Director, Health Systems for African Health Diagnostics Platform

Overview of Role

The position would be on CHAI’s Global Diagnostics Team (GDT) who play a lead role at CHAI in helping to increase access to high quality, reliable and affordable diagnostic services across LMICs. This includes work that improves the overall laboratory system and ensures the timely and scaled rollout of the most appropriate screening, diagnostics and monitoring technologies.

CHAI is currently funded under a contract with the European Investment Bank to provide technical assistance to the governments of Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo and Malawi and a to-be-named 4th country to explore the potential for public private partnerships to strengthen their laboratory systems and create long-term improvements in healthcare delivery.  CHAI is tasked to assess, design, negotiate and implement a public private partnership between partner governments and their respective private partners in order to realize this target impact.

This role will guide the CHAI project country teams to deliver rigorous and evidence-based guidance throughout the process. They will ensure that the PPPs are designed in such a way as to maximize positive impacts and avoid any unintended consequences. They will use their expertise on health systems to look at the macro level impact introducing major private sector players could have on the laboratories sector as well as on wider health service provision. They will play a lead role in negotiating with Ministries of Health and Finance, defining the scope of public private partnerships and supporting country governments to procure private providers to meet the needs of their laboratory systems.

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced individual with strong leadership skills, deep technical expertise in resource-limited health systems, and firm commitment to contributing towards CHAI and GDT’s strategic goals.

The candidate must be able to work independently and flexibly, prioritize across multiple workstreams, manage teams and provide senior leadership. The Director Health Systems will report to the AHDP Project Team Lead/ Health Sector Expert on the Global Diagnostics Team. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence. CHAI places great value on relevant personal qualities: resourcefulness, responsibility, tenacity, independence, and work ethic.

Responsibilities

• Provide health system expertise to CHAI country offices as they establish PPPs in selected Sub-Saharan African countries.
• Direct CHAI staff on country and global teams on rigorous quality methods and diverse approaches and to drive the development of high-quality evidence to inform policy and PPP design.
• Lead presentations and discussions with country governments (Ministries of Health and Finance) as well as with donor.
• Facilitate and advise on negotiations and engagement with private sector bidders, on behalf of country governments to ensure value for money is achieved from the PPPs.
• Drive evaluation of each country’s health system and analyze how PPP can improve quality of laboratory services, whilst increasing access, particularly among more marginalized groups.
• Determine options for PPPs that deliver on national goals but are also affordable, and viable as business propositions for private sector providers.
• Lead initial investment proposal for each country and play a key advisory role in each country’s in-depth feasibility study.
• Advise country governments and CHAI country offices on potential procurement and legal pitfalls, support the design of a procurement and contracting process and workflow which maximizes the chance of receiving competitive bids and selecting a competent provider.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent academic degree in a relevant discipline such as health economics, health policy, or health systems.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.
• Working level knowledge of French.
• At least 15 years of relevant experience in health systems, preferably within the development context, with 5 years professional experience in preparation and implementation of investment projects including procurement and consideration of legal framework.
• Evidence of the following pre-requisite skills as demonstrated through the implementation of at least 3 projects, out of which 1 should be done in the last 3 years
• Specific knowledge of Sub-Saharan African healthcare markets and public sector work practices and culture.
• Demonstrated direct negotiation experience with Sub-Saharan African ministries of Finance and Health.
• Experience in building and executing financial and partnership structures.
• Experience of health investment projects preparation and implementation requirements, including adherence to relevant guidelines and legislation such as procurement, environmental and social policies.

Advantages:

• Exceptional diplomatic and interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships.
• Ability to think strategically, handle ambiguity and work in a fast-paced, limited-structure, multicultural environment.
• Ability to handle multiple work streams simultaneously, work independently and proactively manage the implementation of complex projects.
• Highly entrepreneurial with strong self-motivation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare and deliver compelling presentations.
• Willingness to travel up to 25% time for meetings with in country and global stakeholders.
• High level of integrity and professionalism.
• Experience in francophone Sub-Saharan African countries.