Program Assistant, District Health System Strengthening

Program Overview:

CHAI’s health financing program is working in 13 countries to support Ministries of Health (MOH) to substantially and sustainably improve access to essential health services for their populations. Health financing is often insufficient and overly reliant on donors and individuals paying out of pocket at facilities. The goal of the CHAI Sustainable Health Financing program in Malawi is to support the government to progressively move towards universal health coverage through sustainably bringing more resources into the health sector and to ensure they are distributed and utilized equitably, efficiently and effectively for the delivery of high-quality health services.

The CHAI Malawi Sustainable Health Financing team works closely with the MOH and District Health Management Teams (DHMTs) to provide technical assistance, develop analytical tools, and strengthen capacity to manage spending in Malawi’s health sector. In particular, the CHAI Malawi Sustainable Health Financing Team supports 5 DHMTs in evidence-based planning, governance, and management, in order to maximize the use of scarce resources for improved health service delivery to the population of Malawi.

Position Overview:

CHAI Malawi seeks a Program Assistant based in Rumphi, who will support the Rumphi DHMT to execute priority activities in the District Implementation Plan. In particular, the Program Assistant will be responsible for working closely with the DHMT to plan and implement priority DIP activities. This includes leading on meeting planning, logistics, and financial management, as well as serving as a focal person in the day-to-day relationship with the DHMT.

The Program Assistant will report to the Project Manager, District Health Systems Strengthening.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with the DHMT to plan, schedule, and organize activities, including development of a workplan based on identified priorities within the DIP
• Support the DHMT to flexibly adjust and amend the workplan as circumstances evolve
• Lead preparation of activity budgets and ensure timely liquidation of all activities once completed, in line with CHAI and donor best practices and policies for sound financial management
• Lead activity logistics in collaboration with the CHAI Finance and Operations teams, including disbursing allowances to meeting participants and ensuring that services such as venue hire, conferencing, printing, etc. are available for activities as relevant
• Support drafting of meeting reports and other required documentation for donor reporting as needed
• Maintain an effective and cordial relationship with DHMT counterparts as a representative of CHAI in the district
• Provide regular progress updates to the CHAI team, including identifying and proactively flagging any emerging challenges in activity implementation for joint solution-finding
• Ad-hoc logistical support for the implementation of activities related to Health Centre Improvement Grants
• Perform any other relevant duties as assigned by the Project Manager, District Health Systems Strengthening

Qualifications

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree with at least 2-3 years of work experience in Accounting, Economics, Finance, Public Health, or other relevant fields
• Familiarity with district health systems in the Malawian context, including experience collaborating with District Health Management Teams
• Experience in activity budgeting, implementation, and liquidation according to donor policies for sound financial management
• Experience in drafting meeting reports and other required donor documentation
• Proven organizational, problem-solving, and task management skills, including excellent attention to detail
• Strong diplomatic and interpersonal skills, including a demonstrated track record of building effective and trusted relationships with government stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to deliver in high-pressure situations, set priorities, and adapt to rapidly changing environments
• Self-motivated and able to lead work with a high degree of independence
• Team player with excellent verbal and written communication and professionalism
• Familiarity with Microsoft Excel and Word