Senior Program Officer – Health Workforce & MNCH Systems Strengthening

Duty Station: Zanzibar (with travel to project sites as required)
Reports to: Director of Programs & Strategic Information
Contract Type: Full-Time

Position Summary

The Senior Program Officer – Health Workforce & MNCH Systems Strengthening will serve as an Embedded Technical Advisor to the Ministry of Health, Zanzibar, supporting health workforce interventions that improve maternal, newborn, and child health outcomes.

The role will provide technical leadership in workforce planning, recruitment, deployment, retention, leadership development, and performance improvement, with a focus on strengthening primary healthcare services. Working within Ministry structures, the officer will support health workforce systems strengthening and evidence-based implementation of workforce solutions.

The officer will also lead day-to-day coordination of the Foundation's project in Zanzibar, ensuring linkages with the Ministry of Health, consortium lead agency, implementing partners, and other stakeholders to ensure effective implementation and delivery of project results.

Key Responsibilities

Health Workforce Systems Strengthening for MNCH

• Provide technical advisory support to the Ministry of Health on health workforce strategies that improve MNCH outcomes.
• Support implementation of HRH interventions aligned with national priorities and project objectives.
• Strengthen workforce governance, management systems, and accountability mechanisms.
• Integrate health workforce priorities within broader health systems strengthening efforts.

Workforce Planning, Recruitment, Deployment and Retention

• Support workforce forecasting, staffing analyses, and deployment planning to address critical gaps.
• Advise on innovative recruitment, deployment, and retention approaches, particularly at primary healthcare level.
• Promote equitable workforce distribution, performance, and retention.
• Support implementation of HRH policies, staffing norms, and workforce guidelines.

Leadership and Institutional Capacity Development

• Strengthen leadership and management capacity at national, district, and facility levels.
• Coordinate training, mentorship, coaching, and supportive supervision initiatives.
• Support development and use of workforce management tools and learning resources.
• Promote continuous quality improvement and performance management.

Knowledge Management, Monitoring, Learning and Resource Mobilization

• Strengthen the use of HRH information systems and workforce data for planning, decision-making, and performance improvement.
• Monitor workforce indicators, contribute to project reporting, and assess the contribution of workforce interventions to MNCH outcomes in collaboration with MERL teams.
• Document, package, and disseminate lessons learned, best practices, success stories, and other knowledge products to inform policy and program improvement.
• Prepare technical reports, policy briefs, presentations, and donor updates, and contribute to advocacy, proposal development, partner engagement, and resource mobilization efforts.

Stakeholder Engagement and Consortium Coordination

• Serve as the primary liaison with the Ministry of Health, consortium partners, donors, and other stakeholders.
• Coordinate HRH and MNCH interventions to ensure alignment and maximize impact.
• Participate in technical working groups, consortium meetings, and sector coordination forums.
• Promote collaboration, joint planning, and knowledge sharing among partners.

Project Management and Quality Assurance

• Lead day-to-day coordination and implementation of project activities in Zanzibar.
• Support project planning, budgeting, reporting, and tracking of results.
• Monitor implementation progress, manage risks, and address bottlenecks.
• Ensure compliance with donor, government, consortium, and organizational requirements.

Qualifications, Experience and Competencies

• Master's degree in Public Health, Health Systems Management, Health Policy, Human Resources for Health, Medicine, Nursing, Public Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of progressive experience in health workforce strengthening, health systems strengthening, MNCH, or related health programs.
• Demonstrated experience supporting government-led health sector initiatives, including HRH related interventions.
• Experience managing donor-funded projects and coordinating multiple stakeholders, partners, and implementing agencies.
• Knowledge of the Tanzania and/or Zanzibar health sector and HRH landscape is highly desirable.
• Strong analytical, coordination, communication, stakeholder engagement, facilitation, and report-writing skills.
• Commitment to capacity strengthening, local ownership, and sustainable improvements in maternal, newborn, and child health outcomes.