National Consultant: Chief Midwifery Officer at UNFPA – United Nations Population Fund

Job Description

The Chief Midwifery Officer will serve as the primary focal point for the midwifery profession within the Rwanda Ministry of Health (MoH). The role aims to elevate the quality, leadership, and sustainability of midwifery by ensuring that profession-specific priorities are embedded in national health strategies and policies. It will focus on strengthening midwifery governance, harmonizing regulatory frameworks, and establishing, coordinating, and overseeing the Midwifery Hub serving the Eastern and Southern Africa region.

The Officer will support the establishment of the regional Midwifery Hub by providing strategic leadership for midwifery within government and advancing faculty and midwifery student development through education, innovation, digital learning, strategic financing, and evidence generation.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for midwifery within government, ensuring the profession’s priorities are addressed in national health policies and strategies.
• Lead high-level policy dialogues and regulatory harmonization efforts to recognize midwifery as an autonomous profession.
• Lead the Midwifery SubTechnical Working group.
• Review and adapt Midwifery Models of Care (MMoC) to the Rwandan context aligned with MMoC implementation guidance, ensuring they are operationally viable.
• Expand and mobilize national and regional advocacy coalitions, uniting influential midwives and high-level policymakers through structured, high-impact engagement.
• Facilitate the update of legal frameworks and scopes of practice to allow for professional autonomy and cross-border mobility.
• Lead and facilitate the implementation of SMART advocacy objectives, ensuring consistent progress and strategic alignment throughout the project lifecycle.

Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s degree or PhD in Midwifery, with specialized knowledge and experience in the field of advocacy, policy, or education.
• At least 5 years of relevant experience in Midwifery advocacy and training, including a minimum of 2 years in clinical services as a Midwife and at least 2 years in a regional or international coordination role.
• Solid understanding of advocacy and policy engagement, including policy research, analysis and design, strategic planning, high-level representation, diplomacy, and public communication.
• Proven track record of working with the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) standards and assessment tools.
• Demonstrated experience in cross-border knowledge exchange and managing South-South cooperation frameworks.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating and implementing targeted, evidence-based advocacy initiatives, ideally using structured approaches such as SMART Advocacy.
• Proven experience advancing midwifery education, regulation, leadership, and practice, as well as financing and maternal and newborn health policies within the framework of universal health coverage.