Ethiopia has made remarkable progress over the past two decades in improving the health of its population through the collaborative efforts by the host government and its multilateral and bilateral development partners, including the Global health Initiatives (GHIs). GHIs have contributed to enormous progress in protecting lives and improving the health of communities, contributing to global public goods and delivering on the Millennium Development Goals.  In doing so, they have established new models of partnership and alliances and novel ways of addressing inequities. 

However, concerns have risen over the proliferation of GHIs, their focus on specific conditions, their impact on wider health systems, how their role may need to change in light of increasing non-communicable diseases and climate change, the changing type, level, and role of development assistance for health and the importance of strengthening resilient and sustainable health systems. There is an increasing recognition that the recent changes in external health funding, and the shocks of sudden changes, are likely to have a significant impact on vital lifesaving health programs in Ethiopia as well as the broader health system. It is therefore imperative to secure enhanced efficiency, including a more coordinated approach in GHI investments alongside supporting national efforts to promoting a domestically driven and sustainable approach to securing self-reliance in health financing.

There is increasing recognition of the need for greater attention to overarching, system-level coordination and structure of GHIs and their interface with other actors to better align investment behind Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goal 3. For decades there have been calls for reform of the global health architecture, as well as development assistance more broadly, and there has been significant global momentum building on the back of the Future of Global Health Initiatives (FGHI) process which culminated in the publication of the Lusaka Agenda in December 2023. FGHI was a time-bound, multistakeholder process involving representatives from across funders, governments, global health organizations, civil society and the research and learning community. The Lusaka Agenda (LA) outlined consensus for collective action by GHIs and other global health actors to strengthen their efforts through the following five key shifts:

• Make a stronger contribution to primary health care (PHC) by effectively strengthening systems for health 

• Play a catalytic role towards sustainable, domestically financed health services and public health functions:

• Strengthen joint approaches for achieving equity in health outcomes: 

• Achieve strategic and operational coherence

• Coordinate approaches to products, research and development (R&D), and regional manufacturing to address market and policy failures in global health.

Ethiopia is a Lead Collaboration and Champion country for the LA, which emphasizes building resilient and sustainable health systems, enhancing strategic and operational coherence between GHIs, and boosting local and regional manufacturing of health products to promote self-reliance in health financing. HE Dr. Mekdes Daba plays a leadership role globally - as co-chair of the Joint Committee Working Group (JCWG) in her role as Gavi Board member – as well as in Ethiopia, to advance the Lusaka Agenda and has positioned Ethiopia as a leader in the implementation of the Lusaka Agenda.

The first LA Joint Mission (LA JM) conducted in Ethiopia in January 2025, under the leadership of H.E. Dr. Mekdes Daba, highlighted the need for enhanced coordination and efficiency in global health governance and identified a number of specific actions to be advanced in Ethiopia as well as globally. 

The UK government (FCDO, Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office) has partnered with the Government of Ethiopia to speed up implementation of the LA in Ethiopia, to deliver on the commitments made during the LA JM and accelerate the impact of Global Fund investments and. Through the Global Fund Accelerator (GFA) - a set aside from the UK’s £1billion investment in the Global Fund - GFA Advisers are located in nine key countries (including Ethiopia) to support the impact of the UK’s investments through GHIs and enhance implementation at country level. To support these goals GFA has set up a small technical assistance (TA) programme that is delivered by the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) in Ethiopia. 

In order to establish the focus of the GFA TA programme and to catalyse and scale change, a meeting was held with HE Minister Mekdes where she prioritized TA priority areas for effective implementation of the LA and to accelerate impact of GHI investments in Ethiopia. The meeting was attended by colleagues from FCDO and CHAI, including the GFA adviser.  This discussion identified that the Minister did not want to prioritize finalizing a LA Action Plan, and would be keen to start with efforts to address LA priorities through TA support delivered through and by CCM/E Secretariat, EFDA, EPSS and to enhance collaborative working on malaria – one of the priorities of the LA JM and the JCWG deliberations. It is anticipated that, working with the Minister’s advisers, these priorities will be refined over the next year.

CHAI is now seeking a Programme Manager with the right qualifications and experiences to provide technical and managerial leadership for effective implementation of this collaborative project.

Job Summary 

Under the supervision and guidance of the Deputy Country Director and working in close collaboration with the FCDO GFA Adviser, the Programme Manager will have oversight of the CHAI GFA TA Programme and will be responsible for delivering this TA programme through the following activities:

• Provide oversight of the CHAI GFA TA program in Ethiopia (30% LOE):

The Programme Manager will be responsible to provide technical and managerial leadership for recruitment, deployments and effective functioning of technical assistants and consultants to advance the GFA programme. 

