Senior Health Financing Advisor - Nigeria Integrated Health Program (IHP) at Palladium Group

Background

• Palladium is recruiting a Senior Health Finance Advisor who will support the USAID/Nigeria Integrated Health Program (IHP) to support activities related to domestic resource mobilization for health.
• These responsibilities will require a person with knowledge on national and state governments budgeting and health finance issues, costing, and economic analysis.
• This is a full-time position based in Abuja, Nigeria, and reporting to the Technical Lead for Health Systems Strengthening.

Purpose of Role

• We are recruiting a Senior Health Financing Advisor to provide content knowledge, technical assistance, and support for the development and execution of health financing and economics studies, strategic purchasing analyses, benefit package cost and financing assessments for health financing schemes, budgetary and bottleneck analysis at the State and Federal level.
• Methodologies that may be applied include system of health accounts, resource needs and gap analysis, cost studies, systematic literature reviews, qualitative or quantitative surveys, governance/regulatory assessments, unit costing, and financial feasibility of proposals for expansion of health programs and risk-pooling schemes.
• The health financing specialist will provide technical assistance to country policymakers, conduct studies, and write position papers, reports, and technical briefs to inform relevant audiences.
• The candidate will be required to determine methods and procedures on new assignments and both implement and manage other staff or consultants in carrying them out.

Key Responsibilities

• Provides health financing expertise/technical assistance to National and State activities of the project, working with other technical staff and host country government institutions as per project requirements.
• Provides remote and on-the-ground technical, managerial, and operational oversight to specific projects and activities in States settings related to areas of core expertise.
• Analyses the economic and financing implications of enhanced access and improved quality of primary healthcare services.
• Provides guidance to FMOH and state level MOHs regarding budgeting for service delivery activities and HRH planning.
• Coordinates closely with the DCOP and other project technical leads to introduce new payment methods and manage health financing and economics related activities.
• Provides analytical and evaluative techniques to identify, consider, and resolve health financing policy issues or problems.
• Uses various quantitative and qualitative techniques to perform financing and policy analysis tasks.
• Is responsible for the development of activity-specific work plans and budgets.
• Participates in and prepares necessary technical and program-related reports, including presentations and white papers.
• Guides and supports research, data collection, policy formulation, training and capacity building efforts in support of project activities and deliverables.
• Ensures quality of services and compliance per project/program requirements.
• Provide functional guidance to outside vendors to ensure deliverables are met within timelines and budgets.
• Organizes as needed project/program trainings, conferences, workshops, and meetings.
• Interacts with internal and external resources and other experts to bring new and “cutting edge” ideas into approaches.
• Prepares health financing analyses, recommendations, briefing notes, and assessments for internal and client use.
• Represent IHP at health financing meetings/events and actively participate in the national health financing Technical Working Group and other relevant technical committees.
• Document health financing success stories/lessons learned and produce publishable health financing materials including policy briefs and peer-reviewed articles.
• Represents the projects, company, and programs in the health financing area in Nigerian and regional forums, as well as with others in the professional community and in countries of collaboration independent of technical supervision.
• Performs other related duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Requirements, Education and Experience
The following may be acquired through a combination of formal or self-education, prior experience or on-the-job training:

• Advanced degree (MA, MSc, PhD) in Economics or Health Economics with academic specialization in health financing or commensurate work experience in health finance
• At least 5 years of health finance experience in Nigeria
• Sound knowledge in Nigeria’s governance and health finance landscape
• Sound knowledge of methodologies used in health finance research, economic analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, quantitative analysis, and statistical/econometric analysis
• Knowledge of relevant literature related to topic area
• Demonstrated problem solving, analytic, financial, and evaluative skills
• Attention to detail and ability to effectively and efficiently perform multiple tasks and balance competing priorities often within a required timeframe
• Professional and mature demeanor and conduct
• Ability to respond and adapt quickly to changing requirements and competing demands
• Ability to take initiative and/or respond independently to situations
• Appropriate software skills necessary to conduct research, and to conduct analysis of study data, such as STATA, SPSS, or equivalent
• Strong written and oral communication skills for high-level policy audiences (writing examples may be required)
• Fluency in English required, and local languages preferred
• Ability and willingness to travel within Nigeria, including to states in the north