The Health Systems Advisor supports the strengthening of comprehensive abortion care service delivery through facility readiness, provider training, mentorship, and data collection for programme and donor reporting. The role contributes to expanding access to safe abortion and contraceptive services, including through self-care and telehealth approaches across both formal and informal channels.

The Advisor provides technical assistance in the planning and implementation of training, logistics, and service delivery strategies, while promoting the adoption of best practices and technical innovations. The role also supports knowledge sharing, documentation of lessons learned, and continuous improvement of programme approaches.

In addition, the Health Systems Advisor leads community engagement and stigma reduction initiatives, working to improve awareness and access to services. The position may also provide support across the Africa Southern Region as required, including contributing to regional initiatives and gap-filling assignments.

Summary of Responsibilities

This role’s responsibilities are scoped at an Advisor (S1) level, with a focus on providing technical assistance, coordinating and leading assigned workstreams, ensuring compliance and quality standards, and representing the organization with external stakeholders within delegated authority.

Organizational Leadership and Strategy:

• Contributes inputs or reviews assigned sections of the strategic plan
• Participates in the implementation of the local strategic plan in assigned areas
• Works collaboratively with other teams and units
• Responsible for deliverables and results in assigned work areas

Financial and Risk Management:  

• Develops project workplans and budgets that are cost effective
• Leads workplan implementation and budget monitoring at the project level
• Implements risk reduction plans
• Understands and ensures compliance with Ipas policies, procedures, and standards, and with donor contracts and regulations for assigned projects or activities.
• Contributes to developing or updating policies, procedures and standards, in assigned areas
• Ensures compliance with Ipas and other applicable quality standards, in assigned projects or areas.

Technical, or functional content of the assignment: 

• Provides training to community stakeholders on abortion care and SRHR in general.
• Collaborates closely with Ministry of Health Reproductive Health Directorate and at district levels PAC Coordinators and Youth Friendly services coordinator through provision of technical assistance.
• Participates in District Health Management Teams (DHMT) meetings and other engagements at district level and on invitation at national level and presents the impact of Ipas work in the targeted districts.
• Plans and organizes health system context assessments, out-of-facility and in-facility assessment and upgrades including providing comprehensive abortion care trainings, mentorship programs, and data collection to improve service delivery.
• Participates in the development of training agendas and presentations for comprehensive abortion care trainings, identifying training needs, selecting trainers and facilities, and conducting trainings.
• Monitors training data to ensure an up-to-date database of trainers and attendees as well as to improve the process and outcome of trainings
• Performs orientations and baseline assessments for facilities
• Ensures appropriate facilities are selected for interventions, have appropriate access to service delivery training, and maintain mentoring relationship to ensure best practices are being implemented to improve performance
• Supports outside organizations to advance advocacy efforts with government and nongovernmental actors.
• Drafts donor proposals, presentations, and reports as required
• Manages or forecasts expenditures for budgeting purposes
• Ensures regular reviews of assigned projects and activities
• Shares data and engages in problem solving for assigned work areas
• Provides technical leadership and innovative problem solving for assigned projects and activities
• Ensures compliance with relevant quality standards
• Supports other country team members with health strengthening related information

Resource Mobilization:

• Contributes to the preparation of donor reports and externally facing documents.
• Contributes to proposal content in relevant technical areas

Communications & Representation:

• Documents learning and results
• Contributes to message content and technical expertise for communications efforts
• Supports strong partnerships, in project or activity implementation.

Key Competencies and Experience

• Demonstrated hands-on experience in training and mentoring health service providers, particularly within public health systems
• Strong technical expertise in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), with sound knowledge of national and international standards, guidelines, and clinical protocols
• Practical understanding of health supply chain systems, particularly in relation to SRHR commodities, including forecasting, distribution, and access challenges
• Proven ability to engage effectively with high-level stakeholders, including Ministries of  Health and other government entities, with experience in SRHR programming and policy engagement
• Demonstrated capacity to translate technical knowledge into practical, programmatic interventions, ensuring effective implementation of standards, guidelines, and policies at the service delivery level
• Demonstrated capacity and commitment to good stewardship of funds, including strong skills in work planning, budgeting, financial monitoring, and data-driven problem solving.
• Proven ability to build positive working relationships with diverse internal teams and external partners

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in related field or relevant midwifery degree

