Senior Technical Officer, Joint Learning Network (JLN)

Job Description

Management Sciences for Health (MSH) seeks a Membership Support and Network Coordinator (the Coordinator) for the second two years of a 3-year project to support the execution of the work of the Joint Learning Network (JLN). MSH has been funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to establish a network manager (NM) team to lead the work of the JLN.

As a critical part of the NM, the Coordinator has two sets of responsibilities. First, (s)he (a) manages communications between member countries, the NM and the JLN steering group; (b) coordinates the on-boarding of new member countries; and (c) supports World Bank country engagement efforts of member countries. Second, (s)he also supports regular project management functions for the MSH NM team.

This position is full-time for two years.

Membership and Country Support (50%)

• Engage with member countries frequently in open and meaningful dialogue to build rapport and trust as a key point of contact.
• Manage the member country application process, including calls for applications and reviewing all submissions quickly and efficiently against a rigorous set of criteria, for SG approval.
• Lead the country onboarding and orientation process to immerse new members in the JLN philosophy, approach and expectations.
• Conduct outreach to potential members to share information about the JLN and answer questions about membership.
• Work closely with World Bank HQ and country offices to support member countries as needed.
• Engage World Bank JLN core team to operationalize the agreed JLN Country Support plan and revise the plan as needed with approval from the JLN Steering Group.
• Support in-county events such as new member launches or other member country needs in close collaboration with JLN KM/Comms and other NM staff.
• Develop and administer surveys, questionnaires and other forms to solicit feedback on JLN performance and member engagement activities (in collaboration with the Technical Initiatives Manager, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, and other NM staff).
• Support the Executive Director and other members of the JLN NM team in matters relating to country member outreach and organization.

Network Coordination (50%)

• Engage the JLN Steering Group Conveners, World Bank, and Network Manager (NM) team to develop agendas and briefing materials for regular (usually quarterly) Steering Group (SG) meetings.
• Review and understand the Joint Learning Network’s governance charter and act as a resource related to governance issues as they arise.
• Lead on note taking and other follow-up from SG meetings. Coordinate action items so that all team members have clear direction on next steps.
• Manage JLN NM team member monthly reporting to the JLN Steering Group.
• Finalize JLN Operations Manual for SG review. Establish new JLN NM operational procedures as needed.
• Attend all SG, donor, and partner meetings related to overall JLN management and country support. Maintain knowledge of JLN work and progress overall to ensure JLN NM team is on track to complete activities promised to BMGF and SG.
• Coordinate quarterly reporting.
• Support JLN NM team annual workplan and budgeting processes.

Required Minimum Education and Experience:

• BA/BS with 5-7 years of related experience and knowledge of health finance policy and universal health coverage (UHC); OR
• MA/MS with 2-4 years of related experience.

Knowledge and Skills:

Required:

• Ability to build and maintain relationships with senior-level clients, particularly interacting productively, proactively, and comfortably with government agencies, partners and donors in an international setting.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast paced environment.
• Excellent interpersonal skills evidenced by effective collaboration with professional colleagues in a broad range of nongovernmental, governmental, and international organizations, in varied socio-cultural contexts.
• Proven record of working with and aligning diverse, multi-cultural teams with a common mission and vision.
• Demonstrated project management skills.
• Excellent writing, analytical, organizational and communications skills including organizing, scanning, summarizing and presenting information.
• Written and spoken fluency in English required.

Preferred:

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and projects at a time.
• Experience living or working in developing countries is highly desirable to understand program context, field realities and technical needs.
• Knowledge of World Bank systems and operations.

Competencies:

• Self-starter – takes the initiative in moving work forward
• Highly organized, detail –oriented, meticulous and consistent in the execution of their work.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues from multiple units and within various socio-cultural contexts.
• Demonstrated flexibility and openness in responding to changing work priorities and environment and working under tight deadlines.
• Demonstrated competence to assess priorities and solve problems using innovative, evidence-based solutions.

Physical Demands:

• Travel requirements: 10-15%
• Keyboard use, pulling drawers, lifting papers <10lbs.

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.