Senior Program Coordinator

Request for Contractor Applications:
Senior Program Coordinator
Maternal and Newborn Health Program, Malawi
Date Issued: November 20, 2025 | 5:00 p.m. Central Africa Time
Due Date: January 15, 2026 | 5:00 p.m. Central Africa Time
Application Submission: Request for Contractor Applications

Summary of Request:

The CDC Foundation is announcing a solicitation from eligible applicants interested in partnering with the CDC Foundation, donors, government entities and other partners to serve as the Senior Program Coordinator of a new privately funded maternal and newborn health program in Malawi.

1. ABOUT THE CDC FOUNDATION

The CDC Foundation is an independent, 501(c)(3) organization based in the United States.

The CDC Foundation’s mission is to save and improve lives around the world by unleashing the power of collaboration between public health systems and philanthropies, corporations, organizations, and individuals to protect the health, safety and security of people across the globe.

The CDC Foundation has flexibility to engage in cross sector partnerships and can move quickly to support public health challenges across the globe. Since 1995, the CDC Foundation has launched more than 1,450 programs and partnerships in over 110 countries to protect communities from health threats like cardiovascular disease, maternal mortality, malaria, HIV, Ebola, Zika and more.

2. BACKGROUND AND NEED

CDC Foundation is supporting a new privately funded maternal and newborn health program (“the Program”) in Malawi.

In close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the Program will support implementation partner(s) to work in select districts and at the national level to take a comprehensive approach to improving women and newborns’ access to high-quality routine childbirth services and emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC). Based on an assessment of needs in selected health facilities (e.g., health centers, community hospitals, district hospitals), the Program could support limited upgrades (infrastructure and equipment), quality improvement, in-service training, supportive supervision and mentorship and other locally developed interventions.

The CDC Foundation will support a Malawi-based Senior Program Coordinator to facilitate these efforts and liaise between program partners (i.e CDC Foundation, donors, governmental entities), and local implementing organizations.

3. SCOPE OF WORK

The Senior Program Coordinator will provide on the ground programmatic and administrative oversight of the maternal and newborn health program in Malawi and will support local implementing partners and the government to carry out a coordinated strategy that ultimately leads to reducing maternal and newborn deaths. The Senior Program Coordinator will also ensure collaboration with other maternal and newborn health stakeholders in Blantyre and Lilongwe districts as well as at the national level. This role will require significant travel within Malawi..

4. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The scope of work for the contractor is expected to include, but may not be limited to the following services and deliverables:

4.1 Coordination and monitoring of local implementing partners

• 4.1.1 Coordinate and monitor the day-to-day activities of each of the local implementing partners in relation to the Program, and ensure that deliverables, as outlined in the contractual agreements with each partner, are met.
• 4.1.2 Convene local partners regularly, lead and support monthly partner calls, assist in development of their work plans and facilitate coordination of their activities in order to collectively advance Program goals and minimize duplication.
• 4.1.3 Support local partners to anticipate and resolve challenges that hinder the execution of their workplans and the Program’s comprehensive strategy.
• 4.1.4 Support local partners to routinely collect, analyze and act upon program data including facility-level and other data.
• 4.1.5 Serve as primary liaison between local implementing partners.

4.2 Coordination with and support to relevant government entities

• 4.2.1 Collaborate with stakeholders and local implementing partners to support the government to supervise the delivery of services including strengthening supportive supervision and mentoring.
• 4.2.2 Receive updates from and provide regular progress reports to appropriate government authorities as agreed with government, local implementing partners and other program partners.
• 4.2.3 Facilitate regular meetings with government, local implementing partners and other maternal and newborn health stakeholders as mutually agreed to in order to share updates, troubleshoot, and plan together.
• 4.2.4 Ensure the Program is carried out sustainably and integrated within government plans and structures.

4.3 Assistance with Program related documentation, communication and management

• 4.3.1 Assist with Malawi-based contractual and administrative needs.
• 4.3.2 Provide and/or facilitate technical assistance to partners as needed.
• 4.3.3 Act as the primary liaison between local implementing partners and other program partners for needed technical, administrative and financial information through regular calls and convenings.
• 4.3.4 Provide regular reports (written and oral) to Program partners as well as metrics and presentations for an executive audience as needed.
• 4.3.5 Assist with planning and organizing visits of Program partners to Malawi.
• 4.3.6 Travel domestically and internationally on an as needed basis and as permitted.
• 4.3.7 Support partners to disseminate the Program “lessons learned” within Malawi and globally to leverage the impact of the Program.
• 4.3.8 Stay abreast of the scientific literature to ensure the Program is evidence-based; bring that learning to the local implementing partners and government partners to inform their work.

