Program Officer – Data Use, Institutional Strengthening & Strategic Partnerships

Responsibilities

• Design and lead investments across various countries in the continent that sustainably strengthen institutional capabilities and local data ecosystems to improve data use and measurement.
• Proactively research and scouting for investment opportunities and demand in country where reformists want to truly strengthen measurement and data use capabilities at all levels.
• Strengthening coordination and impact of measurement investments through multi-stakeholder collaboration externally and internally.
• Incubate, test and innovative institutional partnerships within countries that help countries and ministries use data better.
• Explicitly find opportunities to invest in and create partnerships where governments can tap into the youth demographic dividend to improve measurement and performance management within countries.
• Proactively support, handle, prepare, track and analyze key data trends affecting selected countries and sub-nationally while identifying practical solutions on how data quality can be improved.
• Critically review, research, advise, engage and form points of view on different measurement methodologies that shape how countries measure and track progress and how gaps in knowledge can be filled.
• Represent the foundation in key technical forum focused on strengthening measurement systems and use as needed.
• Maintain and nurture strong relationships with technical users of data in core government ministries to understand and solve problems on what enhances and limits effective data use.
• Be a key knowledge resource to the team for emerging research questions, assisting with internal research requests, and finding opportunities for learning.
• Manage budgets and returns on investment with a keen eye on cost efficiencies.

Skillset

• Advanced degree and / or equivalent experience in a relevant field such as epidemiology, biostatistics, statistics, data science or international public health.
• Proven and practical experience of public health and socio-economic challenges in Africa.
• A minimum of 5 years of practical proven experience supporting, leading or contributing to strengthening of data use and measurement ecosystems within a country with a demonstrable portfolio of work.
• Experience and deep understanding of the complex range of measurement data systems and approaches to measurement.
• Evidence and experience of collaboration with government stakeholders and champions, and playing a technical advisory function.
• High degrees of methodological and analytical proficiency skills spanning measurement design / methods, quantitative and qualitative methods, and demonstrated ability to analyze and engage with data and draw critical inferences
• Experience in strengthening local measurement ecosystems and nurturing local talent.
• Deep understanding of in-country health care service delivery in one or more African countries, with full appreciation of the complexities of implementing and managing country work with sustainability as a priority.
• Experience of working as a grant maker or equivalent experience as a grantee in an organization with experience of grant cycle management from proposal design to evaluation.
• Experience in evaluating proposals and technical specifications and providing critical input.
• Program and / or project management capabilities; from workplan concept development through implementation, with strong organizational and prioritization skills. Attention to detail.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, ability to effectively synthesize data and information to reach diverse audiences, build consensus in internal and external contexts.
• Model professional courage – engages in trust-based debate, asks hard or unpopular questions, and is willing to say no.