Project Manager, Quality Improvement - Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal and Neonatal Health Programme

Overview:

The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to our mission of saving lives and reducing the burden of disease in low-and middle-income countries. We work at the invitation of governments to support them and the private sector to create and sustain high-quality health systems.

CHAI was founded in 2002 in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic with the goal of dramatically reducing the price of life-saving drugs and increasing access to these medicines in the countries with the highest burden of the disease. Over the following two decades, CHAI has expanded its focus. Today, along with HIV, we work in conjunction with our partners to prevent and treat infectious diseases such as COVID-19, malaria, tuberculosis, and hepatitis. Our work has also expanded into cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and other non-communicable diseases, and we work to accelerate the rollout of lifesaving vaccines, reduce maternal and child mortality, combat chronic malnutrition, and increase access to assistive technology. We are investing in horizontal approaches to strengthen health systems through programs in human resources for health, digital health, and health financing.

At CHAI, our people are our greatest asset, and none of this work would be possible without their talent, time, dedication, and passion for our mission and values. We are a highly diverse team of enthusiastic individuals across 40 countries with a broad range of skillsets and life experiences. CHAI is deeply grounded in the countries we work in, with the majority of our staff based in program countries. Learn more about our exciting work: Clinton Health Access Initiative

CHAI strives to be an equal opportunity employer and promotes fairness, respect, equity, and dignity in the workplace. CHAI welcomes applications from all qualified individuals and encourages people from historically disadvantaged groups to apply. CHAI is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to providing an environment of fairness, and mutual respect where all applicants have access to equal employment opportunities. CHAI values diversity and inclusion and recognizes that our mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people with diverse experiences, backgrounds, and culture.

Team Overview:

Over the last few decades, the South African Department of Health (DoH) has made significant progress in increasing access to sexual, reproductive, maternal, and neonatal health (SRMNH) services in South Africa. However, gaps still exist. Maternal, neonatal, and child mortality is still a significant contributor to overall mortality rates and wide variations persist in quality and access to comprehensive, integrated healthcare services, especially for women and adolescents. To address these challenges, the CHAI-SA’s SRMNH team is supporting the DoH at national and provincial levels to implement a broad range of activities, across service delivery expansion, demand generation and supply chain strengthening, quality improvement and strengthened programme monitoring and evaluation, across both public and private sector channels, aimed at significantly increasing uptake of SRMNH services for women and adolescents.

Position Overview:

CHAI seeks a highly motivated individual with outstanding technical and managerial capabilities to play a key role in the SRMNH programme. The Quality Improvement (QI) Project Manager will shape strategy and manage and provide technical input to the SRMNH team responsible for supporting the achievement of a reduction in maternal, perinatal, and neonatal mortality through directly supporting health service quality improvement in the DOH’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Maternal and Neonatal Health programmes. This work will focus in priority provinces with a focus on national scale-up. The QI Project Manager will be a key member of the national DoH leadership team and will support DoH provincial and district management teams, their sub-committees and facility teams.

The QI Project Manager will spend time working directly with district teams every month, with responsibility for coaching DoH staff and documenting all processes and challenges identified during visits, for tabling at district and national meetings. The QI Project Manager is expected to guide DoH staff (including nurses, doctors and managers) to utilise quality improvement tools, techniques and methodologies, develop and test models for improvement in care and facilitate knowledge sharing and learning sessions for QI capability-building. The QI Project Manager should have exceptional communication and analytical skills, be a strong strategic thinker and be able to adapt to differing programme needs.

The QI Project Manager will be based in Pretoria, South Africa, and report to CHAI SA Programme Manager for SRMNH and Paediatric and Adolescent HIV and EPI (Expanded Programme on Immunisation). This role requires travel as dictated by programmatic needs.

Responsibilities:

• Manage and refine the SRMNH programme’s strategic initiatives, ensuring alignment with Department of Health (DoH) goals and priorities.
• Provide strategic guidance to the SRMNH team, including the development of annual work plans and translating objectives from government, donors, and partners into actionable plans.
• Oversee effective coordination, capacity building, and performance management within the team.
• Plan, manage, and oversee QI activities, guiding DoH staff in utilizing QI tools and methodologies, while also overseeing the design, implementation, and assessment of intervention strategies. Provide feedback to the DoH and donors on progress against targets.
• Lead QI training, provide post-training mentorship, and facilitate knowledge-sharing sessions to build QI capacity at district and provincial levels.
• Conduct regular review and learning visits to focal districts and facilities, preparing comprehensive reports to contribute insights for continuous programme improvement and strategic adjustments.
• Support district teams in developing and using data systems, including run charts, to monitor and evaluate QI plans.
• Lead the development, maintenance, and implementation of robust M&E frameworks to provide credible, actionable, and timely information. Oversee routine data analysis, monitor project progress, and report outcomes to CHAI leadership and donors.
• Assist district support staff and QI teams to strengthen and support referral systems between the community, clinics and hospitals to ensure patients receive needed care in a timely fashion.
• Collaborate closely with the national DoH team and partners to strengthen SRMNH systems, participate in feedback and planning meetings, develop or update policy documents, frame QI plans, explore evidence-based change ideas, document QI success stories, and contribute to the development of standardised project tools and resources.
• Engage with stakeholders across sectors to align and coordinate activities, contributing to the successful execution of the programme.
• Document and share programme activities, best practices, and QI success stories through case studies, publications, and presentations.
• Develop compelling presentations, reports and participate in stakeholder engagements related to programme implementation and reporting.
• Identify strategic areas for programme expansion and contribute to business development efforts, including drafting concept notes, proposals, and seeking additional funding.
• Assist the SRMNH Programme Manager with key deliverables and other ad-hoc requirements as needed.

Qualifications:

• An appropriate bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification. A bachelor's degree in Health Sciences (preferably in nursing or medicine), Public Health, or other relevant discipline will be an advantage;
• 5 to 7 years of project/programme management experience in a complex, multi-output, results-oriented environments in a relevant field (e.g. SRMNH programme management, public health or health system strengthening) in the public sector and/or private sector with increasing responsibilities;
• Knowledge of sexual, reproductive, maternal, and newborn health, health systems strengthening, and/or global healthcare systems;
• Proven experience in managing QI projects within a primary healthcare or public hospital setting.
• Qualification and/or hands-on experience in QI methodology, with a track record of mentoring and coaching QI teams.
• Demonstrated expertise in applying improvement models, utilising driver diagrams, and identifying special cause variations in run charts.
• Excellent problem solving, analytical and quantitative skills, including attention to detail;
• Entrepreneurial mindset, demonstrated ability to work independently on complex projects and solving challenging problems, in a high-pressure, fast-paced environment;
• Strategically minded, able to think creatively around long-term programme objectives and the detailed steps necessary to achieve these goals;
• Strong interpersonal skills and proven ability to build relationships in a multicultural environment;
• Demonstrated ability to multi-task with a strong commitment to excellence, both internally and externally, and with limited structural support;
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to prepare compelling presentations that translate the results of team activities into meaningful policy recommendations;
• Ability to navigate complex governmental and organisational processes and favourably influence decision-making in a professional and collaborative manner;
• High levels of proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint;
• English language fluency, both written and verbal.