REPORTS TO: A1 Health Adviser, FCDO Ethiopia
TYPE OF CONTRACT: Permanent
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) leads the UK’s work to end extreme poverty, deliver the Global Goals, and tackle global challenges in line with the government’s UK Aid Strategy. Our aid budget is spent on tackling the great global challenges – from the root causes of mass migration and disease, to the threat of terrorism and global climate change – all of which also directly threaten British interests. We are ending the need for aid by building peaceful and stable societies, creating jobs and strong economies, fighting corruption, unlocking the potential of girls and women, tackling climate change and helping to save lives when humanitarian emergencies hit. We are doing this because it is both the right thing to do and firmly in Britain’s national interest.
FCDO works in partnership across Whitehall and with governments, civil society, the private sector and multilateral institutions, including the World Bank, United Nations agencies, and the European Commission.
Working for International Development
FCDO is working to support Ethiopia’s transition in to an industrialised, resilient and more inclusive country that is more able to self-finance its way out of poverty. Ethiopia is one of FCDO’s largest country programmes and includes development work across four programme and policy teams – Economic Development, Governance and security, Human Capital Development and Resilience & humanitarian. These teams work closely together and across the wider British Embassy with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Public Health England and the Department for International Trade.
Background
This represents an opportunity for an experienced and ambitious Health Adviser to join FCDO as the technical lead for the largest bilateral health donor in Ethiopia, at a crucial period in the programme cycle.
You will be a core member of the Human Capital Development Team working alongside a Senior Health and Human Capital Adviser and with a team of experts working across health, education, WASH to drive significant and equitable improvements in human capital through strengthened shock-responsive systems which prevent maternal and new-born death, improve WASH and nutrition, and keep girls in school learning. You will act as the lead technical adviser to two large health systems strengthening programmes (worth £340m over 5 years)– Sustaining and Accelerating Primary Health Care in Ethiopia (SAPHE, 2015-21) and Family Planning by Choice (FPbC, 2017-21) and work closely with the Senior Health and Human Capital Adviser to finalise the design and commissioning of a new and ambitious programme to support the GoE to end the preventable deaths of mothers, infants and children in Ethiopia. Depending on your profile you will act as the lead health adviser to the “Building Resilience in Ethiopia Programme,” working to build the shock-responsiveness of the health system. You will work with a range of partners across the British Embassy, Government of Ethiopia, the health donor group, implementing partners and civil society.
There will be significant opportunities for personal growth with the level of responsibility increasing over time and opportunities tailored to individual needs.
Key responsibilities and accountabilities
The specific tasks for this position will depend upon the skill set of the successful candidate but may include:
The post-holder will report to FCDO Ethiopia’s Senior Health and Human Capital Adviser working closely with the Human Capital Development Team Leader. There are no line management responsibilities, but you will work closely with the Deputy Programme Manager to oversee the Project Officer’s inputs to the health portfolio.
Additional notes
Education and Experience Requirements
Essential:
Desirable:
Core UK civil service behaviours:
The selection process will focus on the following behaviours which are further outlined in the Civil Service Competency Framework at Annex 1.
Making effective decisions
Balancing evidence from a range of sources with an understanding of practical challenges (including delivery capacity) on the ground and how the political context influences decision making, clarify your own understanding and stakeholder needs and expectations of health systems delivery and reform priorities across a range of stakeholders before making decisions in order to create a stronger overall programme. Analyse and accurately interpret data from various sources, including your wide network, to identify positives, negatives, risks and implications of programme decisions.
Communicating and influencing
Ability to effectively communicate to, and influence, a range of different audiences, both orally and in writing, including technical health specialists, generalists, senior policy makers (including Ministers), donor partners and beneficiaries on the ground. Ability to articulate complex technical health information in plain and simple English and present messages succinctly.
Working together
Actively build and maintain a network of colleagues and contacts to generate up to date health evidence, understand and influence the health policy environment, and shape effective programme delivery relationships. Demonstrated ability to act as a team player, show genuine care for colleagues and build team resilience.
Technical Competences
FCDO health advisers all work to improve health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), through helping countries to develop their national health systems towards universal health coverage, complemented with targeted high-impact interventions, with a focus on the poorest and most vulnerable.
You will be assessed against FCDO’s six key areas of health core competency, all focussed around the specific areas of RMNCH and nutrition: