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Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities) 

• The post-holder will lead the UK’s support to the Ethiopian health sector. The UK is a long-standing supporter of the sector, and is particularly focused on ending the preventable deaths of mothers and children, and tackling health inequalities. The post-holder will manage the UK’s multi-million pound annual health programme, provide high quality technical advice to the British Embassy, and lead the UK’s engagement with senior health stakeholders, including the Ministry of Health, multilateral agencies and other development partners.

• Ethiopia has one of the highest rates of child and maternal mortality globally and the health system faces significant structural challenges. These constraints limit access to essential health services, and together with wider determinants of health (such as access to water, sanitation and nutrition), undermine health security. The UK has a long history of working in partnership with the Ethiopian government to improve access to basic quality health care, especially for women and girls.

• Reporting to the Human Capital Development Team Leader, you will lead the Embassy’s contribution to strengthening Ethiopia’s health system, improving equitable access to basic, quality health care and supporting women and girls to reach their potential.

• You will engage regularly with government officials, implementing partners, and colleagues across FCDO to collectively deliver key UK health priorities, including ending the preventable deaths of mothers, babies and children. This is an exciting and stretching role and encompasses technical inputs to the Embassy’s health portfolio, strategic policy engagement, programme delivery and line management.

What will the jobholder be expected to achieve?

• Responsible Owner for the UK’s Ending Preventable Deaths in Ethiopia programme - This involves being accountable for the successful delivery of the UK’s major health sector programme, including in relation to securing value for money, finance and risk. A dedicated programme manager will be responsible for day-to-day programme management work, reporting to the post-holder.

• Provide health expertise so that the UK is a major technical contributor to improving healthcare outcomes in Ethiopia - The successful candidate will be expected to provide robust and evidence based advice on areas such as epidemiology and public health, social determinants of health, health systems strengthening, the work of the global health initiatives; and using evidence and data to support public policy making.

• Represent the UK at senior level development partner forums in the sector – this will include the SDG Pooled Fund donor group, and the health, population and nutrition working group. The post-holder will be expected to periodically chair one or both of these groups in line with the UK’s commitments to the sector. The post-holder will also represent the UK on ad hoc committees and meetings, for example those convened by the Ministry of Health in important thematic areas.

• Positive contribution to the work of the Human Capital Development Team and the Embassy - The post-holder will be a member of the Human Capital Team which also supports the education and water sectors in Ethiopia, as part of a coherent set of support to human development in Ethiopia. The post-holder will be expected to work on cross-cutting areas, such as promoting opportunities for women and girls, and contribute to a success team dynamic. Across the Embassy, the UK also funds humanitarian work, promotes economic development and good governance. The post-holder should be an active member of the Embassy, contributing to its successful operation.

Other benefits and conditions of employment 

• Fully funded medical insurance.

• Leave entitlement of 22 days in your first year of working.

• A maximum of 14 public holidays off (both British and Ethiopian holidays).

• The British Embassy Ethiopia wants to support all staff in their professional development. 

• The British Embassy Addis Ababa promotes a learning and development culture.

• You will have the opportunity to take short, free training courses endorsed by the UK civil service, and identify other ways to develop your knowledge and skills. The FCDO has a network of over 50 accredited health experts, who are posted around the world. You will have the opportunity to accredit to this network on appointment or during the position period, depending on performance at interview. The cadre will provide opportunities to develop your knowledge by being mentored by a senior expert elsewhere in the network, sharing global experiences and receiving regular briefings on the latest evidence and best practice in global health development.

Job Category : Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Programme Roles)

Application deadline : 22 October 2023

Grade  : Grade 7 (G7)

Type of Position : Full-time, Permanent

Working hours per week : 36.00 hours per week

Region : Africa

Country/Territory : Ethiopia

Location (City) : Addis Ababa

Type of Post : British Embassy

Number of vacancies : 1

Salary Currency : USD

Salary : USD 2,118.83 - 3,178.25 per month

Start Date : 1 December 2023

Job Requirements

Essential qualifications, skills and experience 

Essential on arrival:

• Deep expertise in the health sector

• A minimum of 5 years experience, preferably 8-10 years experience in the health sector 

• Knowledge of the details of the Ethiopian healthcare sector at federal, regional and local level

• Experience manging a team 

• Language requirement: the successful candidate needs to be fluent in Business English both in a written and spoken proficiency 

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience 

• Knowledge of global health architecture

• Experience of working with development agencies

• Understanding of the global health architecture

• Post-graduate degree in public health, an allied subject or equivalent work experience.

• Experience of health systems development with a strong focus on low and middle income countries

Required behaviours 

• Seeing the Big Picture, Making Effective Decisions, Delivering at Pace, Leadership

How to Apply

Register using the following link CLICK HERE

Additional information 

Please complete the application form in full as the information provided is used during screening. 

Please check your application carefully before you submit, as no changes can be made once submitted. 

The British Embassy will never request any payment or fees to apply for a position. 

Employees recruited locally by the British Embassy are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law. 

All candidates must be legally able to work and reside in the country of the vacancy with the correct visa/work permit status or demonstrate eligibility to obtain the relevant permit.  

The responsibility lies on the successful candidate to: 

Obtain the relevant permit 

Pay fees for the permit 

Make arrangements to relocate 

Meet the costs to relocate  

The British Embassy does not sponsor visas/work permits except where it may be local practice to do so.  

Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary may have their salaries reduced by the equivalent local income tax amount. 

Information about the Civil Service Success Profiles can be found on this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles 

Reference checking and security clearances will be conducted on successful candidates. 

Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful may be placed on a ‘reserve list’.  If during the reserve period of 12 months the same or a largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second or subsequent candidate”.