Senior Associate

*About HITAP International Unit (HIU):*
The Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program (HITAP) International Unit (HIU) was established in 2013. It seeks to build capacity and strengthen partnerships based on mutual benefit to use evidence to inform health policy, collaborate and contribute to the global dialogue on Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and health service research. HIU comprises the following workstreams: projects that include technical work and engagement with country partners; management of networks and platforms for engagement with partners and relevant stakeholders; and a coordination team for internal management.

*Position Summary:*
This position is placed in the HITAP International Unit (HIU). The Senior Associate will lead and oversee various health systems and policy projects, playing a key role in their conceptualisation, liaison activities, research coordination, and collaboration. The projects include, but not limited to, research, producing global public goods, and capacity-building initiatives for evidence-informed decision-making. The Senior Associate will report directly to the Head of HIU.

*Responsibilities:*
The main responsibility of the Senior Associate will be leading projects and/or initiatives at HIU, including acting as a country focal point for HITAP's country partners. The responsibilities are structured as follows:

*Key Responsibilities:***
Project or initiative

The Staff Will Lead Projects Related To HTA/Health Systems From The Proposal Development To Project Completion, In Consultation With Head Of Unit Or Senior Members, As Appropriate. Duties May Include (depending On The Specific Needs Of The Project):

• Lead overall project or initiative in collaboration with the team members and take decisions on programmatic aspects of the project or initiative.
• Lead development of proposal for the project or initiative along with relevant members of the team.
• Develop contracts and Terms of Reference (ToR) to commission work, as necessary.
• Develop project or initiative design, work plan and strategic approaches.
• Plan and manage financial aspects of the project or initiative, including negotiations with the contractor or funder, as needed, and be responsible for the project or initiative finances throughout the project or financing duration.
• Assess and plan for human resource requirements.
• Provide effective supervision, motivation, and foster the growth of team members; provide inputs on evaluation of team members.
• Assign or delegate tasks to team members and monitor timelines, deliverables, and outputs of each task to ensure timely completion.
• Evaluate the technical capacity of team members during the project onboarding and plan for training or relevant technical support for the team members.
• Facilitate collaboration, engagement, and coordination with relevant groups to ensure the successful completion of projects.Conduct stakeholder consultations to solicit inputs over the course of the project, with relevant team members.
• Coordinate inputs from multiple stakeholders for the final report with the team members and facilitate the internal review process for timely submission.
• Plan for dissemination activities of the project or initiative collaboratively with team members.
• Conduct after-action reviews upon completion of the project or initiative.
• Provide necessary documents during annual audit.
• Lead (supervise/be responsible for) M&E and ensure that tasks and deliverables are met and reported). Contribute to M&E efforts for other projects as well as at the unit and organsational levels.
• Proactively address issues, foresee any unexpected circumstance and provide updates to the Head of Unit, stakeholders, and team members.

Strategic development for the unit and organisation

• Understand linkages between projects and provide inputs for strategic development of the unit and organisation.
• Develop or provide inputs on strategies for the unit and organisation.
• Support implementation of strategies developed for the unit or organisation.

Collaboration with networks and partner institutes

• Serve as key liaison and lead coordination efforts with different stakeholders and partner institutes.
• Identify areas of common interest and work collaboratively with partner institutes. Serve as a focal point for projects with multiple organisations or stakeholders.
• Contribute to outputs, communications, other dissemination and knowledge transfer activities related to the project or initiative.

*Responsibilities Based On Type Of Project:
*Technical support
The Staff Will Lead And/or Support Technical Inquiries Of The Project Or Initiative, According To The Area Of Expertise, In Consultation With The Head Of Unit Or Senior Members, As Needed. Duties May Include:

• Lead or contribute technical expertise for the project or initiative design, work plan, and strategic approaches according to the area of expertise.
• Provide technical assistance according to the area of expertise during the project or initiative, including (but not limited to), conduct literature reviews, data collection, data analysis, policy recommendation development, training delivery, workshops, and meetings.
• Participate in and prepare necessary technical and project-related reports, including presentations, policy briefs, white papers, and manuscripts along with the team members.
• Communicate and present findings of technical topics effectively to a variety of audiences in a clear manner.
• Identify and facilitate training and capacity-building efforts in support of project activities and deliverables.
• Organise and facilitate workshops/conference meetings for dissemination and stakeholder engagements.

Collaborate with country partners to build capacity on HTA and/or health systems

• Be responsible for both internal and external requests related to country programme, collaborate with the country counterparts to ensure accurate and timely responses and utilise the latest insights and data, based on mutual benefits.
• Understand country context and serve as a country focal point in effectively coordinating topics or activities of mutual interest.
• Initiate and maintain partnerships aimed at supporting capacity building in HTA and/or health systems. Engage with relevant country stakeholders and funders to identify areas of support, including the scope of engagement, planning activities, funding, and deliverable agreement. Identify and support the harmonisation and alignment of policies, strategies, and action plans at the country level.
• Plan visits to partner countries and coordinate with team members. This involves defining scope and objectives, developing visit/event agendas, identifying stakeholders, estimating budget requirements, managing finances, coordinating with internal and external teams, ensuring logistical tasks are completed (e.g., travel arrangements), and overseeing the production of relevant outputs such as reports, blogs, and manuscripts.
• Conduct After-Action Reviews (AAR) to reflect on and learn from experiences organising visits/events. Use insights gained to improve future planning and execution.
• Facilitate communication of the visit/event outcomes with internal and external partners, ensuring that insights and outcomes are effectively shared and contribute to ongoing collaboration.
• Manage stakeholder expectations and able to address concerns and advise solution if necessary.

General Responsibilities:

• Participate and contribute to team or organisational activities.
• Perform other duties as requested such as representing the team in formal meetings, as assigned by Head of Unit.
• Uphold the values and principles of the unit and organisation.
• Work effectively and collaboratively as a member and representative of the team.
• Maintain flexibility to work on a variety of assignments, take initiative and adapt to changing requirements and priorities.
• Travel to carry out activities related to projects.
• Support completion of other tasks and duties as required.
• Allocate resources efficiently to achieve project goals.

*Essential
*Qualification and Requirements:

• Master's degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field or substantial experience in a specialised project role.
• Experience working in health systems, public health policy, economics, or other related fields.
• Experience in leading projects or activities, proven cross-functional management and leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, has a track record of delivering high quality deliverables in a timely manner.
• Strong analytical skills in quantitative or qualitative research, including data analysis and statistical interpretation.
• Possesses skills of critical thinking, strategic thinking, relationship building, organisational skills, including planning and time management, communications skills, including experience with report development and delivering oral presentations.
• Has experience providing supervision and providing mentorship to team members.
• Excellent proficiency in English, both verbal and written.
• Highly proficient in Microsoft Office (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively in a team.
• Ability to travel for work-related activities, both nationally and internationally.

Desirable

• Knowledge of policy formulation related to low- and middle-income countries, or experience in other fields related to the duties described above.
• Excellent coordination and facilitation skills with a strong, independently driven delivery focus and ability to prioritise, multi-task, and manage time effectively.
• Experience working in an international organisation
• Self-motivated and effective with limited direct supervision.
• Ability to take on highly strategic initiatives as well as administrative tasks, depending on the needs of the programme at any given time.
• Experience publishing in a peer-reviewed journal publication is highly desirable.
• Other language proficiency is desirable (e.g. French)