DescriptionJob title:District AdvisorWork Location:One of the following districts:Falaba/Tonkolili/Western Area Rural/BontheDepartment:Policy & Partnerships/MedicalReportto:Chief of Party, QEHSSSPLine ManagementNoOrganisation ProfilePartners In Health (PIH) is an international health organization relentlessly committed to improving the health of the poor and marginalized. PIH partners with local governments to build local capacity and works closely with impoverished communities to deliver high-quality health care, address the root causes of illness, train providers, advance research, and advocate for global policy change.Our delivered services in the field are based in our partnership with the Governments and Ministries of Health and the support to education, training and mentorship to Health care workers and students is one of our pillars for the Health care system strengthening.PIH currently has implementation programs in Haiti, Rwanda, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Peru, Mexico, Russia, Sierra Leone and Navajo Nation. Through our partnership with Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, we support a wide range of programs in dozens of other countries around the world.Our Work In Sierra Leone:PartnersInHealth (PIH) began supporting the government of Sierra Leone in response to the Ebola epidemic in October 2014. Recognizing the large need for continued investments in the health system after Ebola, PIH is committed to long-term health system strengthening in support of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHS), guided by the same principles as our emergency response and our work around the world: public sector accompaniment, integrated and comprehensive services, social justice, nimbleness and flexibility, partnership, community ownership, and evidence-based interventions. In the aftermath of the epidemic, PIH is committed to supporting the delivery of comprehensive health services in Sierra Leone, from the community level to the health centre and to referral hospitals.Position OverviewPIH-Sierra Leone has a strong track record of service delivery in Sierra Leone’s Kono district, where we have seen drastic improvements in health outcome, including in maternal/child health, HIV/TB care, and in overall quality of care and service utilization. PIH-Sierra Leone works in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHS), and in the coming years will be supportingDistrict Health Management Teams (DHMTs) in multiple districts in Sierra Leone as part of the implementation of a large donor-funded program to catalyze health service delivery and improve health outcomes in these districts and replicate the Kono model.Strong all-rounders that are diplomatic and technically skilled, District Advisors will act as partners to DHMTs in the day-to-day implementation of district-level health policy and health service delivery, working closelywith DHMT staff and other district level advisors focused on M&E and clinical operations. In this role, they will apply the nuts and bolts of project managementandpublic healthto help DHMTs get things done and scale up successful models of health services. Reporting to the Senior Technical Advisor, District Advisors will spent 75% of their time in their home districts, and approximately 25% of their time travelling to Freetown or Kono district.The District Advisor helps to facilitate all DHMT-level project activities, including trainings for DHMT counterparts, developing project plans, and establishing or reinforcing DHMT workflows centered on clinical care, quality improvement, facility management, supply chain, and other domains as needed.S/he will regularly convene PIH district staff andMinistry of Health and Sanitation counterpartsregularly to review human resource needs, facility andquality improvementupdates, and overall project plans.Essential Duties and Responsibilities:ResponsibilitiesGovernment accompanimentSupport major project components undertaken by DHMT counterparts, including the hiring of key clinical and operational staffAlong with the Senior Technical Advisor, facilitate management and quality improvement trainings for key DHMT counterpartsWork closely with DHMT counterparts and the Senior Technical Advisor to prepare for district level in-charges meetingPragmatically support government counterparts by identifying and resolving obstacles to program success, and paving the way for significant health projects and health improvements in the districtVisiting district-level facilities to support the implementation of trainings and improvements to selected facilities based on PIH health system strengthening modelsSupport district teams in creating full district project fora that regularly (semesterly) bring together all key DHMT, MoHS, and facility staff in order to develop a project identity and to address shared challenges beyond any one facility or program areaPlanning and organizingFacilitate planning, drafting, and implementation of district-level project plansFacilitate rotation of DHMT and MoHS staff (especially Clinical lead and Clinical mentors) to Kono learning district work with their thematic cohortProvide regular updates to the Senior Technical Advisor on project progress at the district and facility levelsDraft or assist in drafting of presentations, working documents and budgets, chair meetings and keep minutes. Track and monitor activitiesSupport DHMTs through assessing DHMT capacity against project goals, and supporting professional development, HR development and policy and service delivery planningLead on selected aspects on the development of PIH’s overall national approach to health systems strengthening, working closely with the Senior Technical AdvisorLeadershipand relationshipsBuild strong relationships with District Health Management Teams as key representative of PIH at district-levelin a spirit of partnershipClarify responsibilities for district health plan outcomes; ensure that each major project component has an “owner” within the DHMTDeliver management training on topics such as goal setting, supportive supervision, project planning and management, data for decision-making, and standardized toolsPromote and model tenets of PIH philosophy such as ‘the patients are our bosses’Act as coach and mentor to national district-based staff in M&E and operationsEducation andWork Experience Requirements:QualificationsRequiredMedical Doctor or master’s in public health with at least 5 years of experienceSelf-driven, withtrack record successfullymanaging complex projects with multiple stakeholders. ‘Gets things done’Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, and ability to structure and recall information, and develop processes and systems for project and information managementStrong interpersonal skills, and ability to work effectively with a range of stakeholdersincluding from public sector and across organisations, including through 1:1 coaching and hosting formal workshops and trainingsSolid technical writing skills, and able to produce meeting notes, SOPs, guidelines etc.Numerate, comfortable with budgeting and Excel skills, and comfortable with analysing data in ExcelAbility to work effectively as part of a teamAbility to work with humility and achieve results, including in settings with resource limitations, through an entrepreneurial mindset, planning and persistenceWillingness to spend multiple weeks a month in field locations in rural Sierra LeonePassion for PIH’s mission and commitment to social justice and developing a preferential option for the poor in healthcareDesirableExperience working in the public health sector (ideally, alongside DHMTs) inSub-Saharan AfricaPrior experience in Sierra LeoneExperience with large scale projects/quality improvement/management consulting or similarExperiencewith health systems strengthening, especially maternal/child healthor primary careTechnical skills in one or more of quality improvement; medicine; lab strengthening; pharmacy strengthening; supply chainExperience with donor-funded projects in public health or international development, especially high-compliance institutional donors (e.g., USAID, CDC, GAC, FCDO, World Bank, Global Fund etc.)Familiarity with PIH’s 5S health systems strengthening modelStrong technical writing skills and advanced Excel skillsPrevention of Sexual Exploitation and AbuseAt Partners In Health, we are committed to ensuring that those who benefit from our work- including our patients, families and community members – as well as our staff are treated with dignity and respect and protected from sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment. A range of pre-employment checks will beundertaken in conformity with Partner In Health’s PSEAH policy. Partner In Health will request information from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.Method of ApplicationInterested candidates are required to apply through our website:www.pih.org/employment.In your application, please ensure to include names, addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers of three (3) referees.not later than12:00 pmGMT (Midnight) on26thAugust,2025.This position will be open and running until filled.Please kindly note that the recruitment of this position is subject to funding confirmation.