5. KEY SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

5.1 Eligibility

Applicants must meet all the following eligibility criteria:

• 5.1.1 Bachelor’s of medicine or midwifery with at least ten years of experience OR Master’s of public health, or equivalent, with at least 15 years of experience managing large, complex donor-funded health programs in Malawi or a relevant context. Experience in global public health and development, including in senior technically relevant positions with large and complex projects.
• 5.1.2 Technical experience in maternal, newborn and reproductive health programming with expertise in one or more of the following areas: health systems strengthening, healthcare financing, and capacity building. In-depth knowledge of the Malawian healthcare system.
• 5.1.3 Experience in coordinating and collaborating with a broad set of stakeholders, including senior policymakers, central and local governments, and development partners, to implement large and complex health care programs. Experience working with Malawi central and local government officials is strongly preferred.
• 5.1.4 Excellent leadership and organization skills, attention to detail, ability to meet tight deadlines, and ability to manage multiple demands by establishing priorities. Expert interpersonal, organizational, and cross-cultural skills.
• 5.1.5 Demonstrated ability to provide support to and oversight of local capacity development efforts.
• 5.1.6 Excellent oral and written English communication skills with fluency in both English and Chichewa.
• 5.1.7 Proficient in MS Office Suite with advanced knowledge of Excel. Knowledge of budgeting and financial analysis.
• 5.1.8 Ability to work independently and be comfortable traveling to and working in remote areas.
• 5.1.9 Ability to travel to project sites on a regular basis. Ability to travel internationally.
• 5.1.10 Creative problem-solving skills, including an ability to troubleshoot, grasp key issues, and make recommendations for improvements.
• 5.1.11 No affiliation with or received support from the tobacco industry or its associates in the past five years.

6. FUNDING

6.1 Funding Available

The CDC Foundation will engage the contractor on a full-time basis for a period of 12 months, with the possibility of renewal. The contractor will receive monthly compensation upon submission of the monthly activity report. The total compensation for the 12-month engagement will range from $73,000 to $98,000, depending on the contractor’s qualifications. The budget for this engagement is competitive and aligned with the scope and complexity of the services requested. Final budget details will be determined in collaboration with the selected applicant.

As this role is structured as an independent contractor engagement, the individual will not be entitled to any statutory employment benefits, including but not limited to health coverage, pension contributions, or other personal benefits. The contractor shall be fully responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable tax laws and regulations in Malawi.

6.2 Funding Source

Funding for this position is provided by the CDC Foundation through a grant from a private philanthropy headquartered in the United States.

7. INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLICANTS

7.1 Submitting an Application

• 7.1.1. Deadline and Submission Instructions
  Application materials must be submitted by January 15, 2026, at 5:00pm Central Africa Time. Late submissions will not be accepted. Applications must be submitted via this link: Request for Contractor Applications.
• 7.1.2. Required Application Materials
  As part of your application, please provide the following:
  1. A cover letter outlining interest in the opportunity and relevant qualifications
  2. A current resume
  3. Professional References. Include the names, titles, organizations, email addresses, and phone numbers of two professional references who can speak to your qualifications and experience relevant to this solicitation.
     These individuals should not be family members or personal acquaintances.
  4. Previous Supervisors. List the names and contact information (email and phone number) of previous supervisors who directly oversaw your work relevant to this application. For each supervisor, please indicate the organization and your role at the time and whether we may contact them as part of our review process.
     The CDC Foundation reserves the right to contact either references or supervisors during the evaluation phase. All information provided will be treated confidentially and used solely for the purpose of assessing your application.
• 7.1.3. The CDC Foundation is committed to providing accessibility for people with disabilities and is working towards making our materials more accessible. If this document presents accessibility challenges, email maternalhealth@cdcfoundation.org with the subject line “Accessibility Assistance.” We will gladly work with you on providing the information in a different format.
• 7.1.4. The CDC Foundation will not be responsible for any application which does not follow the instructions in this solicitation, and may, at its discretion, reject any such non-compliant application. Further, this solicitation does not commit the CDC Foundation to pay any cost for the preparation and submission of an application.

8. SELECTION PROCESS AND REVIEW CRITERIA

8.1. Anticipated Timeline

The timeline below is subject to change at the sole discretion of the CDC Foundation:

Project Phase	Estimated Completion
Applications Due	January 15, 2026
Anticipated Interviews	January-February 2026
Anticipated Selection Notification	March 1, 2026
Effective Date of Resulting Agreement	Beginning March 15, 2026

• 8.2. Communication During the Application Period
  All questions and requests for clarification regarding this solicitation should be submitted via email to maternalhealth@cdcfoundation.org no later than 5:00pm Central Africa Time on January 1, 2026, with a subject line of: Malawi Senior Program Coordinator Solicitation. Questions and responses will be posted by January 8, 2025, on the CDC Foundation’s Open Request for Proposals page.
• 8.3. Notification
  All applicants will receive notification of whether they are selected. The CDC Foundation will not provide scores or specific review feedback.