Program Officer – Strategic Liaison - GHS

Overview

Jhpiego is an international, non-profit health organization and an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University, dedicated to improving the health of women and families in developing countries. For over 50 years, it has focused on providing high-quality, low-cost health care solutions, training health workers, and strengthening health systems. Jhpiego has been working in India since the 1980s in close partnership with national and state governments. With deep technical expertise and strong on-the-ground execution, Jhpiego helps design, test, and scale practical solutions and innovations that fit real-world systems across 11 thematic domains (Maternal and Newborn Health, Reproductive Health, Nutrition, Immunization, Comprehensive Primary Health Care, Human Resources for Health, TB and Infectious Diseases, Global Health Security, Women's Cancers, Non-Communicable Diseases, Digital Health).

The Program Officer serves as the primary strategic liaison to the Health Secretariat, the Health Secretary, and key state health departments to advance the outcomes of the RISE GHS workplan. The primary deliverable for this role is high-level government liaisoning and diplomacy navigating health department structures to secure state approvals, institutionalize policy reforms, and align state-level health operations with GHS objectives.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a strategic liaison to the State government leadership (Health Secretary, Mission Director (NHM), Directorate of Public Health, and related departments/directorates) to gain political buy-in and accelerate project deliverables for both the organization and the project.
• Facilitate cross-departmental alignment to support Integrated Rapid Response Teams (RRTs), and multi-sectoral outbreak containment.
• Proactively track, draft, and secure necessary state-level approvals, Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), and government notifications needed to execute GHS activities, simulation drills, and laboratory upgrades.
• Drive the implementation of standardized biosafety/biosecurity protocols across labs, blood centers, and clinical healthcare facilities.
  
  

Required Qualifications

• MBBS/BDS/Nursing/M.Pharm with MPH or equivalent postgraduate qualification in a relevant clinical or public health discipline required.
• Experience in documenting implementation processes, developing SOPs/toolkits and facilitating peer learning or training cascades.
• Willingness to travel within Odisha and occasionally to other states / national forums for learning exchanges and reviews.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Capability to design, test and document practical tools, SOPs, dashboards and training packages that can be adapted by other states.
• Excellent facilitation and mentoring skills for hosting learning visits and supporting peer-to-peer exchanges.
• Ability to work collaboratively within government systems while providing proactive technical leadership.
• Data literacy and comfort with performance dashboards and indicator-based monitoring for quality improvement.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English; proficiency in Odia is highly desirable.
• Self-driven, adaptable and comfortable operating in a lean twin-anchor model that links state innovation to national scale-up.