Senior Technical Advisor, Data Analytics and Digital Health

Job Description

Overview

Reporting to the Data and Digital Health Practice Area Lead, working across GHSI departments and supporting business and partnership development; this post will be key to providing technical assistance to field projects and supporting the coordination of global networking in digital health. Digital health is a key component of most MSH projects and this role will be critical in winning new business and ensuring the technical excellence of MSH’s project work in this domain.

Research will be required and this position will be a key player to support landscape assessments and gather evidence about how digital health can support health financing initiatives designed to increase access to care, improve service efficiency/cost effectiveness, promote financial sustainability , track quality of care and quality improvement efforts. The incumbent will also be expected to contribute to MSH’s internal digital literacy initiatives – helping to transform the organization by integrating platforms and building staff capacity in data science.

The position will also focus on documenting MSH experience in these fields and maintaining close links with key digital health networks such as the Global Digital Health Network and NetHope to ensure that MSH has good visibility and can contribute to thought leadership in this field.

Job Responsibilities

Project Managerial and Technical Leadership (20%)

• Lead the implementation of projects managed by GHSI/DDH as required providing technical and managerial support, and ensuring results, financial, and operational compliance
• Manage the working relationships with donors, primes, partners and government counterparts to secure client satisfaction; anticipate needs and respond to requests in timely manner
• Lead workplan and budget development in consultation with donor/prime and counterparts
• Ensure project activities meet the MSH’s Standards of Technical Excellence and are completed on time and to client satisfaction
• Review and approve project expenses, subcontracts, and invoice certifications as required

Technical Program Support (40%)

• Support technical activities in the areas of mobile and digital technology for health, and provide broad technical support to GHSI projects in the areas of data analytics, data use, research and evaluation, health systems strengthening, and health finance. Specific activities may include but are not limited to:
  • Technical strategy design
  • Evaluation of digital health technologies and tools
  • Technical assistance for the design and development of digital solutions to support project/host country needs – especially in the areas of quality improvement, health financing, and client level data systems.
  • Facilitation of technical workshops or training programs related to digital health and health financing.
  • Provision of guidance in recruiting subject matter experts, selecting and contracting partners.
• Collaborate with counterparts in GHSI, PDG, and PLI to share technical

Digital Health Business Development (15%)

• Design strategies, specific technical solutions, and provide overall guidance to proposal development teams in the areas of mobile and digital technology for health, and support areas of data use, research and evaluation as necessary
• Identify potential funding opportunities in the area of mobile and digital technology for health
• Lead the development of HPG proposal sections related to the inclusion of digital health content and engagement of partner organizations in this field

Global Thought Leadership, Collaboration, and Visibility (25%)

• Represent MSH and GHSI to strengthen MSH’s visibility in the digital health field, including serving as an Advisory Board member to the Global Digital Health Network
• Provide technical advice to donors and partners through appropriate fora, technical expert groups, and other collaboration mechanisms
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with current and prospective donors and partners, as well as global, regional and national experts working on issues of digital health, digital finance, and data for decision- making
• Monitor key initiatives, policies, and trends to identify current and emerging issues on an on-going basis
• Connect appropriate MSH colleagues to resources, individuals, and opportunities on an on-going basis, including through the technical exchange networks (TENs), participation in GHSI technical advisory groups, and thematic presentations
• Develop resources for internal MSH use in digital health and innovation.

Education: A postgraduate degree in computer science/data science, public health, health financing or other field closely related to the assigned responsibilities is required.

Experience: 7+ years of related experience is required.

• Experience in international public health highly preferred.
• Extensive knowledge of technical field, as well as applicable laws, regulations and general instructions.
• A highly qualified and recognized expert in the field with experience participating in global digital networks (e.g. GDHN, NetHope) and supporting organization of international conferences.
• Experience in mHealth/digital health, digital financial services in developing countries, and health care financing.
• Field experience in developing country contexts, in both health financing/universal health care programs and digital health.
• Experience conducting technical assessments related to digital health and HIS – including web- and literature reviews, surveys, site visits, and key informant interviews.
• Experience building capacity of individuals in digital health and data science through facilitating training or mentoring.
• Strong knowledge of global health and international development issues.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Strong knowledge of global health and international development issues.
• Excellent writing, organizational and communications skills; including organizing, scanning and summarizing technical information.
• Strong analytical skills – with experience analysing both quantitative and qualitative data sets using computer software such as R, SPSS, Atlas TI, etc…
• Proven qualitative and quantitative research skills, with experience communicating data and research for decision-making with diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated computer skills, including word processing, databases, spreadsheets, and presentations using Windows, Microsoft Office, and/or Google applications); and ability to learn new applications and skills.
• Experience configuring and/or using global software goods such as DHIS2, OpenMRS, OpenLMIS, OpenIMIS, OpenSRP/ODK or Community Health Toolkit highly desirable.
• Strong interpersonal communication and facilitation skills required.
• Critical thinking skills to make critical and timely decisions in a rapidly changing environment.
• Demonstrated organizational skills, and the ability to follow procedures and plans, while remaining flexible and meet deadlines with attention to detail and quality.
• Project management skills.
• Proficiency in French, Portuguese, or Spanish is desirable (verbal & written).

