Senior Program Director, Health Systems Strengthening

Results for Development (R4D) is a leading non-profit global development partner. We collaborate with change agents around the world — government officials, civil society leaders and social innovators — to create strong systems that support healthy, educated people. We help our partners move from knowing their goal to knowing how to reach it. We combine global expertise in health, education and nutrition with analytic rigor, practical support for decision-making and implementation and access to peer problem-solving networks. Together with our partners, we build self-sustaining systems that serve everyone and deliver lasting results. Then we share what we learn so others can achieve results for development, too.

We have a unique and vibrant culture at R4D. Diversity, equity and inclusion are at the heart of our work environment and help advance our mission. Diversity—of ideas, identities, perspectives and backgrounds—is vital to who we are and what we do. We seek people who embrace these values and will help reinforce them. Our work culture is collaborative, creative and entrepreneurial. We operate based on trust and respect. Teams across the organization frequently collaborate on programmatic work and support each other in continuously building a better R4D.

Opportunity:

R4D seeks a Senior Program Director (SPD) with expertise in health systems strengthening program design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation to provide strategic and technical leadership and management acumen to the Health System Strengthening (HSS) Practice at R4D.

The SPD will provide technical leadership for, and program management of, new and ongoing projects related to health system strengthening (including stewardship and governance, health system design and planning, health financing, primary health care integration, and sustainability and transition from donor funding). The SPD will be a recognized leader in the field of health system strengthening with relationships with key health systems stakeholders in countries around the world and with relevant global technical and funding agencies. They will build a pipeline of impactful work within the practice through technical leadership and co-creation with funders. They will be vital in providing oversight and technical direction to program directors (PDs) leading program teams; coaching, enabling and supporting the PDs and their teams; and liaising with funders, government leaders, local partners, and other key stakeholders on the projects within their portfolio. They will also play a key role in helping to shape the strategic development and direction of the portfolio and will lead creation of new programs in collaboration with peer R4D program leaders, and existing R4D health systems funders such as the Gates Foundation, the Global Fund, Gavi, World Bank Global Financing Facility (GFF), CIFF, USAID and FCDO, while cultivating new partnerships

As part of this work, the SPD will work in collaboration with other members of R4D’s program leadership team to provide joint leadership to a portfolio of global health projects focused on integrated health systems strengthening support to low- and middle-income countries. They will report to one of R4D’s Managing Directors. The location of the position is flexible. We welcome applicants from countries where R4D is currently operating (Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, U.S., U.K.), and we may be able to accommodate applicants from other geographies.

Current Portfolio:

• Global/regional HSS programs: R4D has a portfolio of health financing programs that aim to build the ecosystem of evidence and expertise in health system areas such as health financing (including strategic health purchasing, domestic resource mobilization, public financial management), integration of priority programs into PHC, sustainability and transition of donor programs, and digital health and data use. Selected programs in this portfolio include:
  • PHC Financing: R4D is expanding on the current portfolio of projects supporting PHC financing and service delivery organization, including The Joint Learning Network for Universal Health Coverage (JLN) Foundational PHC Reforms Collaborative; Momentum Routine Immunization Transformation and Equity (USAID M-RITE), Local Health System Sustainability program (LHSS)
  • Integration of priority programs into PHC: Act to End NTDs—East (Act East), Ukraine Rehabilitation Activity, and the Global Fund LAC Technical Assistance Support program.
  • Digital health and data use programs: R4D is currently a partner to the Global Financing Facility (GFF) to support in-country activities in Ghana and Nigeria and global scale-up of the Frequent Assessment and System Tools for Resilience (FASTR) program to improve rapid-cycle data generation and use for health system strengthening.
• Country-specific HSS programs:
  • Indonesia health system strengthening programs: Several of R4D’s programs have Indonesia-specific activities that will be overseen by the SPD, including GAVI Linked immunization collaborative learning activity.
  • Health financing and service delivery strengthening programs in Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania: the SPD will provide technical support as needed to these programs led out of R4D’s country offices.

