Director, Health Financing at Amref Kenya

Job Purpose
The Director, Health Financing is responsible for providing leadership, strategic direction, and quality implementation of activities aligned with SPARC’s mandate.

Job Responsibilities

• The Director, Health Financing is expected to perform the following primary duties:
• Strategic Direction and Leadership
• Identify, assess, and inform Results for Development and Amref Health Africa about trends and opportunities for strategic health purchasing in Africa.
• Support Amref Health Africa to develop its health financing agenda as encapsulated in pillar III of the current strategy
• Work with Results for Development and Amref Health Africa to set the strategic direction for SPARC.
• Review the strategy constructively and openly to contribute to effective decision making.
• Provide progressive, visionary leadership to SPARC in line with identified needs.
• Undertake activities that enhance SPARC’s profile.
• Partnerships Development
• Establish and maintain relations with governments, ministries of health, health purchasing
• institutions, research and policy institutions across sub–Saharan Africa to facilitate collaboration on strategic health purchasing.
• Develop and sustain partnerships with international, regional and local technical partners to enhance programme development and service delivery.
• Cultivate partnerships with donors (foundations, institutional etc) for increased investments towards SPARC.
• Program Oversight & Implementation

Oversee implementation of SPARC’s pillars, including:

• Identification of country demand for strategic health purchasing support,
• engagement with country stakeholders, and the design and implementation of packages of support based on identified demand.
• Development of a pipeline of coaches and mentors to provide coaching and
• mentoring support in strategic health purchasing to countries across sub–Saharan Africa.
• Development of strategic purchasing knowledge products and their effective dissemination.
• Monitor delivery of the programs and services for quality improvement.
• Work with the Amref and R4D teams to ensure the development of activities that contribute to the sustainability (financial, approach, impact etc.) of SPARC Advocacy
• Communicate with stakeholders both locally and internationally to keep them informed of
• SPARC’s work and solicit support and commitment.
• Form alliances that promote strategic health purchasing in sub–Saharan Africa.

Other duties include:

• Human Resources Planning and Management
• Ensure SPARC has the right human resources (skill sets, numbers, structure) for delivery
• Coach and mentor staff as appropriate to improve performance.
• Support a thriving work environment that attracts, optimizes and retains high–performing talent.
• Drive the Amref staff culture initiatives to enhance collaboration across the organization.
• Financial Planning and Management
• Oversee budgeting and financial management processes for SPARC activities.

Qualifications
Education

• Advanced degree in health economics, health financing, health policy, public health, or related field.

Work Experience

• Solid experience leading diverse teams and preferably managing a regional hub.
• 10 years of experience in a health financing, universal health coverage, health systems strengthening or health policy role at a senior level.
• Demonstrated experience of contributing to national/international health financing, health systems reform or UHC strategy and policy development.
• Experience and strong reputation working with or liaising with government institutions and multilateral organizations and institutions would be an advantage.
• Demonstrated leadership showing strategic thinking in designing and executing projects, including steering work planning, managing and mentoring colleagues, and overseeing compliant and cost–effective use of resources to deliver on objectives.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of current issues in UHC.
• Project management skills.
• Strong skills in process facilitation and stakeholder management across diverse groups, including government and development partners.
• Understanding of collaborative working methods.
• Ability to set priorities and handle multiple competing time and resource demands; highly organized.
• Decisiveness and ability to reach timely decisions and initiate action appropriately.
• Entrepreneurship, sound commercial judgment and instinct.
• Ability to follow–up on all problems and issues brought to attention.
• Willingness and ability to travel throughout sub–Saharan Africa
• Strong interpersonal skills and experience working with cross cultural teams.
• Fluency in English (fluency in French a plus) including excellent written and verbal communication skills, report writing and presentation skills.