Jointly working with the FCDO GFA Adviser and Deputy Country Director, the Programme Manager will support the MOH to articulate and refine the TA needs in priority areas and align the requests with the ambitions of the GFA work. 

The Programme Manager will ensure that all written materials, including TORs for TA, are accurate and clear and they will diligently represent the project in various project meetings and forums to ensure that the GFA and LA are well understood, and TA activities are delivered to high quality. 

The Program Manager will ensure that quality TA is delivered, by consultants and through other mechanisms as required, ensuring that any consultants and technical assistants are deployed timely and in manner that effectively responds to the needs expressed by the MOH and related bodies.  

• Oversee the implementation of LA commitments on the five key shifts for the long-term evolution of the GHI ecosystem in Ethiopia (20% LOE):

The Programme Manager will work closely with the FCDO GFA Adviser to forge effective partnerships with key stakeholders to ensure the smooth implementation of LA commitments, and the LA Action Plan (if developed) as well as to deliver the ambitions of the GFA CHAI TA programme. This will include ensuring oversight of all key shifts and a strategic approach to delivering on LA and LA JM commitments, including those not directly reached through specific TA interventions. These responsibilities will include ensuring effective communication through various communication channels to key stakeholders, including MoH, CCM/E, ICC, FCDO (HQ and BE Addis) and other Development Partners. 

The Programme Manager will also provide sustained leadership for smooth operation of the deployed TAs and consultants and s/he will also be responsible for managing the administrative and operational requirements of the project including reporting, budget management, and operational plan tracking.

• Provide strategic and technical assistance to the CCM/E and FMOH (& other implementers) to maximize their capacity with Global Fund grant implementation, reprioritization and GC8 Funding request preparation (30% LOE)

Even though implementation of Global Fund grants continues to make substantial progress in addressing the three diseases, more is needed to strengthen resilient people-centered health systems, and to build a country-led, sustainable and domestically-financed health system, to deliver UHC that leaves no one behind, as outlined in the Future of GHIs.

Through the CHAI GFA programme, the Programme Manager will serve as GFA’s technical resource point to provide technical and strategic support to the CCM/E, FMOH and other relevant stakeholders to drive forward the Global Fund GC7 reprioritization and GC8 funding request (FR) development processes. In particular, this will focus on stronger integration of disease programmes with resilient, sustainable health systems, and building closer collaboration across GHIs in line with LA ambitions. The Programme Manager will also focus on working with other DPs supporting the Government of Ethiopia to develop a self-reliance roadmap for health financing, and the development of integrated sustainability plans to support GC8 FRs and the next steps with Gavi 6.0

The Programme Manager will also support FCDO’s engagement on the CCM/E including the oversight function of the CCM/E secretariat. S/he will manage all TA contracts, including the technical assistants embedded in the CCM/E secretariat, to support implementation as well as FR development. In collaboration with the FCDO GFA Adviser, s/he is also expected to periodically review the country’s Global Fund performance and alignments to the UK priorities reflected in the Global Fund strategy 2023-28 with  including  include equity and inclusion, gender, health systems strengthening, results, value for money, addressing prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (PSEAH), and pandemic preparedness to inform future of GFA programme priorities in the country. 

• Support FCDO to represent the CHAI GFA programme in various national and subnational forums (20% LOE):

The Programme Manager will also support FCDO’s engagement with relevant national and subnational forums to ensure advancement of the UK’s GFA TA priorities in respect of the Lusaka Agenda, the Global Fund, Gavi and other GHIs. In addition, s/he will support the FCDO GFA Health adviser to promote the strategic collaboration and working partnerships of the UK among multilateral and bilateral partners forums within the health sector as needed in order to advance the LA. This will focus on LA Key shift 4 to achieve strategic and operational coherence, and ensure that GHI governance and operating models impose a minimal burden on countries, improve efficiency at scale, and are continually responsive to the needs and voices of countries, communities and civil society

Duties and Responsibilities 

Programme management and strategic direction 

• Provide strategic and technical leadership for the program implementation

  • Drive internal strategic planning and budgeting processes related to the project work streams and oversee project performance against work plans and budget.

