Employment opportunities

The USAID Global Health Supply Chain Program – Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) project seeks to fill the position of Health Systems Strengthening Director to support the GHSC-PSM project in Zambia.

The USAID Global Health Supply Chain Program – Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) project will be the primary vehicle through which USAID will procure and provide health commodities, provide technical assistance to improve partner countries’ management of the supply chain and collaborate with key international stakeholders to support global health initiatives.

With 85+ staff across six offices around the country, this diverse and complex program sets out to strengthen the capacity of GRZ to develop sustainable systems that ensure the availability and security of vital and essential health commodities through (1) increased data availability and use for informed supply chain decision making, (2) improved quantification procurement planning and coordination processes, (3) provision of cost-effective, reliable international and local procurement services, (4) improved efficiency in warehousing and distribution by Zambia Medicines and Medical Supply Agency (ZAMMSA), and (5) increased strategic management and planning by the Ministry of Health for improved commodity security. The project seeks to recruit (on a one-year contract renewable) for the following positions:

Position Title: Health Systems Strengthening Director

Reporting To: Deputy Country Director – Technical Services

Principal Duties and Responsibilities
The Health Systems Strengthening Director will work with the Country Director and Deputy Country Director-Technical Services to strengthen the capacity of the Zambian Government to develop sustainable supply chain systems to ensure the availability and security of vital health commodities by assisting MOH leadership and partners to develop and manage strategic plans and policies for good governance of the supply chain. The Director will be responsible for translating task order/program area (HIV, Malaria, Family Planning, and MNCH) specific priorities into technical strategies, setting standards, providing technical assistance, and monitoring the progress of implementation for each program area focusing on strategic management and planning for improved commodity security. The Director will also serve as a member of the senior management team and will work with the Country Director and Deputy Country Director-Technical Services to develop and communicate the vision and strategic direction of the project.

Specific Tasks
Technical Implementation

• Support the objective focused on strengthening capacity and coordination for innovative strategic planning and management of supply chain interventions;
• Support Technical Working Group to support National Supply Chain Strategy Implementation Plan for sustained improvements in supply chain operations at all levels;
• Assist with the development of a performance monitoring plan for the National Supply Chain Strategy Implementation Plan, including measures to assess and increase country ownership;
• Participate in Procurement and Supply Chain Management Technical Working Group and monitor the implementation and tracking of the Health Sector Supply Chain Strategy for sustained improvements in supply chain operations at all levels including measures that will assess and increase country ownership;
• Operationalize the control tower to become fully functional and improve coordination and collaboration with MOH Pharmaceutical and Laboratory directorates, ZAMMSA, IPs in the supply chain, and donors to increase the use of data for decision-making in commodity management;
• Enhance platforms to analyze and disseminate data for routine use and decision-making across the supply chain;
• Ensuring quality, timely, and sustained commodity availability for TO1,2 & 3 through commodity data review meetings in collaboration with the procurement, FASP, and data analytics team;
• Represent PSM project at technical meetings with collaborating partners, senior government officials, and/or donor agencies;
• Consolidate and monitor partner work plans supporting supply chain activities and identify synergies that can be optimized;
• Provide support to various technical working groups and ensure that commodity-inclined discussions fully integrate supply chain considerations;
• Work with key stakeholders such as MoH, ZAMRA, ZAMMSA, JSHZ, GF, UNFPA, UNICEF, CHAZ, and others in actualizing the use of GS1 standards that will provide a framework for real-time tracking, traceability, and supply chain optimization;
• Support the Product Management Catalogue Tool (PCMT) the single source of truth which will enable the interoperability of the electronic tools used in the supply chain such as the Warehouse Management Software (WMS), Integrated Regulatory Information Management System (IRIMS), and the electronic Management Information System (eLMIS) for implementation of Global Standard 1 (GSI);
• Support the Pharmaceutical Traceability TWG to oversee and ensure that the objectives of the Zambia Strategy for Pharmaceutical Traceability strategy leveraging GS1 Global Standards are met;
• Work closely with ZAMRA in addressing the revision of SOPs, dossier reviews, and staffing;
• Advocate for and ensure that the updated National Supply Chain Strategy (NSCS) is implemented by the Ministry of Health, monitor implementation progress, and assist the MOH in drafting the revised strategy for a given specified period;
• Provide technical leadership for Procurement and Supply Chain Management Technical Working Group (TWG) and ensure supply chain considerations are integrated into policy decisions through the project’s active participation in broader TWGs (HIV, malaria, FP/RH, and MNCH,), task force meetings, and supply chain meetings;
• Support the redesign of the National Logistics Systems to address current operational challenges and propose solutions in line with the current operational trend;
• Contribute to monthly, quarterly, and annual technical reports, lead his/her team efforts, compile and review all submissions, and act as focal person between his/her team and the MEL team;
• Promote innovative solutions for sustainable supply chain operations, including enhancing decentralized drug distribution models, enhancing the activities of the National Drug Theft Task Force committee to strengthen accountability and security of essential health commodities, advocating for the incorporation of supply chain activities into MOH budgets/action plans, updating and standardizing the community health worker logistics system, and reviewing the essential medicines kit contents to promote efficiencies;
• Strengthen collaboration and support to ZAMRA to increase regulatory capacity by overseeing support for seconded staff, product registration reviews, and logistical support for capacity building;
• Encourage technical teams under his/her supervision to identify, experiment, and implement innovative supply chain solutions and best practices.

Management

• Provide technical oversight, supervision, and strategic guidance to the Task Orders 1, 2, and 3&4 strategic planning and governance advisors and control tower specialists;
• Ensure that team staffing is aligned with goals and plans to achieve the project result to support increased innovation for strategic management and planning for improved commodity security;
• Supervise the manager(s) under his/her responsibility, develop roles and responsibilities, design and monitor professional development plans, conduct annual performance appraisals, develop SMART goals, and periodically monitor progress towards objectives;
• Support development and management of annual work plans and budgets for strategic planning and governance teams, based on GRZ and USG priorities;
• Oversee implementation of work plan activities and ensure quality and timely submission of all contract deliverables within strategic planning and governance area;
• Develop scopes of work for short-term technical assistance (STTA) in collaboration with the PSM Zambia field team and HQ. Provide technical oversight of consultants and review associated outcomes and deliverables to ensure quality and timely submission to the client;
• Represent PSM project at various technical meetings with collaborating partners, senior government officials, and/or donor agencies;
• Ensure that staff understand and adhere to established policies and procedures. Support quick and just resolution of any disciplinary issues that arise;
• Verify that USAID regulations, Chemonics policies, and quality management best practices are enforced consistently;
• Exhibit Chemonics values and build a culture of “Living our Values” within the team;
• Carry out additional responsibilities as may be assigned from time to time in consultation with the Country Director and Deputy Country Director.

Minimum Education Qualifications, Experience, and Competencies

• Bachelor’s degree in development studies, Public Health, Supply Chain and Logistics, or a related field;
• Master’s or other advanced degree preferred;
• Minimum ten (10) years of experience working in supply chain management and strategic planning on a project or corporate level;
• Thorough knowledge of USAID funding and its contractual and reporting requirements required; experience working on USAID-funded health programs strongly preferred;
• Strong leadership and motivational ability;
• Experience in managing multiple local and international stakeholders to coordinate the implementation of large-scale organizational changes at the national level;
• Strong leadership and motivational ability;
• Strong written and oral communication skills;
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills;
• Written and spoken English proficiency.

Location of Assignment
The assignment location is Lusaka, Zambia with intermittent travel throughout the country.