Support the development and updating of referral protocols, standard operating procedures, guidelines, tools and transport-management approaches, ensuring alignment with Ministry of Health policies and national priorities.
• Organize training and provide mentoring support to facilities in relations to referral networks
• Ensure that linkages between SMAGs, CHAs, and facilities are strengthened
• Coordinate the Procurement motorbike ambulances and bicycles for use by communities and CHAs
• Coordinate national policy and technical engagements related to ERS, consolidate provincial implementation experience and evidence, and support the translation of lessons into policy recommendations and scalable approaches.
• Work with relevant stakeholders to strengthen cost-effective systems for ambulance and motorcycle-ambulance deployment, operations, preventive maintenance, repair, accountability, and continuity of service.

Community and stakeholder engagement

• Identify training priorities and coordinate the trainings for polyvalent healthcare workers working with the Ministry of Health
• In-collaboration with the Ministry of Health, ensure that a coordinated system for payment polyvalent healthcare workers is developed and operationalized
• Coordinate all the procurement and distribution of all supplies for community health workers.
• Coordinate community engagement approaches that improve awareness of emergency signs, timely care-seeking and appropriate use of referral services, while strengthening linkages between communities, community health structures and health facilities.

Performance monitoring, learning and reporting

• Prepare concise technical updates, meeting records, donor inputs and periodic program reports, documenting progress, decisions, risks, corrective actions and lessons learned.
• Contribute to baseline and needs assessments, external evaluation activities, knowledge products and dissemination of ERS learning, while maintaining clear separation between program implementation and independent evaluation responsibilities.
• Undertake other responsibilities as requested by the Technical Advisor or Senior Program Manager, consistent with the scope and level of the position.

• Bachelor’s degree in public health, community health, health or social sciences, supply chain, logistics or a related field; a relevant master’s degree is an advantage.
• At least five years of relevant experience in public health program implementation, including maternal and newborn health, emergency referral systems, patient transport, community health or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating complex programs, work plans and multiple stakeholders across national and subnational levels.
• Experience working with government to develop or implement policies, guidelines, protocols, or standard operating procedures.
• Strong analytical, planning, problem-solving and communication skills, including the ability to interpret program evidence and prepare clear recommendations and reports.
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to build effective relationships with government, communities, partners and service providers.
• Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities and travel frequently within Zambia, particularly to Copperbelt and Southern Provinces.