Program Officer, Product and Market Advancement at PATH

The Product and Market Advancement (PMA) Program uses data to co-generate policies that increase the availability of health products and services. PATH is currently implementing two projects in Kenya that involve close collaboration with high level government stakeholders, donors, firms, and partners at the direction of the Regional Program Officer and the global team. PATH’s PMA program is recruiting a full time Program Officer that is keen to support PATH’s efforts to increase access to medical devices. The Program Officer will support the Access to Medical Device Portfolio within the PMA Program in implementing the Strengthening Oxygen Utilization and Respiratory Care Ecosystems (SOURCE) and Scaling Access to Lifesaving Equipment (SCALE) projects in Kenya.

The work is extremely fast paced and requires a dedicated self-starter who will hit the ground running. PATH seeks to identify and work with an experienced individual with a robust understanding of health systems (especially respiratory care, HIV/AIDS, immunization, and maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) medical devices), public policy, and economics, who will be able to engage stakeholders, facilitate collaborations and build networks with aligned actors in the health space. The officer will work with the PATH Kenya and global teams to plan, implement interventions, advise on the best approaches, conduct analyses, and apply findings to address market failures that restrict access to life-saving products and interventions. They will lead collaborative efforts in health and respiratory care initiatives in the country and advise on effective decision making.

Expected Responsibilities and Tasks

The program officer will play a support role (with opportunities to lead the work in the near future) in implementing key activities according to the program plans. They will support collaborative engagements with the Ministry of Health, health stakeholders and other aligned actors in the oxygen, respiratory care, and MNCH ecosystem. They will support in reporting advise on oxygen related market research, medical devices, and other global health products, e.g., MNCH, HIV, immunization, and respiratory care equipment and related consumables. They will be expected to provide evidence-based guidance to PATH teams for program decision making in country. The officer will be expected to execute these specific tasks;

• Provide support to the project team in development and execution of work plans and associated project activities in Kenya.
• Work with the PATH team in Kenya to facilitate effective work relationships with MoH and other key health partners (Oxygen, respiratory care, MNCH, medical devices) in implementing SOURCE and SCALE project activities.
• Identify key actors in the health space in Kenya to advocate oxygen scale-up and mobilize resources for oxygen.
• With the guidance of the Regional Program Officer, support county and/or national governments in developing new policies, guidelines, or data standards for medical equipment management.
• With the guidance of the Regional Program Officer, support county and/or national government in designing and implementing new models (e.g. leasing agreements, service agreements) for procuring and maintaining priority medical equipment.
• Represent PATH in key meetings and provide local context and background to the PATH project team and advise in-country team on best medical device and oxygen strategies and approaches.
• As needed, identify, engage, and serve as the support contact for key stakeholders in other PATH Kenya’s project activities.

Required Experience

• Master’s Degree in Public Health, Health Economics, Public Health, Epidemiology, or equivalent advanced degree.
• 7 - 10 years’ experience in market analysis, healthcare management or other relevant private and public sector experience.
• Experience working with health systems as an implementer, researcher, policy professional or businessperson with strong bias in medical devices, medical supply chains and medical procurement protocol.
• Hands on experience in a health system programming preferably in a multi-year donor funded program such as oxygen, respiratory care, or maternal & child health
• Experience engaging with both public and private sector partners preferred.
• Knowledge of health systems, medical devices, and/or diagnostics, especially in developing countries or emerging markets a plus
• Solid technical knowledge of the MNCH medical device and oxygen ecosystem challenges, their impacts and the general health environment in Kenya
• Demonstrated leadership, adaptive and innovative in a fast-paced program that requires generating evidence to influence program adaptiveness.
• Experience in project planning/management and balancing multiple projects and priorities.
• Resourceful and analytical with capacity in implementing and analyzing program assessments and studies with familiarity with both qualitative and quantitative methods.
• Ability to mobilize aligned actors, build coalitions of interested stakeholders around focused health issues in the country.
• Ability to identify key trends from complex and ambiguous datasets and make decisions.
• Ability to synthesize project findings and translate into programmatic and policy recommendations.
• Strong understanding of the WHO and country-led procurement of health products and key country (MoH) strategies, roadmaps, guidelines and protocols in the respiratory care ecosystem
• Proven effectiveness working in a team-based environment, but capable also of working independently.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.