Quality Improvement and Knowledge Management Specialist

Position: Quality Improvement (QI) and Knowledge Management (KM) Specialist

Employment Type: Full-time, 12-month fixed-term contract (renewable subject to funding and performance)

Reports To: Project Manager

Number Required: 1

Job Summary

The Quality Improvement (QI) and Knowledge Management (KM) Specialist will lead CQI activities across supported woredas and health facilities, strengthen QI capacity, coordinate QI projects, document and share best practices, and support data quality and use. The Specialist will work closely with the M&E team to promote evidence-based decision-making and improve the quality and effectiveness of HIV services.

Key Responsibilities

A. Quality Improvement and Knowledge Management

• Identify and prioritize performance gaps in the HIV clinical cascade using routine data, dashboards, RDQA findings, and monitoring results.
• Conduct root cause analysis, process mapping, and other QI assessments with facility and community teams.
• Assess QI capacity and develop tailored capacity-building plans for government QI committees and project staff.
• Provide training, mentorship, and on-site coaching on CQI, the Model for Improvement, PDSA cycles, and QI tools.
• Support QI committees to strengthen governance, meeting routines, documentation, and reporting systems.
• Lead the design and implementation of QI Mini-Projects across priority SNUs, including development of QI charters, indicators, baselines, and implementation plans.
• Provide regular technical follow-up, monitor QI project performance, and support teams to test, adapt, and scale effective interventions.
• Lead end-line assessments and document results, lessons learned, and successful interventions through standardized Change Packages.
• Maintain a centralized repository of QI documentation, tools, results, and lessons learned.
• Organize quarterly learning sessions and knowledge-sharing forums to disseminate QI results and best practices.
• Develop knowledge products, including technical briefs, abstracts, manuscripts, success stories, and case studies.
• Represent the project in relevant technical working groups, conferences, and learning forums.

B. Data Quality Assurance and M&E Support

• Collaborate with the M&E Specialist to plan and conduct quarterly RDQAs at SNU and health facility levels.
• Verify digital data against source documents and support corrective actions to improve data accuracy, completeness, and consistency.
• Provide technical support to M&E, CEF, and SSW teams on digital data collection platforms, including CommCare and SurveyCTO.
• Strengthen data collection tools through appropriate validation rules, skip patterns, required fields, and range checks.
• Participate in quarterly JISS visits using electronic checklists and provide on-site technical support and mentoring.
• Identify data quality gaps and support facilities to develop and implement corrective action plans.
• Ensure QI, RDQA, and routine monitoring findings are incorporated into monthly technical reviews and quarterly stakeholder meetings.
• Support the use of data and learning to inform adaptive management and evidence-based decision-making.
• Perform other M&E and data quality tasks as assigned by the Project Coordinator or M&E Specialist.

C. Qualifications and Experience

Education

• Master’s degree in health care quality, Public Health, Epidemiology, Health Informatics, Statistics, or a related field.

Experience

• Minimum 7–8 years of relevant experience in QI, MEL, and/or Knowledge Management, preferably in large-scale HIV/AIDS programs in Ethiopia.
• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing CQI/PDSA projects and applying QI tools such as root cause analysis, process mapping, and fishbone analysis.
• Experience training and mentoring government health facility QI committees and partner staff.
• Experience conducting RDQAs, strengthening data quality systems, and using data for adaptive management.
• Proven experience developing knowledge products, including technical briefs, abstracts, manuscripts, and success stories.
• Experience with digital data collection and visualization platforms, including CommCare, SurveyCTO, DHIS2, and Power BI.
• Experience with USG-funded programs (PEPFAR, USAID, CDC) and familiarity with relevant reporting requirements and indicators is highly desirable.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills.
• Excellent training, mentoring, facilitation, and capacity-building skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, Amharic and Afaan Oromo.
• Strong documentation, knowledge management, and data-use skills.
• Ability to work effectively with government, community, and project stakeholders in a multidisciplinary environment.