The goal of the CHAI Malawi Health Systems Strengthening program is to support the Government of Malawi 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 Health Systems Strengthening team works closely with departments across the Ministry of Health (MoH) to provide technical assistance, develop analytical tools, and strengthen capacity to manage spending in Malawi’s health sector.

CHAI Malawi seeks a Technical Officer, Health Sector Governance, who will be seconded to the Ministry of Health and based in Lilongwe, Malawi. The Technical Officer will report to the MoH Deputy Director, Policy Development. For administrative and contracting issues, the Technical Officer will report to the Project Manager, Sustainable Health Financing at CHAI.

This is a challenging but rewarding position which will directly impact the government’s capacity to deliver improved health services for the population of Malawi. It presents an opportunity to work closely with a government that is committed to finding opportunities for sustainable financing of the health sector and delivering a stronger health system for the people of Malawi.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical support to the MoH Department of Planning and Policy Development to operationalize the governance reforms in the Health Sector Strategic Plan III (HSSP III), including “One Plan, One Budget, One Report”
• Define and strengthen the process of developing the health sector’s annual “One Plan,” including cross-cutting support to HSSP III Technical Working Groups and relevant Ministry of Health Directorates to outline their priorities and map donor funding contributing to these outputs
• Support rationalization of Technical Working Groups, including implementation of revised TORs and membership, to ensure that they are “fit for purpose” to deliver the “One Plan, One Budget, One Report” reform
• Facilitate the development and implementation of district and facility planning, budgeting, and donor coordination processes and tools, as part of the District Implementation Plan, to improve efficiency and joint accountability and with linkages to the national “One Plan” and “One Report”
• Support the operationalization of the “One Budget” reform, which aims to strengthen the pooling of external assistance for increased health system efficiencies, by collaborating with the Ministry of Health, development partners, and other stakeholders to further define the “One Budget” framework and coordinate its implementation
• Facilitate meetings with government, donors, implementing partners, and other stakeholders to drive operational and policy changes
• Build government capacity by delivering targeted training and skills development as requested by government counterparts
• Perform any other relevant duties and lead day-to-day implementation of activities as assigned

• Master’s degree in health systems, public health, health sciences, public policy, or similar subject preferred; bachelor’s degree with relevant experience will also be considered
• Minimum of five years of professional experience, preferably in health sector governance, health systems strengthening, health financing, public health, public policy, consulting, or other relevant experience
• Knowledge and experience in health systems and governance, with a particular focus on resource-limited settings in sub-Saharan Africa
• Experience supporting governments and donors to make health policy and governance decisions
• Outstanding analytical skills and advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint
• Strategically minded and able to think creatively about long-term program goals and objectives, and the detailed steps necessary to achieve these goals
• Structured thinker with experience analyzing and interpreting complex datasets to identify key trends and to translate them into actionable options for decision-makers
• Strong diplomatic and interpersonal skills and ability to build strategic relationships with government partners, donors and other stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to deliver excellence in high-pressure situations, set priorities, and adapt to rapidly changing environments
• Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills without need for extensive structural or operational support
• Strong writer, facilitator, and oral communicator, able to distill and explain complex concepts to varied audiences
• Self-motivated and able to lead workstreams with a high degree of independence and autonomy
• Team player with the desire and capacity to effectively coach others, based on the team’s professional development needs and as assigned by the supervisor