Senior Technical Lead - Leadership and Workforce Systems

The Senior Technical Lead – Leadership & Workforce Systems provides strategic leadership, technical oversight, and quality assurance for the project's Human Resources for Health Leadership, Management, Governance and Regulation portfolio under RISE and ASCEND HRH activities. The position leads implementation of interventions that improve workforce planning, Human Resources (HR) management, leadership development, organizational performance, Human Resources for Health (HRH) information systems, digital innovation, monitoring and learning, implementation research, organizational strengthening, and institutional transition. 

The project supports the Government of Ethiopia to strengthen HRH systems, particularly in underserved and fragile settings where shortages of competent health workers, limited institutional capacity, and weak regulatory systems continue to affect access to quality primary health care. Working through national institutions and decentralized implementation platforms, the project advances sustainable, country-led HRH reforms that improve workforce competency, performance, resilience, and health system effectiveness. 

Working closely with the Ministry of Health (MOH), Regional Health Bureaus (RHB), Zonal Health Departments (ZHD), Civil Service Commission (CSC), universities, professional associations (PAs) and development partners, the Senior Technical Lead provides strategic directions to ensure project investments strengthen resilient HRH systems capable of sustaining long-term improvements in workforce performance, service delivery, and health system resilience. 

The position serves as Jhpiego's principal technical authority for this pillar, ensuring that all interventions are technically sound, evidence-based, innovative, well integrated, and aligned with Ethiopia's Human Resources for Health Strategic and Investment Plan, national regulatory frameworks, the America First Global Health Strategy (AFGHS), and other relevant national priorities. The Senior Technical Lead also promotes institutional capacity strengthening, country ownership, sustainability, adaptive management, and continuous technical innovation across the portfolio.

Position is contingent on MOH and donor guidance.

Strategic Technical Leadership

• Provide strategic leadership for all activities related to HRH leadership, governance, workforce planning, HR management, HRH information systems, digital HRH, organizational development, implementation science, Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (MEL) integration, knowledge management, institutional transition, and country ownership.
• Lead development and refinement of technical strategies that strengthen the Leadership Management and Governance (LMG) continuum for Ethiopia's health workforce.
• Identify, adapt, and promote global and national best practices that improve workforce planning, HR management, leadership development, organizational performance, HRH information systems, organizational strengthening, and institutional transition.
• Ensure all technical approaches are evidence-based, implementation-oriented, and responsive to Ethiopia's evolving HRH priorities.
• Guide annual technical planning, priority setting, resource allocation, and implementation sequencing across the project.

Technical Oversight

• Lead implementation of leadership, workforce management, and governance strengthening, including leadership, workforce management, and professional regulation (systems strengthening components)
• Technically lead the implementation of data-driven HRH planning, learning and decision-making, including HRH information systems, evidence generation and use, and monitoring, learning and adaptive management
• Lead the implementation of institutional capacity and sustainability, including local partner organizational strengthening, institutional capacity, and transition and country ownership
• Ensure technical consistency across central, regional subnational and partner implementation teams.
• Coordinate closely with other Technical Leads to ensure seamless integration across all project objectives and avoid fragmented implementation.

National Technical Leadership and Government Engagement

• Serve as Jhpiego's principal technical focal point for HRH Leadership and Workforce Systems with the MoH, RHBs, ZHDs, WoHOs, PHCUs, PAs, regulatory agencies, and development partners.
• Provide high-level technical assistance to national institutions in strengthening policies, standards, implementation frameworks, operational guidelines, and institutional systems.
• Lead or contribute to national technical working groups, advisory committees, policy dialogues, and strategic planning processes.
• Cultivate and maintain productive working relationships with government counterparts and development partners to promote harmonization, institutional ownership, and sustainability.
• Ensure project investments strengthen—not duplicate—existing national systems and government priorities.

Technical Quality Assurance

• Ensure all technical interventions meet national standards, international best practices, and donor expectations.
• Lead development and quality assurance of HRH policies, leadership frameworks, workforce planning tools, HR dashboards, digital platforms, organizational assessment tools, transition roadmaps, MEL frameworks, and evidence-generation strategies.
• Review and approve major technical deliverables before dissemination.
• Ensure interventions remain technically sound, operationally feasible, and responsive to emerging national priorities.

Innovation and Technical Advancement

• Provide technical leadership on integrated Human Resources Information System (iHRIS), interoperability, workforce intelligence, AI-supported analytics, dashboards, HR analytics, digital governance, and decision-support systems
• Monitor emerging global evidence and identify innovations appropriate for adaptation within Ethiopia.
• Promote implementation of science and continuous improvement across technical interventions.

Institutional Capacity Strengthening and Technical Mentorship

• Strengthen institutional capacity of government agencies, higher education institutions, regulatory bodies, professional associations, and teaching hospitals to independently sustain HRH reforms.
• Provide high-level technical mentoring and coaching to Senior Advisors, Sub-national technical team, government counterparts, and partner organizations.
• Support development of national technical expertise and succession planning.
• Foster multidisciplinary collaboration and strengthen communities of practice that promote continuous learning and technical excellence.

