Opportunity:

R4D seeks a Program Director with expertise in private health sector engagement and governance, health system strengthening, health financing and scaling innovations to provide strategic and technical leadership and management acumen to the Mixed Health Systems (MHS) Practice at R4D. There is growing global consensus that achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will require strengthening “mixed health systems” — to optimize engagement between public and private sectors to equitably deliver quality products and services to consumers. R4D’s MHS Practice supports mixed health system strengthening and private sector engagement.

The Program Director will be a recognized leader in the field of private sector engagement and strengthening mixed health systems and expected to build a pipeline of impactful work within the practice. The Program Director will report to one of R4D’s Managing Directors and will collaborate with other members of the R4D leadership team. The location of the position is flexible. R4D welcomes applicants from all countries.

Responsibilities

• The MHS Program Director will serve as a member of R4D’s management and project leadership teams and will provide technical and thought leadership to existing program work and new business opportunities. Specific responsibilities may include the following:

General portfolio responsibilities:

• Provide overall strategic leadership, technical direction and thought leadership for the MHS practice
• Lead new business initiatives in mixed health systems
• Build on existing and establish new funder and external partner relationships focused on MHS
• Provide technical quality assurance for MHS analytic products published by R4D staff and consultants across various projects
• Lead and publish MHS global knowledge and analytic products and present to external audiences on global and country panels and conferences
• Coach and mentor junior staff on best practices for MHS
• Provide overall technical guidance and quality assurance on ongoing and future R4D MHS. Tasks could include:
• Lead design and implementation of program activities that support national and sub-national governments to become better health system stewards including supporting public financial management reform, policy dialogue, market analysis and strategic purchasing from private providers for priority services and products
• Design analytics and guidance on innovative financing models
• Support defragmentation and unification of the private sector in networks, associations, and federations
• Work with private sector providers and networks of providers, pharmacies, and diagnostic companies to build private sector capacity in planning and management and readiness for scale-up, sustainability, and engaging with the public sector
• Support innovators to develop their business models, mobilize funding, determine organizational management and governance, and strategically plan for scale-up and sustainability
• Facilitate deliberative dialogue processes to foster trust and mutual understanding amongst public and private sector actors and entities
• Support system capacity to regulate and provide quality oversight, develop and integrate financing mechanisms, foster political will, and organize service delivery
• Support policy development and reform to ensure private sector is encouraged to enter the market
• Develop and implement health system and market analyses (organization needs assessments, health market analysis, health financing analysis health system integration assessments) to assess needs and gaps, and better understand the market and enabling environment
• Enable, structure, facilitate and sustain networks and platforms for joint learning on mixed health systems at the sub-national, national and global levels
• Act as a knowledge translator of learning and information on mixed health systems

Qualifications

• Consideration for this pivotal role will be given to health policy, business and/or international development professionals with 1) experience and expertise private sector engagement and mixed health system strengthening; 2) experience providing project management and technical assistance to USAID- or other donor-funded initiatives; and 3) the ability to meet rigorous timelines, track results, effectively manage staff and multi-stakeholder relationships, and support decision-making at the national and sub-national level to create positive change.

Successful candidates are likely to have the following qualifications:

• Advanced degree in health policy, health financing, health economics, public health, business or a related field
• At least 10 years of experience with a Master’s, or 7+ years with a doctoral degree, working on MHS, or UHC reforms including the private sector
• 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
• 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 skills in process facilitation and stakeholder management across diverse groups, including government and development partners; experience with collaborative learning approaches desirable
• Ability to effectively lead and manage diverse teams, including remote management through virtual means
• Demonstrated experience designing and facilitating workshops, meetings, and trainings
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex technical analysis for policy and lay audiences
• Ability to set priorities and handle multiple competing time and resource demands; highly organized
• Full professional fluency in English, including excellent written and verbal communication skills, report writing and presentation skills. Additional language abilities also valuable.