Program officer – Competency enhancement

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).

About the ProgramThe NNMC project will support reform in nursing by working closely with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, nursing regulators, State Governments and other key stakeholders to facilitate coordinated action across departments and institutions for operationalization of priority activities. Through collaborative planning, co-creation, and consensus building, the project will support the design and implementation of innovative interventions, including competency-based reforms across pre-service education and in-service professional development. The project will also generate, document, and scale evidence-based learnings from priority states, enabling adaptation and replication of successful models through a nationally driven approach to strengthen nursing education, regulation, and workforce systems.

About the PositionThe Program Officer – Competency Enhancement will provide technical and programmatic support for strengthening nursing competency through competency-based education and simulation-based learning initiatives. The role will support the establishment and operationalization of simulation centres, faculty capacity building, development of technical resources, and implementation of quality improvement initiatives. The incumbent will coordinate with key stakeholders, support programme implementation, monitoring, documentation, and reporting, and contribute to advancing nursing education reforms and competency development. The incumbent will report to the National Program Manager.

• Provide technical support to States in planning, establishing, and operationalizing Nursing Competency Centres (NCCs), including site planning, infrastructure requirements, space layouts, utility planning, and connectivity requirements for competency assessment operations.
• Support planning and implementation of Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) systems, including station design, equipment and mannequin requirements, consumable planning, audio-visual recording and monitoring systems, and assessment workflows.
• Assist in the development of staffing models, role definitions, and operational plans for NCCs, including engagement, training, and standardization of assessors, proctors, volunteers, and other personnel involved in competency assessments.
• Support States in understanding the design and implementation of competency-based assessment methodologies, including OSCE and Computer-Based Testing (CBT), assessment content development, scoring approaches, and quality assurance processes.
• Facilitate the establishment of Technical Advisory Groups (TAGs) and support governance mechanisms, stakeholder coordination, institutional partnerships, regulatory approvals, and operational oversight for NCC implementation.
• Support capacity-building initiatives for State government officials and partner institutions through structured knowledge transfer, technical mentoring, and implementation support to enable sustainable management of NCC operations.
• Assist in the development of indicative infrastructure, equipment, operational, and human resource cost estimates, including budgeting considerations for establishment and long-term functioning of NCCs.
• Coordinate with government departments, nursing councils, academic institutions, healthcare facilities, and development partners to support effective implementation of nursing competency initiatives and simulation-based learning programmes.
• Support preparation of technical documents, implementation plans, operational guidelines, training materials, reports, presentations, and other knowledge products related to Nursing Competency Centres and competency-based nursing education.
• Assist in programme planning, implementation, monitoring, documentation, reporting, and coordination to ensure timely achievement of project objectives and deliverables.
• Perform any other duties assigned by the supervisor.

• Graduate in Nursing with Advanced degree in Nursing/Public Health Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum of 3- 5 years of experience working in Nursing ecosystem with experience in Nursing Competency Centres/Simulation Labs operations.
• Strong analytical, research, and writing skills, with proven experience in policy development.
• Ability to manage stakeholder relationships and navigate complex regulatory environments.
• Knowledge of international practices in simulation and skilling in Nursing will be desirable

Skills and Competencies

• Strong coordination and communication skills for engagement with government counterparts and development sector stakeholders.
• Excellent documentation, reporting, and data management capabilities.
• Demonstrated skills in problem-solving, operational planning, and multi-stakeholder engagement.
• Proficiency in MS Office and digital communication tools; familiarity with digital health tools is an added advantage.
• Strong organizational and multitasking abilities, with effective written and verbal communication skills in English, Hindi.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines, manage competing priorities, and adapt to evolving project needs.
• Proven capacity to build and maintain productive working relationships with government agencies, technical partners, and other stakeholders.
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse technical teams.
• Strong technical and project management skills relevant to the position.
• Flexibility to handle a wide range of tasks and willingness to travel up to 30% of the time.