HSS and Workforce Development Lead, Global Health Security (GHS)

About EVIHDAF

EVIHDAF (www.evihdaf.com) is an international research and development organization headquartered in Yaoundé, Cameroon, which serves the West and Central Africa region. We have an office in Niamey, Niger, and a Data Unit satellite office in Parakou, Benin. Utilizing a diverse array of approaches rooted in rigorous design, adaptive, cutting-edge, and locally relevant methods, we provide services in Health Program Implementation and Scale-Up; Research, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (RMEL); Data Systems for Decision-Making; and Capacity Strengthening. We are positioned to serve as a Regional Hub for the coordination of various initiatives in West & Central Africa. Our practice areas include Health and Health Systems, Nutrition and Food Security, Climate Change Preparedness and Resilience, and Population Migration and Displacements.

Position Overview

EVIHDAF and its partners are looking for an experienced Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) and Workforce Development Lead in anticipation of a Global Health Security (GHS) project funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The HSS and Workforce Development Lead provides senior-level leadership to ensure the long-term sustainability and institutionalization of Global Health Security (GHS) capacities. Reporting to the Project Director, the Lead works closely with Ministries of Health (MoH), National Public Health Institutes (NPHIs), and academic institutions to build a self-reliant health system capable of preventing, detecting, and responding to threats in strict alignment with the America First Global Health Strategy. This position requires a high degree of flexibility, and the ability to lead complex institutional reforms under pressure.

Specific Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership in HSS and Governance

• Lead the design and implementation of the project’s HSS and workforce strategy, ensuring alignment with Bilateral Agreements on Global Health Cooperation, National Action Plans for Health Security (NAPHS), and the America First objective of reducing foreign dependence on U.S. taxpayers.
• Support national and sub-national health authorities in resource mapping and the development of sustainable financing models that rely on domestic co-investment rather than indefinite donor support.
• Advocate for smart and strategic investments that integrate health security into broader national health sector plans, prioritizing efficiency and reducing non-frontline investment.

Workforce Development and Transition

• Lead the mapping of frontline health workers currently funded by the U.S. government to the cadres of health workers that can be employed by partner governments.
• Provide technical oversight for the expansion and quality assurance of Field Epidemiology Training Programs (FETP) in collaboration with CDC and regional networks, ensuring graduates are absorbed into the national civil service.
• Foster partnerships with national universities and training institutes to institutionalize GHS curricula, ensuring a steady pipeline of qualified professionals who serve the national interest.

Institutional Capacity Building

• Strengthen the organizational and management capacities of NPHIs and MoH technical units to lead and coordinate GHS activities independently, facilitating the transition of operational responsibility.
• Provide technical assistance to improve national and sub-national administrative, procurement, and financial management systems to ensure they are robust enough to manage co-investment funds and domestic resources.
• Support the development of institutional memory through the documentation of best practices and the creation of national public health knowledge repositories that support self-reliance.

Coordination and Multi-Sectoral Engagement

• Serve as the primary technical liaison for HSS and workforce issues with MoH counterparts, CDC country offices, and other partners, ensuring U.S. assistance complements faith-based and private sector health providers.
• Facilitate multi-sectoral coordination to ensure that workforce development initiatives encompass One Health sectors, including animal health and environmental health personnel, while avoiding redundancies and inefficiencies inherent in NGO models.
• Represent the project in national HRH and HSS technical working groups.

Monitoring, Reporting, and Sustainability

• Support the design and tracking of performance indicators related to HSS and workforce core capacities.
• Lead the development of sustainability and transition roadmaps to ensure that GHS capacities are progressively absorbed into national government structures and budgets, ultimately saving U.S. taxpayers’ dollars.
• Contribute high-quality technical content to quarterly and annual reports, documenting the impact of HSS interventions on overall health system resilience and country ownership.

Key Experience and Qualifications

• Educational Background: Advanced degree (Master’s or higher) in Public Health, Health Policy, Public Administration, Human Resources Management, or a related field.
• Professional Experience: Minimum of ten (10) years of experience in managing or implementing HSS or workforce development programs, with at least 5 years focused on large-scale international health initiatives. Demonstrated experience in managing programs reforming public sector human resources is strongly preferred.
• Donor Expertise: Prior strong experience on U.S. Government (USG) funding projects is essential. Familiarity with CDC-funded projects is desirable.
• Technical Knowledge: Understanding of the IHR (2005) framework, health workforce planning, and the 7-1-7 surveillance target. Knowledge of public financial management and strategies to mobilize domestic resources for health.
• Soft Skills: Demonstrated ability to work under pressure, manage complex institutional partnerships, and maintain flexibility in dynamic environments. Strong negotiation skills to facilitate workforce transition agreements with government counterparts.
• Communication Skills: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills in English, with the ability to present complex policy issues to high-level stakeholders; fluency in French is highly desirable.
• Cultural Competence: Proven experience navigating complex governmental hierarchies and the ability to build trust and consensus across different institutional levels to achieve self-reliance goals.
• Travel: Willingness and ability to travel internationally and sub-nationally as required (up to 30%), including to regional training hubs and national ministries.

How to apply?

Interested candidates are invited to submit their application package via email to Recruitment@evihdaf.com, with subject line “HSS & Workforce Development Lead – GHS”.

The application package must include:

1. A Cover Letter (maximum three pages) detailing the candidate’s relevant experience and suitability for the position.
2. A Curriculum Vitae (CV) (maximum of seven (7) pages), including the names, phone numbers, and email addresses of three professional referees.

The position will remain open until it is filled.

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Other related vacancies can be accessed at https://www.evihdaf.com/job-openings/