Midwife Mentor

Job Posting Organization:
UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is the lead UN agency focused on sexual and reproductive health and rights. Established in 1969, UNFPA operates in over 150 countries and has a mission to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. The organization is committed to achieving three transformative results by 2030: ending preventable maternal deaths, ending unmet need for family planning, and ending gender-based violence and harmful practices. UNFPA's strategic plan for 2022-2025 emphasizes the importance of addressing the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women's and girls' access to sexual and reproductive health services, and it calls for a collective effort to build forward better in the face of ongoing challenges.

Job Overview:
The Midwife Mentor position is crucial for enhancing the quality of midwifery-led sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char. The incumbent will work closely with national midwives, midwife coordinators, and doctors to provide mentorship and training, ensuring that evidence-based, respectful midwifery care is delivered effectively. This role involves regular field visits to health facilities, where the mentor will assess the challenges faced by midwives and provide the necessary support to overcome these obstacles. The Midwife Mentor will also play a key role in developing guidelines for SRH care, advocating for adolescent-friendly services, and integrating gender-based violence responses into SRH interventions. The position requires a proactive approach to capacity building and a commitment to improving health outcomes for refugee and host community women and girls.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Capacity Development: Conduct regular field visits to health facilities to support midwives and clinical coordinators in delivering quality SRH services. Provide training and mentorship to midwives and involved doctors, focusing on maternal health and comprehensive SRH services. Assess challenges in the enabling environment and communicate with relevant support systems. Facilitate the expansion of services within the midwives' scope of practice and participate in SRH working group meetings. Develop guidelines for SRH care and build midwives' capacity to manage emergencies and provide routine maternity care. Coordinate training sessions on comprehensive SRHR and support the integration of SRH and GBV interventions. Develop systems for monitoring and evaluation of SRHR service delivery.
• Advocacy and Partnership: Advocate for evidence-based, respectful adolescent-friendly midwifery-led SRH services within health facilities. Coordinate with partners to enhance SRH care provision and contribute to SRH working group meetings and situational reports.
• Project/Programme Management Support: Assist in the implementation of SRH unit programmes with partners, assess SRH needs, and develop protocols for various areas of programme coordination. Coach midwives and healthcare providers to strengthen SRH priorities and provide inputs for situational reports and communication products. Conduct monitoring visits to track barriers and progress in service delivery.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess advanced university degrees in midwifery, nursing, medicine, or be certified midwives according to International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) standards. They should have at least 2 years of full-scope clinical midwifery experience, along with experience in mentoring and training. A strong technical knowledge of current developments in sexual and reproductive health care is essential, as well as expertise in capacity development. Candidates should also have a solid understanding of healthcare in low-resource settings, particularly in reproductive health, and possess exceptional interpersonal, communication, networking, and negotiation skills. Proficiency in using computers and office software packages is required, along with experience in web-based management systems.

Educational Background:
The position requires advanced university degrees in midwifery, nursing, medicine, or equivalent qualifications recognized by the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM). This educational background ensures that the candidate has the necessary theoretical knowledge and practical skills to effectively mentor and support midwives in delivering high-quality sexual and reproductive health services.

Experience:
Candidates should have a minimum of 2 years of full-scope clinical midwifery experience. This experience is crucial for understanding the complexities of midwifery practice and the challenges faced in delivering care, particularly in low-resource settings. Additionally, experience in mentoring and training is essential, as the role involves guiding and developing the skills of national midwives and healthcare providers.

Languages:
Fluency in English is mandatory for this position, as effective communication is vital for training and mentoring. Knowledge of other official UN languages is considered an asset, as it may enhance collaboration with diverse teams and stakeholders in the field.

Additional Notes:
The position is based in Cox's Bazar and is likely to be a full-time role. The contract duration and specific compensation details are not mentioned in the job description, but candidates should be prepared for a position that may involve working in challenging environments and addressing the needs of vulnerable populations. The role may also involve international collaboration, given UNFPA's global presence and partnerships.