Open to opportunities

Kemal Mahmud

@kemalhajmahmud

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Seasoned Health & Nutrition Technical Lead driving integrated humanitarian programs.

Ethiopia

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What I'm looking for

I seek leadership roles in humanitarian/public health that combine technical MNCH-N program design, health systems strengthening, research-driven adaptive management, and multi-stakeholder coordination in fragile settings.

Strategic Health & Nutrition Advisor with 13+ years of leadership in complex humanitarian and development settings across Ethiopia. Proven expertise in mobilizing $30M+ in donor resources, designing scalable service models like the Surge and MHNT approaches, and leading multi‑country research initiatives valued at €4M.
Demonstrated success in strengthening health systems—mentoring 70+ staff, training 500+ community workers, and improving service coverage by 22% in hard‑to‑reach areas. Adept at policy influence, having chaired national TWGs and contributed to revised MoH guidelines, while driving evidence‑based programming through operational research and predictive analytics. Award‑winning leader recognized for excellence in managing flagship portfolios up to $79M and delivering integrated RMNCH‑N‑WASH programs that reach 300,000+ beneficiaries annually

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Health and Nutrition Advisor

Current

Save the Children

Jan 2024 - Present (2 years 1 month)

Health & Nutrition Advisor leading integrated RMNCH‑N programs in conflict zones. Secured $12.5M in 6 months via donor strategy, ensuring care for 300K+. Mentored 70+ staff, scaled MHNT/Surge models, boosting ANC by 22% in remote areas. Mobilized $30M+ across 20+ grants, expanded reach, and built resilient health systems.

RMNCH Program Design Donor Engagement Quality Improvement MEAL

Project Lead, MERIAM 2.0

Action Against Hunger

Jun 2023 - Jan 2024 (7 months)

Led ACF‑USA’s flagship €4M multi‑country research to improve MNCH‑N outcomes in fragile settings. Developed predictive malnutrition models integrated into national EWS, enabling anticipatory action. Built partnerships with MoH/EPHI and led advocacy workshops, securing stakeholder commitment. Mentored a cross‑functional team across 7 bases, ensuring research rigor and quality

Research Management Predictive Analytics EWS Integration Data Governance Stakeholder Engagement Team Leadership DHIS2 Statistical Analysis

Senior Program Manager

Save the Children

Jun 2022 - Jul 2023 (1 year 1 month)

Led a $12M multi-sectoral portfolio across 3 refugee camps and 11 host-community woredas, ensuring continuity and quality in fragile settings. Mentored 70+ staff and 500+ community workers, embedding adaptive RMNCH-N models, mobilizing new funding from Irish Aid/Hilton F. Institutionalized nutrition coordination platforms across 5 regions, strengthening policy alignment and system accountability

Program Management Operations Resource Mobilization Team Leadership CQI Proposal Development

Project Manager - Nutrition & Health

Save the Children

Jul 2019 - Jun 2022 (2 years 11 months)

Led flagship USAID Growth through Nutrition ($79M), Managed $2M in resources, contributing to an 11% reduction in chronic malnutrition, exceeding targets.
Strengthened health systems by establishing six quality improvement centers, training 200+ workers. led adolescent nutrition initiatives in 30 schools, reaching 15,000+ youths and improving dietary diversity by 20%

Project Management Budgeting M&E Health Systems Strengthening Quality Improvement

Project Officer - Health & Nutrition

Save the Children

Nov 2015 - Dec 2018 (3 years 1 month)

Managed $1.2M UN‑OCHA emergency response, integrating nutrition, WASH, and health for drought‑affected communities. Led 26 staff across 86 facilities.

Reached 45,000+ beneficiaries with a 95% CMAM recovery rate through targeted interventions.

trained 120+ workers, improved data timeliness from 60% to 90%, enabling real‑time, data‑driven program adjustments.

Emergency Response IYCF E Team Supervision MRP Rapid Response

District Public Health Head

Federal Ministry of Health

Sep 2010 - Nov 2015 (5 years 2 months)

Provided district-level leadership for PHC services, supervising 112+ staff, leading RMNCH and nutrition initiatives, and training 128+ health professionals in IMNCI, iCCM, and CBNC protocols.

Public Health Leadership CBNC Capacity Building