Program Officer – Health Workforce at Benjamin William Mkapa Foundation

Department: Directorate of Programs & Strategic Information
Reports to: Program Manager – Health Workforce
Duty Station: Mwanza, Tanzania (with travel across the Lake Zone as required)
Contract Type: Full-Time
Supervises: None (may supervise short-term staff, consultants, or volunteers as assigned)

Position Summary

The Program Officer – Health Workforce supports the implementation, coordination, monitoring, and reporting of health workforce interventions under the guidance of the Program Manager – Health Workforce.

Based in Mwanza, the officer will serve as a regional focal point for Mkapa Foundation's health workforce programs across the Lake Zone, working closely with Regional Secretariats, Local Government Authorities, health facilities, implementing partners, and other stakeholders. The role supports health workforce strengthening initiatives, including those funded by the Beginning Fund and other partners—to improve the availability, competence, and performance of frontline health workers, particularly in primary healthcare and maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) services.

The Program Officer will contribute to program delivery, stakeholder coordination, monitoring and learning, and documentation of results in line with organizational, government, and donor requirements.

Key Responsibilities

Program Implementation and Coordination

• Support planning and implementation of health workforce interventions across the Lake Zone in line with approved workplans, budgets, and program objectives.
• Support implementation of health workforce activities under the Beginning Fund-supported Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) initiative and other health workforce programs within the Foundation's portfolio.
• Coordinate day-to-day implementation with Regional Secretariats, Local Government Authorities, health facilities, and implementing partners.
• Support integration of health workforce interventions with broader health systems strengthening initiatives.
• Monitor implementation progress, identify challenges and risks, and provide timely updates to the Program Manager.
• Prepare activity reports, field updates, and implementation documentation.

Capacity Strengthening and Technical Support

• Support implementation of training, mentorship, coaching, supportive supervision, and leadership development activities.
• Assist in organizing and facilitating workshops, review meetings, and learning events.
• Conduct follow-up visits to assess application of skills and strengthen workforce performance.
• Support capacity-building initiatives for health workers delivering maternal, newborn, child health, and other priority health services.
• Support implementation of workforce performance improvement and retention initiatives.

Monitoring, Learning and Quality Improvement

• Support collection, verification, analysis, and reporting of program and workforce data.
• Work closely with the MERL team to monitor progress against program indicators and targets.
• Support monitoring and documentation of how workforce interventions contribute to improved service delivery and health outcomes, including MNCH services where applicable.
• Contribute to documentation of lessons learned, best practices, innovations, and success stories.
• Support implementation of quality improvement activities and use of data for decision-making.

Stakeholder Engagement and Partnership Support

• Maintain strong working relationships with Regional Secretariats, Regional and Council Health Management Teams, health facilities, training institutions, and implementing partners.
• Support coordination of health workforce interventions to ensure alignment with regional and national priorities.
• Participate in stakeholder consultations, technical meetings, and coordination forums.
• Support follow-up on agreed actions, partner commitments, and implementation decisions.
• Promote visibility and effective communication of BMF-supported interventions across the Lake Zone.

Compliance, Risk Management and Knowledge Management

• Ensure assigned activities comply with donor requirements, government regulations, and organizational policies.
• Identify and escalate operational, programmatic, and compliance risks to the Program Manager.
• Support safeguarding, ethics, accountability, and proper documentation of program activities.
• Maintain organized records and contribute to the development of reports, presentations, briefs, and other knowledge products.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Health Sciences, Public Health, Nursing, Health Administration, Social Sciences, or a related field; a Master's degree will be an added advantage.
• Minimum of five (5) years' experience in health workforce, health systems strengthening, public health, MNCH, or other donor-funded health programs.
• Experience working with government institutions, regional and council health authorities, implementing partners, and other health sector stakeholders.
• Good understanding of Tanzania's health system, decentralized service delivery structures, and health workforce priorities.
• Demonstrated experience in program implementation, coordination, monitoring, reporting, and stakeholder engagement.
• Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and report-writing skills, with the ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and commitment to quality, accountability, teamwork, and continuous learning.