Director of RMNCAH Programs job at Babies and Mothers Alive Foundation (BAMA)

Position Purpose

The Director of RMNCAH Programs will serve as the senior operational leader for BAMA Foundation’s Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH-N) portfolio, translating the organization’s strategic direction into impactful results. Reporting to the Executive Director, this role will be pivotal in driving the complete program management lifecycle from strategic planning and budgeting to implementation, monitoring, and comprehensive reporting. The Director of RMNCAH Programs will ensure the delivery of timely, high-quality interventions that achieve measurable impact at regional, district, health facility, and community levels, operating within the established technical and strategic framework to advance the organization's mission.

Key roles and responsibilities

a) Program Management and Implementation, Capacity Building, and Systems Strengthening

• Translate technical strategy into operational plans for evidence-based RMNCAH-N programming at facility and community levels, ensuring implementation aligns with Government of Uganda (GoU) policies, donor priorities, and global best practices.
• Provide daily oversight and coordination of all field-based RMNCAH-N activities, ensuring timely implementation, technical fidelity, and seamless integration into district health plans.
• Coordinate the detailed planning and day-to-day execution of all field activities, including the development of weekly and monthly field movement plans for the technical team to ensure efficient coverage of supported facilities and districts.
• Design and oversee comprehensive capacity-building programs for District Health Teams, facility staff, and Community Health Workers, based on targeted needs assessments.
• Deliver high-level technical assistance, mentoring, and coaching in MNCH, FP/RH, Nutrition, and Infection Prevention and Control (IPC).
• Develop and implement strategies to strengthen community engagement, demand creation, and referral systems.
• Chair regular program review meetings, troubleshoot implementation bottlenecks, and make informed operational decisions to maintain project trajectory within agreed scope and budget.
• Serve as the lead for BAMA’s clinical simulation strategy, managing the central skills laboratory and driving the functionalization and quality assurance of facility-based skills labs within a hub-and-spoke model, to build sustainable capacity through competency-based mentorship and training.
• Design and oversee comprehensive capacity-building programs for District Health Teams, facility staff, and Community Health Workers, based on targeted needs assessments.
• Deliver high-level technical assistance, mentoring, and coaching in MNCH, FP/RH, Nutrition, and Infection Prevention and Control (IPC).
• Develop and implement strategies to strengthen community engagement, demand creation, and referral systems.
• Lead to the development and consolidation of strategic program documents including detailed annual work plans, budgets, and procurement plans ensuring they advance donor commitments and BAMA’s objectives.

b) Team Leadership and Performance Management

• Directly line-manage, mentor, and build the capacity of Program Coordinators and their teams, fostering a cohesive, motivated, and high-performing unit.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous learning, and results-orientation. Conduct annual performance reviews and support professional development planning within the established organizational framework.
• In collaboration with the Human Resource and Administration, and Finance and Accounting departments, monitor and ensure the program team’s compliance with all organizational policies, safeguarding protocols, and ethical standards.

c) Monitoring, Accountability, Learning, and Quality Assurance

• Contribute to the project learning agenda by identifying information gaps and leading technical inputs on learning activities, including secondary data analysis and field testing of new approaches.
• Spearhead the reporting process, ensuring the production of timely, accurate, and high-quality analytical reports for various funders and key stakeholders that clearly articulate progress, impact, and lessons learned, facilitating informed organizational decision-making.
• Collaborate closely with the MEAL consultant to ensure robust data collection, review program performance analytics, and lead data review meetings to enable evidence-based program adaptation.
• Systematically document and share program successes, innovations, challenges, and best practices to drive organizational learning and external influence.
• Champion the integration of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) and inclusive approaches into service delivery, conducting routine field visits for supportive supervision, data-driven monitoring, and quality assurance of health services.
• Uphold the highest standards of accountability and integrity for all program resources, enforcing strict adherence to BAMA’s and financial policies, donor regulations, and anti-fraud measures.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• A Medical degree (MBChB or its equivalent).
• A Master of Medicine in Obstetrics and Gynecology or a closely related field
• At least 7 years’ experience implementing and providing technical assistance in district health services, working with major donors and the Ministry of Health.
• Well-grounded in RMNCAH-related clinical and surgical practice, particularly Essential Maternal and Newborn Care (EmONC).
• Proven experience in capacity building at individual and organizational levels.
• Skilled in at least two technical areas: service delivery strengthening; performance and quality improvement (MNH/FP/RH); IPC; nutrition.
• Demonstrated experience training clinical and community-based healthcare workers in MNCH, FP/RH, nutrition, WASH/IPC.
• Extensive hands-on experience in designing and delivering clinical skills and simulation-based training for health workers.
• Deep, practical experience working with Ugandan District Local Governments and Ministry of Health structures.
• Proven track record managing multi-disciplinary technical teams and fostering teamwork.
• Excellent diplomacy, negotiation, and relationship management skills with MoH, DLGs, NGOs, CSOs, and communities.
• Experience in translating research into practice, adapting best practices to project contexts, and developing knowledge products.
• Strong verbal, written, interpersonal, and presentation skills in English.
• Demonstrated experience in writing high-quality technical reports and knowledge management products.
• Ability and willingness to travel frequently to project sites and reside in upcountry stations as required.

