1.Program Manager
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
Title: Program Manager
Program: Laboratory Systems
Job Location: Kigali, Rwanda
Type: Full-Time Paid
Start date: Immediate
Overview:
The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to saving lives and reducing the burden of disease in low-and middle-income countries, while strengthening the capabilities of governments and the private sector in those countries to create and sustain high-quality health systems that can succeed without our assistance. For more information, please visit: http://www.clintonhealthaccess.org.
CHAI has partnered with the Government of Rwanda since 2011, supporting the Ministry of Health across several disease and health systems strengthening programs. CHAI’s Laboratory program in Rwanda commenced its support to the Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC) through the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) in late 2018. CHAI’s support to NRL focuses on laboratory systems improvement through improved access to quality diagnostic services for patients. Through this program, CHAI works with RBC and NRL to optimize the diagnostic network across the country, develop strategic documents necessary for implementation of quality management systems, market-shaping activities to ensure Rwanda has access to low price and quality testing commodities, capacity building and service decentralization to ensure access to quality diagnostic services across the country. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, CHAI has intensified the support to the NRL through case finding, evidence generation, and most importantly through technical support on COVID-19 diagnostic commodity selection, price negotiation, and capacity building. CHAI continues to support the NRL to respond to the pandemic and leverage lessons learned to build resilient laboratory systems.
CHAI seeks a highly motivated action-oriented individual with strong management and interpersonal skills to lead and expand our laboratory program. He/She will support current laboratory priorities including equipment harmonization, improvement of the sample transportation to reduce results turnaround time, decentralization of NRL services at the provincial level and improvement in implementation and adoption of laboratory quality management. The goal is to improve access to reliable, quality diagnostic testing in Rwanda to improve patient care and the wellbeing of Rwandans.
We are seeking a self-driven individual with outstanding credentials, analytical ability and outstanding understanding of laboratory systems. The candidate must be adaptable and have a high level of comfort with fast-paced work. They must be self-assured, a fast learner, resilient, and a strong team player. They should have experience managing direct reports. CHAI places great value on relevant personal qualities: resourcefulness, responsibility, tenacity, independence, energy, and work ethic.
The Program Manager will report to the Senior Program Manager (SPM), Universal Health coverage. He/She will should be able to become a thought partner to RBC and the Ministry of Health. He/She will supervise the project team, will coordinate the entire program work, and ensure it complements the existing CHAI work
Responsibilities:
- Program leadership in the development and implementation of the program’s strategic initiatives while ensuring alignment with NRL and MoH’s priorities.
- Work closely with the NRL to implement the laboratory 3-years national strategic plan
- Support the NRL in service decentralization efforts and quality management system implementation in new sites
- Support the assessment of equipment optimization across the network, develop relevant recommendations and provide technical support to guide the equipment harmonization efforts
- Support the assessment and development of recommendations for sample transportation improvement
- Contribute to initiatives towards laboratory systems digitalization
- Identify and support strategic areas for future program development and the introduction of new technologies including but not limited to sequencing services.
- Support the monitoring and evaluation of activities by reviewing work plans and relevant reports
- Build strong relationships with key stakeholders and partners, and ensure communication and alignment of activities across government and other partners to ensure coordination and successful execution of the laboratory program.
- Active participation in laboratory technical working groups and other stakeholder meetings
- Manage the laboratory program budget and liase with CHAI internal and donor teams to meet all donor requirements.
- Perform any other work-related duties as assigned by the SPM
Qualifications:
- Master’s degree, preferably in public health, medical laboratory sciences or other related fields
- 7-10 years’ professional work experience and at least 5 years experience working at high-level health management positions
- Familiarity with global health issues and experience working in management consulting, business strategy groups, or similar fast-paced results-oriented environments
- Experience managing and developing program plans and budgets
- Ability to navigate government processes with multiple stakeholders
- Previous experience in project management and working/advising high-level health managers
- Exceptional diplomatic and interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships
Required skills:
- Ability to evaluate systems holistically and advise on effectiveness of program, systems, or procedures
- Ability to identify key gaps and recommend practical, realistic interventions for operational improvement
- Highly entrepreneurial with strong self-motivation
- Excellent strategic thinking and problem-solving skills
- Excellent communication (written and verbal) skills with creative thinking capabilities
- Ability to work independently on complex projects and proactively manage projects with minimal supervision
- Ability to multi-task and to be effective in high-pressure situations
- Practical project management experience
- High level of confidentiality and knowledge of research ethics
Application procedure:
Interested candidates should send their application to https://careers-chai.icims.com/jobs/11728/program-manager%2c-laboratory-systems/job
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
The deadline:21st February 2022.
