Senior Program Officer – Nurse Mentoring & Capacity Building

The Antara Foundation; Khordha; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 1,600,000; Full time

Job summary

The Antara Foundation partners with the Government of Odisha to strengthen maternal, newborn, and child health systems across the state. As Senior Program Officer – Nurse Mentoring & Capacity Building, you will travel to districts to mentor staff, oversee MNCHN capacity-building activities, and support government teams in achieving quality benchmarks.

The role requires coordinating with Civil Surgeons and district officials, ensuring timely reporting, and aligning initiatives with NQAS/LaQshya

Qualifications

• Experience in MNCHN public health programs.
• OSCE-based evaluation experience.
• Structured facility assessments experience.
• Simulation-based training methods knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Co‑lead the Aaradhya Jeevan intervention across assigned districts, strengthening work plans and closing operational gaps.
• Handhold and supervise Program Officers – NMCB, embedding capacity‑building across district systems.
• Train district staff nurses and supervisors aligned with MNCHN standards such as Skills Lab, Dakshata, NQAS, and FBNC.
• Attend sector, block, and district level review meetings to keep nurse mentoring priorities in government platforms.
• Provide facility-level inputs through NQAS, QIC, BQAC, and DQAC forums to drive progress towards NQAS and LaQshya certification.
• Assess facility and mentee competency, including OSCE-based evaluation at district hospitals and SNCUs.
• Coordinate with Civil Surgeons, DHOs, and MH Coordinators to sustain ownership of quality improvement.
• Ensure timely reporting on facility assessments, training, and implementation progress including data quality on government portals.
• Support district nurse mentoring reviews in non-TAF districts to extend health system strengthening.
• Maintain Aaradhya Jeevan resources such as tools and curriculum updated per protocols.

Skills

Mentoring clinical teams

Education

BSc/MSc Nursing

Job description

Reporting to: Director – Programs

Location: Bhubaneswar, with extensive travel to intervention districts (15 days a month)

Position Summary

The Antara Foundation partners with the Government of Odisha to strengthen maternal, newborn, and child health systems across the state. The Senior Program Officer – Nurse Mentoring & Capacity Building supports state-level nurse mentoring and capacity‑building functions under the NMFE intervention, while travelling regularly to districts to strengthen the clinical quality of maternal and newborn care at designated delivery points. The Senior Program Officer – NMCB works directly with government facility staff and district officials through review and quality platforms, and handholds Program Officers – NMCB, who lead district‑level training on the ground — building systemic, lasting improvement rather than solving one‑off problems. Reporting directly to the Director, Odisha Programme, the role carries direct visibility into state leadership priorities.

Responsibilities

• Co‑lead the Aaradhya Jeevan intervention across assigned districts, strengthening work plans and closing operational gaps.
• Handhold and directly supervise Program Officers – NMCB, embedding consistent, capacity‑building practices across the district system.
• Handhold district‑level trainings of supervisors and staff nurses led by the Program Officer – NMCB, ensuring content stays aligned with updated MNCHN protocols and standards such as Skills Lab, Dakshata, NQAS, and FBNC.
• Attend sector, block, and district‑level review meetings to keep nurse mentoring priorities embedded in government platforms.
• Provide facility‑level inputs through NQAS, QIC, BQAC, and DQAC forums, driving progress toward NQAS and LaQshya certification for Maternity, NBSU, and SNCU units.
• Assess facility and mentee competency, including OSCE‑based evaluation, at district hospitals and SNCUs.
• Coordinate with government counterparts – Civil Surgeons, DHOs, and MH Coordinators – to sustain institutional ownership of quality improvement.
• Ensure timely, accurate reporting on facility assessments, training, and implementation progress, including data quality on government portals.
• Support divisional and district‑level nurse mentoring reviews in non‑TAF districts, extending health systems strengthening reach.
• Maintain resources of Aaradhya Jeevan intervention such as tools, curriculum, training materials etc. updated as per protocols.

Skills And Experience Required

• BSc/MSc Nursing from a recognized institute, registered with a competent nursing authority.
• 6+ years in facility‑based maternal and newborn care or quality improvement, including supervising and mentoring clinical teams.
• 3+ years experience in MNCHN public health programs.
• Experience with structured facility assessments, OSCE‑based evaluation, and simulation‑based training methods.
• Strong clinical grounding in labour room, SNCU, and newborn care practice, with working knowledge of NQAS/LaQshya standards.
• A proactive, solutions‑focused approach to clinical mentoring and facility‑level problem‑solving.
• Fluency in Odia and English, written and spoken is essential.