Technical Director

About AKF USA

Aga Khan Foundation USA (AKF USA) is a private, non-denominational, non-profit international development organization committed to alleviating poverty, disease and illiteracy, primarily in Africa, Central and South Asia. Aga Khan Foundation is an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (www.akdn.org), a group of 10 private development agencies working to empower communities and individuals, often in disadvantaged circumstances, to improve living conditions and opportunities, especially in Africa and Asia.

Position Summary

AKF USA is currently seeking Technical Director for a potential 5-year Integrated Health Initiative (IHI) Activity program in Afghanistan. This project aims to increase equitable access to and utilization of quality health and nutrition services and adoption of healthy behaviors, especially for women and children in Afghanistan. Applicants will be interviewed and hired contingent upon funding.

Responsibilities

The Technical Director (TD) will provide technical leadership and steer the strategic direction for the project. S/he manages the technical aspects of the project’s scope of work and design and contributes significantly to the effective and timely implementation of the project. S/he will be responsible for providing leadership for integrated health program’s technical areas including reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH), nutrition, tuberculosis, mental health, behavior change, family planning (FP), and quality improvement. S/he will support the COP, the DCOP, the Director of Finance, and Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Director as part of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). This position will report to the DCOP who will oversee coordination of technical, field activities and other aspects of the program.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Support the Chief of Party (COP) and Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) in the design, roll-out, and day-to-day management and implementation of program interventions.
2. Work closely with the COP, DCOP, and leadership team and lead implementation of evidence-based technical strategies to achieve program objectives; continually improve the implementation quality of activity interventions and ensuring interventions are working in synergy across the project to achieve the greatest impact.
3. Provide technical direction and lead country team to develop technical strategies, approaches and plans, implement activities and contribute to monitor progress towards outlined project milestone/deliverables/approved workplans; and manage and strengthen the capacity of country team and counterparts.
4. In collaboration with leadership team, support implementation and monitor robust risk management and mitigation strategies and ensuring project and staff compliance with USAID regulations, country requirements, and MSH policies.
5. Set technical direction and coordinate technical area inputs to the annual workplan development, implementation, and review in alignment with donor strategy.
6. Plan and lead scale-up of program interventions in Afghanistan and interact with internal and external resources, partners, donors and staff to coordinate efforts and bring new ideas to strategies and approaches.
7. Supervise and manage program staff and build technical and integrated teams including staff from other organizations.
8. Contribute to the design and oversee implementation of the program’s strategy, ensuring that the strategy is tailored to the local context and reflects national and internationally accepted norms and standards.
9. In collaboration with the MERL Director, analyze, and use program data to make strategic and evidence-based decisions regarding program implementation.
10. Produce high quality technical deliverables and documentation of project’s successes and lessons learned for local and international audiences, as well as quarterly reports.

Qualifications & Experience

1. Advanced degree in medicine, public health, or a relevant discipline. Experience as an OBGYN a plus.
2. Minimum of ten (10) years of experience in leading or advising complex integrated health and/or public health programs in developing countries; deep experience with the Afghanistan health system desired.
3. Demonstrated technical knowledge and experience managing and overseeing national level/country-wide public health programs in at least 2 flagship areas of maternal, neonatal, adolescent and child health, family planning, nutrition, infectious diseases, nutrition or health system strengthening.
4. Demonstrated diplomatic, management and interpersonal communication skills.
5. Demonstrated ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with donors, project stakeholders, in-country collaborators, and staff at all levels.
6. Must be an effective public speaker; able to present to external audiences that could include donors, partners and/or staff.
7. Excellent cross-cultural interpersonal skills; proven ability to interact professionally with culturally and linguistically diverse staff, clients and consultants.
8. Able to travel to provinces, as the security situation allows.
9. Proficiency in one local language is an asset; fluent English is required.