Experience

• Minimum of 5–7 years’ experience in reproductive health service delivery, health systems strengthening, and the planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of public health programmes in low resource settings, including experience in training and curriculum development for reproductive health programmes
• Sound understanding of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and youth related issues
• Proficiency in computer applications, particularly Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Preferred qualifications

• Demonstrated experience working at district level within public health or development programmes
• Proven experience in designing and delivering training, as well as conducting technical assessments
• Practical experience working within clinical or healthcare service delivery environments
• Experience working within a nonprofit or development organization, preferably in a donor-funded context
• Demonstrated management experience or formal training in leadership and people management
• Strong project design and management skills, including planning, implementation, and monitoring of programme activities

• Contributes inputs or reviews assigned sections of the strategic plan
• Participates in the implementation of the local strategic plan in assigned areas
• Works collaboratively with other teams and units
• Responsible for deliverables and results in assigned work areas
• Develops project workplans and budgets that are cost effective
• Leads workplan implementation and budget monitoring at the project level
• Implements risk reduction plans
• Understands and ensures compliance with Ipas policies, procedures, and standards, and with donor contracts and regulations for assigned projects or activities.
• Contributes to developing or updating policies, procedures and standards, in assigned areas
• Ensures compliance with Ipas and other applicable quality standards, in assigned projects or areas.
• Provides training to community stakeholders on abortion care and SRHR in general.
• Collaborates closely with Ministry of Health Reproductive Health Directorate and at district levels PAC Coordinators and Youth Friendly services coordinator through provision of technical assistance.
• Participates in District Health Management Teams (DHMT) meetings and other engagements at district level and on invitation at national level and presents the impact of Ipas work in the targeted districts.
• Plans and organizes health system context assessments, out-of-facility and in-facility assessment and upgrades including providing comprehensive abortion care trainings, mentorship programs, and data collection to improve service delivery.
• Participates in the development of training agendas and presentations for comprehensive abortion care trainings, identifying training needs, selecting trainers and facilities, and conducting trainings.
• Monitors training data to ensure an up-to-date database of trainers and attendees as well as to improve the process and outcome of trainings
• Performs orientations and baseline assessments for facilities
• Ensures appropriate facilities are selected for interventions, have appropriate access to service delivery training, and maintain mentoring relationship to ensure best practices are being implemented to improve performance
• Supports outside organizations to advance advocacy efforts with government and nongovernmental actors.
• Drafts donor proposals, presentations, and reports as required
• Manages or forecasts expenditures for budgeting purposes
• Ensures regular reviews of assigned projects and activities
• Shares data and engages in problem solving for assigned work areas
• Provides technical leadership and innovative problem solving for assigned projects and activities
• Ensures compliance with relevant quality standards
• Supports other country team members with health strengthening related information
• Contributes to the preparation of donor reports and externally facing documents.
• Contributes to proposal content in relevant technical areas
• Documents learning and results
• Contributes to message content and technical expertise for communications efforts
• Supports strong partnerships, in project or activity implementation.

• Demonstrated hands-on experience in training and mentoring health service providers, particularly within public health systems
• Strong technical expertise in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), with sound knowledge of national and international standards, guidelines, and clinical protocols
• Practical understanding of health supply chain systems, particularly in relation to SRHR commodities, including forecasting, distribution, and access challenges
• Proven ability to engage effectively with high-level stakeholders, including Ministries of Health and other government entities, with experience in SRHR programming and policy engagement
• Demonstrated capacity to translate technical knowledge into practical, programmatic interventions, ensuring effective implementation of standards, guidelines, and policies at the service delivery level
• Demonstrated capacity and commitment to good stewardship of funds, including strong skills in work planning, budgeting, financial monitoring, and data-driven problem solving.
• Proven ability to build positive working relationships with diverse internal teams and external partner

• Demonstrated hands-on experience in training and mentoring health service providers, particularly within public health systems
• Strong technical expertise in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), with sound knowledge of national and international standards, guidelines, and clinical protocols
• Practical understanding of health supply chain systems, particularly in relation to SRHR commodities, including forecasting, distribution, and access challenges
• Proven ability to engage effectively with high-level stakeholders, including Ministries of Health and other government entities, with experience in SRHR programming and policy engagement
• Demonstrated capacity to translate technical knowledge into practical, programmatic interventions, ensuring effective implementation of standards, guidelines, and policies at the service delivery level
• Demonstrated capacity and commitment to good stewardship of funds, including strong skills in work planning, budgeting, financial monitoring, and data-driven problem solving.
• Proven ability to build positive working relationships with diverse internal teams and external partner