  • Lead development of project and financial reports to FCDO, including supporting coordination of regular updates to FCDO (directly and through CHAI HQ), soliciting inputs from relevant teams and ensuring adherence to reporting timelines

  • Lead in establishing effective partnerships and collaborations with key stakeholders for effective implementation of the project.

  • Oversee the implementation of the project work plans including planning, budgeting, forecasting, monitoring and reporting.

  • Identify strategic areas for sustainability and guide strategic planning and work plan development as needed, and proposal development if requested by FCDO. 

  • Provide strategic orientations for future programme development and refining the workplan accordingly.

  • Expected to come up with innovative processes that bring efficiency and effectiveness to the project

  • Take responsibility for effective documentation and Knowledge management regarding program implementation and outcomes.

People management

• Provide effective support to the TA consultants and activities to ensure optimal delivery of project outcomes.

• Manage and report on data collected from the consultants and activities for continuous quality improvement 

• Lead internal M&E activities, such as documentation of lessons learnt.

• Ensure effective communication with the CHAI Country leadership, FCDO and CHAI global teams.

• Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

• Duration: 12 months

• Type of Contract: Contract 

• Number of Positions: One

• Type of position: Supervisory 

• Reporting to: Deputy Country Director 

• Expected Start Date: (TBD) 

Job Requirements

Required Qualifications & Experience

 Education:

• Advanced degree (master’s or PhD) in Public Health, Health Financing, Health Policy, Governance, Public Administration, Development Studies, Management, Public Policy, or a related field.

Experience:

• In depth understanding of GHIs - especially Global Fund, and ideally Gavi – their governance structures and requirements globally and at country level. 

• In depth understanding of Lusaka Agenda and other approaches to enhance alignment and coordination, especially in the health sector.

• Experience and understanding of how multi-sectoral responses to health and working with multiple stakeholders from various government departments and civil society as well as development partners. 

• Minimum of 7 years of experience working in health systems strengthening, particularly in developing countries.

• Proven expertise in health system governance, stakeholders’ coordination, and institutional reform.

• Proven expertise in leading large-scale health system projects or initiatives at national or regional levels. 

• Experience working in low-resource settings and familiar with global donor frameworks and approaches (including, FCDO, Global Fund, GAVI).

 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

•  Strong analytical skills in policy analysis, governance frameworks, and institutional capacity-building.

• Demonstrated experience in strategic planning, program design, and monitoring & evaluation.

• Excellent writing skills with proven ability to produce high-quality reports, policy briefs, and strategic documents.

• Strong communication and negotiation skills to engage high-level stakeholders, donors, and policymakers and provide quality written information.

• Excellent writing skills with proven ability to synthesize complex information into clear reports in English.

• Excellent strategic thinking and analytical skills, ability to identify and pursue high-impact strategies in complex, uncertain, and evolving environments

• Strong project management and documentation skills, Ability to set and meet and deadlines

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to work in a high-pressure, fast-paced environment and handle multiple tasks simultaneously

• Excellent computer skills, including MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

Soft Skills:

• Strong attention to detail with an ability to work efficiently under tight deadlines while maintaining accuracy.

• Strong project management and documentation skills, Ability to set and meet and deadlines

• Demonstrated ability to set priorities and work both independently and collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams.

• Change-oriented and results-oriented

• Ability to build strong relationships, work collaboratively and influence senior stakeholders

• Strong interpersonal skills with a professional approach to communication.

• Humility and willingness to work hard in difficult conditions, patience with bureaucracy

• Highly organized and results-driven with strong attention to detail.

• Cultural awareness and sensitivity to work effectively in diverse contexts.

Additional Considerations

Preferred Qualifications 

• Experience working in Ethiopia or similar contexts is highly desirable. 

• Familiarity with Ethiopia's healthcare system or existing stakeholders’ governance platforms is an advantage. 

• Knowledge of Amharic or other local languages is preferred. 

. Language Proficiency 

• Proficiency in spoken and written English is required.    

. Organizational Values 

Candidates must adhere to CHAI's values: care, respect, integrity, frugality, entrepreneurial spirit, mission-driven focus, urgency in action, trust-based collaboration, accountability, and sustainability.

Zero-Tolerance Policy 

• CHAI maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding conduct incompatible with its objectives, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. 

• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference checks, including verification of academic credentials and employment history. 

How To Apply

• A cover letter outlining relevant experience

• A detailed CV with at least three professional references.

• A sample of prior work 

• Deadline: July 1, 2025

Submit applications to: chai-ethiopiahr@clintonhealthaccess.org