Introduction:
A number of pro-poor market-oriented healthcare financing and delivery models have started to emerge in different parts of the developing world. However, there is limited understanding of the current scale and scope of these fragmented initiatives, which are frequently implemented by private sector social entrepreneurs or buried within ministries of health. The Results for Development Institute (R4D) has received a five year grant to implement a program to improve understanding, scale-up, and impact of models that seek to harness market forces and/or improve the functioning of private health markets (e.g., franchising, social marketing, contracting, vouchers, insurance, regulatory/accreditation models, telemedicine) through the collection, analysis, dissemination, and innovative utilization of information.
This program will create a resource center to continuously collect, analyze, and publicly disseminate information about health financing and delivery models that utilize market-oriented mechanisms to improve quality, access and affordability of care for the poor. This information will facilitate policy development, program planning, documentation of best practices, impact evaluation research, and funding decisions of ministries of health and finance, social entrepreneurs, funders, public health program managers, researchers, and advocates.
R4D is seeking a full-time Senior Program Officer or Program Director to manage this program. Position title and responsibilities will be based on level of experience and qualifications.
Organization Description:
The Results for Development Institute (R4D) is an independent nonprofit organization focused on stimulating new ideas and catalyzing actions that reduce poverty and improve lives in low and middle income countries. We work with development leaders, globally and at country level, to design and test solutions to their most pressing development challenges. R4D concentrates on engagements where it can translate ideas and evidence into sound policies and programs that enable countries and development partners to achieve results. R4D combines the research and analytic methods of a think tank with the action orientation of a program implementing organization. R4D analyzes, designs, and tests policies and programs in the areas of health systems, financing, human resources, research and development, AIDS, immunization, transparency and governance
The Results for Development Institute pursues its mission by:
- Working with countries and global leaders to leverage financial and human resources to tackle critical development problems in health and other social sectors.
- Supporting the development of public-private collaborations that can augment and improve the use of resources.
- Fostering the development of civil society institutions to analyze and advocate for effective and equitable social programs.
- Developing innovative mechanisms and tools that promote investment in poor and vulnerable populations in low and middle income countries.
The Principals and team at R4D have extensive backgrounds in social and economic development, with decades of experience in senior positions in international institutions, think tanks, non-profit organizations and the private sector. We have assembled a select team of individuals with diverse backgrounds in policy development and implementation who apply practical, grounded research to facilitate tangible results.
Position Description:
The Senior Program Officer/Program Director will oversee the Pro-Poor Market-Oriented Healthcare Models Program, under the direction of a Managing Director. Operating with substantial independence, he or she will oversee the implementation of the program’s information collection strategy, including oversight of Southern Partners and other collaborators, implementation of incentive structures, and creation and management of the core database. The Senior Program Officer/Program Director will be responsible for implementing the information dissemination strategy, including the design and launch of a highly functional web-site targeting a number of different audiences. In addition, the Senior Program Officer/Program Director will oversee the analysis and interpretation of the information, as well as the design and implementation of related activities that utilize this information (e.g. development of entrepreneur/policymaker networks, funder/investor exchanges). Specific tasks and responsibilities will vary based on level of experience and qualifications.
Given the nature of the project and the entrepreneurial environment of R4D, the Senior Program Officer/Program Director is expected to be a self-starter with a wide range of experience and talent, who can exercise good judgment and deliver results within tight timeframes.
His/her potential responsibilities will include:
- Developing, implementing, and monitoring project work plans, budgets, and related planning documents
- Determining the scope and means of information collection efforts
- Evaluating the needs of users of information and determining the formats and channels for information dissemination
- Creating and/or leveraging information-collection networks and partnerships
- Monitoring and facilitating the execution of deliverables by collaborating partner institutions
- Organizing consultations with key stakeholders, in both larger public and smaller private settings
- Overseeing the writing and preparation of reports, slide decks, and other outputs from the project
- Presenting preliminary and final results and recommendations to internal and external audiences
- Identifying, assessing, and planning for implementation of various potential additional activities that utilize the resource center information
- Organizing key meetings, workshops, and conferences, including drafting agendas, background materials, presentations, and summary reports of the proceedings and agreed follow-up actions
- Producing progress reports and other materials which may be requested periodically by funders and sponsors of the projects• Fostering collaborative relationships with other organizations with similar interests
Additional responsibilities at the Program Director level include:
- Putting in place and operating a system of monitoring and quality control to ensure that all project activities meet the highest standards for quality and timeliness
- Supervising project expenditures and the development and submission of progress reports to the project funder(s)
- • Hiring, supervising and mentoring project staff and consultants
Qualifications:
The ideal candidate for this position will possess the following qualifications:
- 7-10 years (10-15 or more years at the Program Director level) of relevant work experience in a research institution, government, bilateral or multilateral development agency, consulting firm, NGO, or think tank
- An advanced degree in public policy, business, economics, international public health or other relevant discipline
- Knowledge of and experience in at least several of the following areas: private sector health care programs, health systems, health financing, microfinance, social entrepreneurship, disease-specific programming, social venture capital knowledge management in developing countries
- Experience working in or with both public and private sector organizations
- Experience creating partnerships and leading teams
- At the Program Director level, proven leadership experience in conceptualizing, planning, and executing projects
- Structured thinker with excellent analytical skills and experience analyzing data
- Strong writer and oral communicator, with a proven track record
- Ability to set priorities and handle competing time and resource demands
- Highly effective interpersonal skills, including successfully managing internal and external relationships in multi-cultural environments
- Demonstrated ability to work independently and as a team member
- Willingness to travel internationally
- Enthusiasm, energy, and composure under pressure
R4D aims to hire and nurture talented, energetic people who are passionate about making a difference for the poor in developing countries, while capable of taking an analytic and pragmatic view toward development challenges. We seek people who fit well into our organizational model—a series of analysis-to-policy-to-action engagements. This model requires entrepreneurial people who exhibit both individual initiative and strong team behaviors. We will aim to hire quick learners who are self-starters, give them maximum opportunities to stretch and grow quickly, and offer relatively generous salary and benefits, with incentives for performance. We hope to groom our people for leadership positions within R4D and other public and private development institutions.
Compensation and Benefits:
Senior Program Officers and Project Directors are employees of the Results for Development Institute, a registered non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization. R4D employees receive a competitive compensation package, including generous vacation benefits.
Application Instructions:
To apply, please email a resume and cover letter detailing your qualifications to jobs@resultsfordevelopment.org. Please include the words “Senior Program Officer/Program Director” in the subject line. Please indicate the level for which you would like to be considered.
