Provincial Coordinator, Maternal and Newborn Health, Emergency Referral Systems - Copperbelt & Southern Province

Provincial Coordinator, Maternal and Newborn Health, Emergency Referral Systems - Copperbelt & Southern Province CountryZambiaTypeFull TimeProgram (Division)Country Programs - ZambiaAdditional Location DescriptionThis position is to be based in the Copperbelt and Southern Province of Zambia - One Coordinator for each province. 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 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. With each new and innovative program, our strategy is grounded in maximizing sustainable impact at scale, ensuring that governments lead the solutions, that programs are designed to scale nationally, and learnings are shared globally. 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 skill sets 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:http://www.clintonhealthaccess.org 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 experience, backgrounds, and culture. Program Overview Zambia continues to face preventable maternal, newborn, and other emergency-related deaths, in part because patients experiencing time-critical conditions do not always reach appropriate care promptly. Fragmented referral pathways, limited transport availability, inconsistent dispatch and communication arrangements, weak maintenance systems, and gaps between communities and health facilities can delay access to lifesaving services. In partnership with the Ministry of Health, CHAI is implementing the Maternal and Newborn Health Emergency Referral Systems (ERS) project in Copperbelt and Southern Provinces. The project will strengthen community-to-facility and inter-facility referral pathways; improve the availability, deployment, and management of ambulances and motorcycle ambulances; strengthen coordination, protocols, data use, and accountability; and support policies and systems that enable timely, efficient, and sustainable emergency referrals. Position Overview CHAI is seeking two Provincial Coordinators, Maternal and Newborn Health Emergency Referral Systems: one based at theCopperbelt Provincial Health Officeand one at theSouthern Provincial Health Office. Each coordinator will lead day-to-day provincial and district implementation, serve as the principal link between the national ERS team and provincial stakeholders. They will also work closely with Provincial and District Health Offices, health facilities, community structures, partners, and service providers to deliver timely, coordinated, and sustainable emergency referral activities. The position will report to the Technical Advisor – Maternal and Newborn Health Emergency Referral Systems and work in close day-to-day coordination with the Senior Program Officer and the respective Provincial Health Office. The role will have no formal direct reports but will coordinate implementation across participating districts, facilities, and community structures. Frequent travel within the assigned province, including participating districts and remote communities, will be required. Responsibilities Provincial implementation and coordination - Support the development of provincial and district work plans and budgets and coordinate the timely delivery of agreed activities. - Serve as the principal link between the national ERS team, Provincial Health Office, District Health Offices, participating in health facilities, community structures, implementing partners, and service providers. - Coordinate provincial and district inception, planning, and review meetings; participate in relevant technical working groups and management forums; and maintain accurate meeting records, action logs, and follow-up trackers. - Monitor provincial and district implementation progress, identify operational bottlenecks and risks, coordinate corrective action, and promptly escalate issues requiring national-level or senior management attention. Community referral activation and engagement - Coordinate provincial and district assessments of community referral structures and training needs and support the delivery of targeted training for Safe Motherhood Action Groups, community health workers, and motorcycle-ambulance riders on danger-sign recognition, referral activation, and communication with health facilities. - Support facilities and district teams to implement community awareness, birth preparedness, maternity waiting home promotion, antenatal referral counselling, community dialogue, and leadership engagement activities in the full-intervention districts. - Strengthen practical communication and escalation mechanisms linking communities, health facilities, and dispatch or transport coordination points, and follow up on gaps affecting timely referral activation. Emergency referral transport operations - Coordinate provincial mapping and periodic verification of ambulances, motorcycle ambulances, and other referral vehicles, including their functionality, geographic coverage, deployment gaps, equipment, and communication readiness. - Coordinate the effective deployment, equipping, commissioning, and appropriate use of ambulances, motorcycle ambulances, communication equipment, emergency protocols, and related supplies allocated to the province, ensuring accurate asset and distribution records. - Work with Provincial and District Health Offices to develop and implement vehicle maintenance plans and budgets, refuelling arrangements, preventive maintenance schedules, repair follow-up, driver and rider support, and continuity arrangements when vehicles are unavailable. - Track vehicle functionality, downtime, utilization, fuel, and maintenance issues; coordinate follow-up with responsible government teams, vendors, and service providers; and escalate unresolved risks that threaten the continuity of emergency transport services. Facility referral readiness and coordination - Coordinate the mapping of facility obstetric and newborn care capacity, emergency transport availability, referral networks, and communication systems, and support the development and dissemination of district referral pathways and directories. - Coordinate training, mentorship, and supportive supervision for healthcare workers, first responders, ambulance drivers, and motorcycle-ambulance riders on referral decision-making, pre-referral stabilization, documenta