2.Senior Technical Advisor
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
Title: Senior Technical Advisor
Program: Sustainable Health Financing
Job Location: Kigali
Start date: January 2022
Type of Assignment: Full-Time Paid
Organization Overview
The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to strengthening integrated health systems around the world and expanding access to care and treatment for HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other illnesses. Based on the premise that business-oriented strategy can facilitate solutions to global health challenges, CHAI acts as a catalyst to mobilize new resources and optimize the impact of these resources to save lives, via improved organization of commodity markets and more effective local management. CHAI does not operate stand-alone programs, nor does it build parallel health systems. Rather, CHAI works at the invitation and in support of governments. We focus on large-scale impact and have secured lower pricing agreements for treatment options in more than 70 countries, including cutting the costs of Viral Load laboratory tests by 50% in South Africa. CHAI’s teams are working side-by-side with over 30 governments to tackle many of the largest barriers to effective health care. For more information, please visit: http://www.clintonhealthaccess.org
Program overview
The Government of Rwanda strives to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by enabling equitable access to quality health services for their population as outlined in the Fourth Health Sector Strategic Plan (HSSP IV). This commitment is made against a backdrop of rising health care costs and uncertainty around the future availability of donor funding. While Rwanda is often cited as an example for UHC in Sub-Saharan Africa, in part due to high rates of enrollment in the Mutuelles or CBHI scheme; the challenge will be to sustain these gains. Acknowledging this, the Government aims to employ effective, equitable, efficient, and sustainable health care financing approaches and inform reforms of existing financing mechanisms including the national insurance scheme.
CHAI Rwanda’s Sustainable Health Financing (SHF) program works on a day-to-day basis with Government leadership in the Ministry of Health (MoH) and Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB). The goal of our program is to support the Government to sustainably finance health and improve access and quality of health services for all Rwandans. This includes defining priority services for the population; mobilizing and pooling resources for health; and improving the way those resources are spent to improve quality of care while controlling costs.
Role and responsibilities
CHAI currently seeks a Health Financing Senior Technical Advisor to act as a key advisor to the leadership of the Ministry of Health (MOH) and of Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB) in the design and implementation of strategic health financing and health system reforms. Those include ambitious reforms to improve the sustainability of the CBHI scheme and of the overall health sector, including through the revision of the CBHI health benefit package, the design and implementation of a national payment reform for Primary Health Care (PHC), and other reforms. The Senior Technical Advisor will play a key role in shaping CHAI Rwanda sustainable health financing program portfolio and in building out new areas of work for CHAI Rwanda.. This position offers a unique opportunity to work closely with high-level leaders in the GoR, define the direction of the Rwanda health-financing program and develop new partnerships and collaborative frameworks to drive CHAI’s push to support countries on their journey towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The Senior Technical Advisor will be a part of a growing health financing team and will report to the CHAI Rwanda Associate Director for Health System Strengthening. This position will be based at the CHAI office spending significant time at the Ministry of Health and Rwanda Social Security Board where other staff members on the team are based.
Specific responsibilities will include the following:
- Act as a strategic and critical thought partner to senior government leadership at both the Rwanda Social Security Board and Ministry of Health, providing support on key health financing strategies and reforms. For example, the senior technical advisor will provide strategic and technical assistance to the government around the following priorities:
- to improve the sustainability of the CBHI scheme, including through the design and continued review of the CBHI health benefit package, implementation and adaptations of provider payment reforms at PHC level, and interventions to improve the management of the scheme.
- in designing primary health care reforms, including changes in service delivery, financing, and management, at sub-national, regional, and national levels. This includes designing and conducting assessments of health systems bottlenecks and public financial management challenges and developing and implementing solutions with government.
- in improving donor coordination and strengthening domestic financing for healthcare for greater self-reliance.
- Work closely with the rest of the CHAI sustainable health financing team to drive implementation of key programs that aim to support the implementation of the aforementioned government priorities. This includes direct technical assistance and sustainable capacity building to help the team grow their health financing technical expertise.
- Help strengthen institutional capacity at government partner institution, including RSSB and the MoH on relevant health financing topics through direct capacity building support and by fostering and facilitating collaboration and knowledge sharing in Rwanda and in the Sub-Saharan Africa region. This will include identifying key health financing capacity gaps in country and developing strategies to address those together with government leadership.
- Bring together work across government agencies, actively seeking and promoting opportunities to strengthen and deepen collaboration on health financing topics between partner government institutions and with external partners;
- Lead the development of key technical documents, including health financing case studies, research manuscripts and relevant publications, and provide technical inputs into grant proposals and project reports.
- Represent CHAI Rwanda in health financing forums and contribute to cross country knowledge sharing through direct engagement with other CHAI country teams and with other governments where relevant.
- Other duties as requested by supervisor.
Based on prior experience, the hiring team will consider applicants at the Technical Advisor level, which will be discussed during the interview process.
Qualifications
- 10-15 years of professional experience in demanding, results-oriented environments in the public sector and/or private sector. Working on health insurance and/or public financial management is a significant advantage.
- Advanced degree in health economics, public health, public policy, or other relevant disciplines;
- Experience working in Sub-Saharan Africa and preferably in Rwanda;
- Direct experience working with government institutions, informing development of government health financing strategies, policies, and operational plans, and/or experience working in government in a senior health financing position.
- Ability to think strategically, handle ambiguity and work in a very fast-paced, limited-structure, multicultural environment;
- Affinity for analytics and information management, with strong analytical, problem-solving, and quantitative modeling skills;
- Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to write in a clear and concise manner, including for technical documents such as national plans and guidelines;
- Entrepreneurial mindset, including ability to work independently, self-motivate, and take initiative;
- Ability to learn on the job quickly and absorb and synthesize a broad range of information;
- High level of proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, PowerPoint, and Word;
- English fluency, Kinyarwanda preferred.
Application procedure:
Interested candidates should send their application to https://careers-chai.icims.com/jobs/11661/senior-technical-advisor/job?in_iframe=1. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
The deadline: 6th February 2022.