Key Skills and Competencies

• In-depth knowledge of Uganda’s RMNCAH-N policies, quality of care frameworks, and health systems.
• Proven ability to drive complex programs to achieve measurable results. Strong decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• A proven ability to lead implementation team

• Translate technical strategy into operational plans for evidence-based RMNCAH-N programming at facility and community levels, ensuring implementation aligns with Government of Uganda (GoU) policies, donor priorities, and global best practices.
• Provide daily oversight and coordination of all field-based RMNCAH-N activities, ensuring timely implementation, technical fidelity, and seamless integration into district health plans.
• Coordinate the detailed planning and day-to-day execution of all field activities, including the development of weekly and monthly field movement plans for the technical team to ensure efficient coverage of supported facilities and districts.
• Design and oversee comprehensive capacity-building programs for District Health Teams, facility staff, and Community Health Workers, based on targeted needs assessments.
• Deliver high-level technical assistance, mentoring, and coaching in MNCH, FP/RH, Nutrition, and Infection Prevention and Control (IPC).
• Develop and implement strategies to strengthen community engagement, demand creation, and referral systems.
• Chair regular program review meetings, troubleshoot implementation bottlenecks, and make informed operational decisions to maintain project trajectory within agreed scope and budget.
• Serve as the lead for BAMA’s clinical simulation strategy, managing the central skills laboratory and driving the functionalization and quality assurance of facility-based skills labs within a hub-and-spoke model, to build sustainable capacity through competency-based mentorship and training.
• Design and oversee comprehensive capacity-building programs for District Health Teams, facility staff, and Community Health Workers, based on targeted needs assessments.
• Deliver high-level technical assistance, mentoring, and coaching in MNCH, FP/RH, Nutrition, and Infection Prevention and Control (IPC).
• Develop and implement strategies to strengthen community engagement, demand creation, and referral systems.
• Lead to the development and consolidation of strategic program documents including detailed annual work plans, budgets, and procurement plans ensuring they advance donor commitments and BAMA’s objectives.
• Directly line-manage, mentor, and build the capacity of Program Coordinators and their teams, fostering a cohesive, motivated, and high-performing unit.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous learning, and results-orientation. Conduct annual performance reviews and support professional development planning within the established organizational framework.
• In collaboration with the Human Resource and Administration, and Finance and Accounting departments, monitor and ensure the program team’s compliance with all organizational policies, safeguarding protocols, and ethical standards.
• Contribute to the project learning agenda by identifying information gaps and leading technical inputs on learning activities, including secondary data analysis and field testing of new approaches.
• Spearhead the reporting process, ensuring the production of timely, accurate, and high-quality analytical reports for various funders and key stakeholders that clearly articulate progress, impact, and lessons learned, facilitating informed organizational decision-making.
• Collaborate closely with the MEAL consultant to ensure robust data collection, review program performance analytics, and lead data review meetings to enable evidence-based program adaptation.
• Systematically document and share program successes, innovations, challenges, and best practices to drive organizational learning and external influence.
• Champion the integration of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) and inclusive approaches into service delivery, conducting routine field visits for supportive supervision, data-driven monitoring, and quality assurance of health services.
• Uphold the highest standards of accountability and integrity for all program resources, enforcing strict adherence to BAMA’s and financial policies, donor regulations, and anti-fraud measures.

• In-depth knowledge of Uganda’s RMNCAH-N policies, quality of care frameworks, and health systems.
• Proven ability to drive complex programs to achieve measurable results. Strong decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• A proven ability to lead implementation team

• A Medical degree (MBChB or its equivalent).
• A Master of Medicine in Obstetrics and Gynecology or a closely related field
• At least 7 years’ experience implementing and providing technical assistance in district health services, working with major donors and the Ministry of Health.
• Well-grounded in RMNCAH-related clinical and surgical practice, particularly Essential Maternal and Newborn Care (EmONC).
• Proven experience in capacity building at individual and organizational levels.
• Skilled in at least two technical areas: service delivery strengthening; performance and quality improvement (MNH/FP/RH); IPC; nutrition.
• Demonstrated experience training clinical and community-based healthcare workers in MNCH, FP/RH, nutrition, WASH/IPC.
• Extensive hands-on experience in designing and delivering clinical skills and simulation-based training for health workers.
• Deep, practical experience working with Ugandan District Local Governments and Ministry of Health structures.
• Proven track record managing multi-disciplinary technical teams and fostering teamwork.
• Excellent diplomacy, negotiation, and relationship management skills with MoH, DLGs, NGOs, CSOs, and communities.
• Experience in translating research into practice, adapting best practices to project contexts, and developing knowledge products.
• Strong verbal, written, interpersonal, and presentation skills in English.
• Demonstrated experience in writing high-quality technical reports and knowledge management products.
• Ability and willingness to travel frequently to project sites and reside in upcountry stations as required.