Health Systems Strengthening Specialist to be based in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

For over 30 years, in more than 90 countries, IntraHealth International has empowered health workers to better serve communities in need. IntraHealth fosters local solutions to health care challenges by improving health worker performance, strengthening health systems, harnessing technology, and leveraging partnerships.

In collaboration with governments, nongovernmental organizations, and private-sector organizations around the world, IntraHealth champions the needs and contributions of health workers—from doctors and nurses to community health workers to health facility managers—and works to ensure they have the tools, supplies, information, training, and support they need to provide communities they serve with the best possible opportunity for health and well-being.

IntraHealth International is seeking a Health Systems Strengthening Specialist to be based in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

The Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) Specialist will be responsible for providing overall guidance , technical assistance, and managerial leadership for health systems strengthening interventions funded by the project. S/he will guide the scale-up of promising HSS practices throughout the country, and will work with other staff members and partners to oversee technical approaches focusing on OVC to ensure that the project achieves its goals. S/he will lead capacity building and training programs to address performance gaps of clinic staff and social welfare workers (SWWs) in interventions for orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs).S/he will guide activities at both the regional and national levels to improve performance throughout the project areas of operations in collaboration with the Government of Tanzania (GoT).

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Provide planning, management oversight, and day-to-day responsibility to support the results and deliverables for project activities in Tanzania.
• Apply, test, and advocate for proven OVC interventions, promising practices and lessons learned at the district, regional, and national levels.
• support the design and improvement of  incentives packages, review, monitoring, and supportive supervision systems for supervisory staff and social welfare workers.
• Lead the processes of technical support to institutional strengthening of key GoT, FBOs,CBOs, and private sector institutions that have core mandates in the implementation of OVC capacity building related work.
• Introduce the use of information and communication technologies as appropriate for tracking, monitoring, and efficient service delivery, especially through social welfare workers.
• Strengthen the pre-service and in-service training of cadres
• Participate in policy reviews that have ramifications on retention, productivity, and development of social welfare workers in Tanzania.
• Strengthen monitoring and supportive supervision systems of social welfare workers to ensure universal uptake of services and adherence to best practices.
• Integrate cost-effective and innovative OVC related activities into training, including techniques and technologies targeting logistical and on-the-job support; peer-network facilitation; supportive supervision; work environment; and performance expectations.  
• Facilitate the design, development, implementation, monitoring, and technical quality of workforce performance and support activities, processes and products.
• Monitor workforce performance and support impacts at the national level, sharing lessons learned, documenting promising practices, and strategies to keep the project focused on desired HSS results.
• Conduct technical assistance and training to:  lead work planning and implementation strategy development; assess and identify constraints in workforce performance and support systems; develop action plans to address constraints; participate in national and regional-level strategic planning and M&E activities; and monitor the progress of the project in improving workforce performance and support systems.

Desired Skills & Experience

Master’s degree in Public Health, Health Administration, or a related discipline with 5  or more years of professional experience managing large health programs in developing countries, preferably with significant experience in East Africa. Significant experience as a supervisor within large USAID health programs, managing financial and human resources of comparable value.

• Proven ability to build productive and proactive relationships with USAID, government Ministries, NGOs, FBOs, private sector groups, and other international donors.
• Strong interpersonal skills and accomplishment in strategic visioning, leadership, networking, and problem-solving as well as effective liaising with senior-level policy makers.
• Proven knowledge of HSS issues and trends, and the ability to integrate HSS with OVC services improvement and delivery.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills in English required; Kiswahili language skills highly preferred.
• Good computer skills in Word, Excel, Power Point.

This position requires USAID funding and approval.  Please submit a Biodata Form (AID 1420) along with your CV application; form can be downloaded from IntraHealth's career page (http://www.intrahealth.org/section/careers).  Tanzanian candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.