Technical Integration and Systems Strengthening

• Ensure seamless integration among competency-based education, accreditation, Continuous Professional Development (CPD), competency assessment, licensing, professional regulation, HRH digital systems, quality improvement, workforce planning, and evidence generation.
• Coordinate closely with the Senior Technical Lead – Development & Regulation to maximize technical synergies across project objectives.
• Promote integrated implementation approaches that strengthen institutional systems rather than isolated interventions.
• Ensure interventions contribute to sustainable health systems strengthening and long-term government ownership.

Monitoring, Learning and Adaptive Management

• Use program data, implementation evidence, and routine monitoring findings to assess technical performance and implementation quality.
• Identify implementation successes, challenges, risks, bottlenecks, and emerging opportunities.
• Recommend corrective actions and technical adaptations that improve program effectiveness.
• Support adaptive management through regular technical reviews, learning sessions, after-action reviews, and performance reflection meetings.
• Work closely with the MEL team to strengthen evidence generation and utilization for continuous improvement.

Knowledge Management, Research, and Business Development

• Lead development of technical briefs, implementation guides, policy briefs, technical reports, success stories, case studies, conference abstracts, peer-reviewed publications, and other knowledge products.
• Promote documentation and dissemination of innovations, lessons learned, and best practices nationally and internationally.
• Foster organizational learning and strengthen technical communities of practice across project partners.
• Identify opportunities for strategic partnerships, leveraged investments, and future HRH programming.
• Contribute technical expertise to proposal development, concept notes, strategic planning, and organizational business development initiatives as requested.

Representation

• Represent Jhpiego in national and international technical working groups, conferences, scientific meetings, donor consultations, academic forums, regulatory meetings, and professional networks.
• Present technical achievements, innovations, research findings, and lessons learned through conferences, publications, and policy dialogues.
• Strengthen Jhpiego's reputation as a national and global leader in HRH systems strengthening.

Cross-Cutting Responsibilities

• Promote country ownership, institutional strengthening, localization, sustainability, and transition planning across all interventions.
• Ensure integration of safeguarding, ethics, digital transformation, quality improvement, and knowledge management throughout the technical portfolio.
• Strengthen collaboration across technical pillars to ensure delivery of one integrated HRH systems strengthening program.
• Support organizational learning, strategic planning, proposal development, and other corporate priorities as assigned by the Technical Director or Country Director.
• Model Jhpiego's values by promoting integrity, accountability, collaboration, innovation, excellence, and respect in all aspects of project implementation.

• Master’s degree in Human Resources for Health or Health Systems Management (preferred), Public Health, Health Informatics, Health Administration, Organizational Development, Public Policy, or another closely related discipline.
• A PhD or equivalent doctoral qualification is advantageous.
• Required: Minimum of 9 years of progressively responsible and directly relevant professional experience in health workforce leadership, management, governance, professional regulation, or health systems strengthening.
• Demonstrated experience strengthening national HRH institutions and government systems.
• Proven experience working with the MoH, RHBs, ZHDs, WoHOs, PHCUs, licensing authorities, professional associations, and development partners.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex, multi-partner, donor-funded HRH programs, preferably supported by the U.S. Government or other major international donors.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary technical teams and supervising senior technical professionals.
• Proven experience supporting institutional transition, sustainability, and organizational strengthening.
• Demonstrated success in developing national policies, technical guidelines, competency frameworks, curricula, and regulatory systems.

Technical Expertise

The successful candidate should demonstrate advanced expertise in:

• HRH leadership and governance
• Workforce planning and management
• HRH policy,
• Organizational development,
• Leadership development,
• iHRIS and HR information systems,
• Digital health and workforce analytics,
• Professional licensing and regulation
• Health workforce policy and governance
• Digital learning and AI-enabled education
• Implementation science
• Quality improvement
• Health systems strengthening
• Organizational development
• Monitoring, evaluation, learning, and adaptive management
• Knowledge management and research translation

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic leadership and vision
• Systems thinking
• Technical excellence
• Innovation and continuous improvement
• Policy analysis and government engagement
• Institutional capacity strengthening
• Partnership development
• Team leadership and people development
• Coaching and mentoring
• Adaptive management and problem-solving
• Strong communication, facilitation, negotiation, and influencing skills

Language Requirements

• Fluency in spoken and written English is required.
• Professional proficiency in Amharic is required.
• Knowledge of additional Ethiopian languages is an advantage

Salary: Between 28,659 – 47,848 USD per annum. 

Jhpiego offers competitive salaries and a comprehensive employee benefits package.

Please apply at www.jobs-jhpiego.icims.com

Applicants must submit a single document for upload to include: cover letter, resume, and references.

For further information about Jhpiego, visit our website at www.jhpiego.org

Note: The successful candidate selected for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation.

Jhpiego is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer

“Jhpiego, a Johns Hopkins University affiliate, is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, other legally protected characteristics or any other occupationally irrelevant criteria. Jhpiego promotes Affirmative Action for minorities, women, individuals who are disabled, and veterans.

EEO is the Law

Application Deadline: September 13, 2026

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