Competencies

• Core MSH competencies: Adaptability, Communication, Problem Solving, Creativity and Innovation, Quality and Timeliness of Work, Quality of work and Team Relationships
• Demonstrated leadership ability to collaborate and communicate effectively across diverse sets of stakeholders, including with donor and government representatives.
• Ability to work in a fluid, fast- paced environment with multiple priorities.
• Team player with resourcefulness and the ability to work independently.
• Ability to manage teams, initiate and organize work, establish priorities in a time-sensitive environment, and meet deadlines with attention to detail and quality.

Position may require up to 30% international travel

About the Organization

Management Sciences for Health, an international nonprofit organization, is dedicated to closing the gap between what is known and what is done about public health problems. MSH saves lives and improves health by helping public and private organizations throughout the world to effectively manage people, medicines, money, and information. Working from more than 30 country offices and our US headquarters, our staff from 65 nations is highly regarded for its technical expertise, integrity, and commitment to making a lasting difference in health.

Management Sciences for Health (MSH) is a nonprofit international health organization composed of more than 2,000 people from 73 nations. Their mission is to save lives and improve the health of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people by closing the gap between knowledge and action in public health. Together with their partners, they are helping managers and leaders in developing countries to create stronger management systems that improve health services for the greatest health impact.

EXPERTISE

MSH takes an integrated approach to building high-impact sustainable programs that address critical challenges in leadership, health systems management, human resources, and medicines. Simply put, they support stronger health systems for greater health impact.

Their expertise in these areas falls into the broad categories of management functions—for example, leadership and governance or pharmaceutical management—and health areas like tuberculosis or maternal, newborn, and child health. They apply their expertise by

• Partnering with governments, local organizations, and communities in developing nations to build their own capacity for long-term health impact;
• Providing global leadership in critical areas of health management and health care delivery;
• Bringing the best of MSH from around the globe to the people we serve, working as One MSH with a focus on lasting health system improvements.

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Leadership, Governance, & Management

They work with in-country partners to build stronger health systems to improve:

• the management and leadership of priority health programs, health organizations, and multisectoral partnerships such as The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, developing a critical mass of managers at all levels of the health system who can lead and inspire teams to achieve results;
  
• the management systems of health organizations in the public and private sector, transferring practical approaches and skills to ensure that management structures contribute to sustainable organizational success;
  
• the governance and management of health organizations and multisectoral partnerships, facilitating change and transferring knowledge to enable organizations to administer their resources efficiently and scale up their services.

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Health Service Delivery

MSH combines extensive public health expertise, proven service delivery approaches, and evidence-based interventions in five critical areas:

• HIV & AIDS
• Tuberculosis
• Maternal, newborn, and child health
• Family planning and reproductive health
• Other communicable diseases, including malaria and pandemic and avian influenza

Human Resources for Health

MSH helps governments develop multisectoral strategies and policies to plan and manage their health workforces. We use a comprehensive approach that addresses all the facets of human resources for health needed to achieve an adequate supply of well-trained and motivated health workers. MSH offers capabilities in leadership, human resource management, education, partnerships, policy, and finance to achieve these goals.

Pharmaceutical Management

Vital to our success is a participatory approach to project design and implementation, which cultivates broad-based support from all stakeholders. We also build and improve infrastructure and local capacity to effectively purchase, store, deliver, and use quality essential medicines.

Health Care Financing

MSH helps governments and NGOs assess their current financial situation and systems, understand service costs, and develop initiatives to use existing funds more effectively and generate additional revenue—all with the goal of supporting a nation’s health priorities.

Health Information

MSH has developed proven methods for rapidly strengthening the analysis and use of existing health data—normally at the province, district, and facility levels—without revising existing recording and reporting requirements. With an emphasis on learning through action, district teams undertake assessments of health services, identify gaps in performance, and design solutions to support better decision-making and, therefore, better management of improved services.

MSH has worked closely with the Health Metrics Network of the WHO to develop a comprehensive approach for enhancing the performance of health information systems and data by employing a practical, strategic planning process that can be carried out by national working groups.