Responsibilities:

• HSS strategic oversight, thought leadership and technical quality assurance: (35%)
  • Provide strategic leadership, technical direction and effective management of the current portfolio of projects and new areas of impact. Develop strategic vision for HSS work and provide senior management acumen across R4D’s HSS initiatives in collaboration with the R4D executive team and other practice directors.
  • Lead design and implementation of program activities that support national and sub-national governments to become better health system stewards, including supporting policy dialogue, country-driven reforms, and evidence generation and use.
  • Coach and mentor country leaders and mid-career professionals on best practices in HSS technical areas.
  • As a member of the R4D Program Leadership Group and Management Team, contribute to organizational strategy, policies and operations and design platforms that could be replicated and/or utilized for other programs in health, education and nutrition.
  • Produce innovative new knowledge and approaches within the field of HSS; lead and publish global knowledge and analytic products on a range of relevant topics
  • Ensuring high quality and technical accuracy of the organization’s products and initiatives related to HSS
  • Conceptualize potential new strategic areas of impact, including in collaboration with other practice areas at R4D
  • Present on HSS topics to external audiences via global and country panels and conferences
  • Act as a knowledge translator of learning and information on HSS
  • Conceptualize and execute knowledge management and communication strategies to promote the dissemination and uptake of R4D’s work in this field.
• Business development (35%):
  • Cultivate existing and new stakeholder relationships and partnerships at global and local levels focused on HSS. Develop and oversee institutional partnerships with a wide network of global, regional and local technical partners including potential donors and key multilaterals.
  • Lead partner engagement and identify creative opportunities to expand current work in HSS, and actively develop relationships with potential funders and partners that lead to new opportunities
  • Lead new business efforts (program creation, opportunity identification, capture, proposal development) for HSS opportunities.
• Project Management, people management, recruitment and mentoring (20%):
  • Provide senior management oversight to PDs leading project teams, including guidance staffing, workplans and budget management; funder and stakeholder engagement; and quality assurance on program implementation and the production of deliverables.
  • Oversee program spending and financial reporting, including decision making on resource allocations and investments in growth in close collaboration with program staff.
• Participates fully as a leader of R4D (5%)
  • Contributes to, assists and participates in projects, activities, and initiatives as requested by R4D leadership.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will be a highly motivated and collaborative thought leader who has worked on large-scale government-led HSS reforms and brings existing funder relationships and a track-record of mobilizing resources for programs through co-creation with funders and/or successful business development efforts. The ideal candidate will also have outstanding people and project management experience, can engage effectively and independently with a multitude of partners (including clients, funders, sub-contractors, sub-grantees, public officials and other stakeholders), and has excellent analytic, communication and presentation skills.

• Advanced degree in relevant field (health system, health policy, health financing or economics, public health, or a related field international affairs) or equivalent academic and work experience, with recognized expertise in health financing.
• At least 15 years of experience in global health and health systems strengthening, with increasing leadership responsibility in global development nonprofits, foundations, donors, multilateral institutions, international health systems, or consulting firms.
• Demonstrated experience working successfully with government and non-government partners on HSS initiatives.
• Demonstrated leadership showing strategic thinking in designing and executing projects, including steering work planning, managing and mentoring junior colleagues, and overseeing compliant and cost-effective use of resources to deliver on objectives
• Strong ability to liaise and negotiate confidently and effectively with donor agencies, host-country counterparts and government officials, and representatives from other key stakeholders such as NGOs
• Strong people and program manager, with an approachable leadership style, and experience with successful implementation of complex programs and multiple work streams and partners
• Ability to effectively lead and manage diverse teams, including remote management through virtual means
• Demonstrated ability to recruit talented experts in the field of HSS
• Excellent oral, verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to draft compelling concept notes and present complicated and detailed data to senior leaders, funders, and partner organizations
• Ability to prioritize and manage work in a fast-paced environment across multiple projects and work streams with competing time/resource demands
• Strong analytical and research skills, including implementation research, economic analysis, and program evaluation.
• Experience living and/or working in low- and middle-income countries.
• Ability to work fluently in English required, and additional language skills desirable.