Director Health

The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), is a private, non-denominational, international development agency established in 1967. It seeks sustainable solutions to long-term problems of poverty, hunger, illiteracy and ill-health with special emphasis on the needs of rural communities in mountainous and other resource poor regions, primarily in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Its main areas of focus are education, health, rural development, environment and strengthening civil society.

The Aga Khan Foundation (Pakistan) [AKF(P)] is seeking a high calibre professional for the following position to be based in Islamabad. This is an anticipated opening subject to the approval of funding from donor(s)/grant(s):

 “Director, Health – AKF(P)”

Background and Objectives

This critical role within the AKF Senior Management team will shape the strategic direction for health and nutrition programmes for AKF Pakistan, ensuring top quality programmatic implementation and financial accountability. In addition, the role is critical to deepening and expanding partnerships internally and externally with a range of stakeholders and leveraging these relationships to maintain a stable resource base for health and nutrition programmatic implementation.  

The Director Health will support AKF, P Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in ensuring coherence and synergy between the strategies and Health programmes of AKF(P) and those of other AKDN agencies in Pakistan. The Director Health will represent his/her department in AKF(P)’s Senior Management Team and will report directly to the CEO.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Strategy

• As an active member of AKF,P Country Management Team, contribute to shaping the direction of AKF, P programmes and positioning AKF,P as a preeminent development organization in Pakistan.
• n liaison with other AKDN agencies and relevant AKF sector colleagues, develop a health and nutrition strategy for AKF,P that reflects the Global AKF health and nutrition priorities and Government and AKDN priorities in Pakistan and in the regions where AKF,P works.
• Foster, sustain and strengthen linkages amongst AKDN assets, institutions and programmes, as well as government and other actors involved in health systems and population health.
• Strengthen networks, leadership and effective positioning as a health leader at country level in order to identify opportunities to influence, shape and drive the national and provincial health agenda and be a catalyst for broader AKDN impact.

 Programme:

• Ensure effective operationalization of the AKF,P health and nutrition programme strategy. This includes: ensuring the AKF,P health team in Islamabad and at field level understand and take ownership of the strategic direction, purpose and goals; identification of opportunities to grow the health and nutrition portfolio; ensuring integration with other sectors and AKDN agencies; and, expanding partnerships with external players.
• Responsible for overall day to day management of the AKF,P's health department, it’s staff and its programmatic activities.
• Provide evidence-informed health and nutrition technical guidance to AKF,P programme and implementing agencies within AKDN and externally (as relevant); ensure top quality technical support for program implementation, oversight and quality assurance.  
• Design and Develop new programmes in coordination and consultation with AKF,P SMT, AKF,P concerned departments, AKDN agencies, Global Programme Team and other stakeholders and ensure alignment of the programme with the AKDN strategic direction and overall goal i.e.,Improving Quality of Life.
• To be on top of the global health and nutrition evidence base, local and global innovations and to ensure this knowledge is regularly refreshed, reflected in active and future programmatic activities of AKDN and shared with relevant staff in Islamabad and the field i.e., active knowledge transfer
• Lead internal monitoring, evaluation, research and learning of health and nutrition programmes and facilitating donor and external evaluations, providing input on MERL design and implementation, coordination with stakeholders and articulation of results.
• Responsible for the dissemination of project achievements, research findings, lessons learned, best practices, case studies, etc. within AKDN and to a broader audience in collaboration with the AKF communications team.
• Identify capacities needed (staff, Government and partner skill sets and competencies) to achieve programmatic and organizational goals. Work with senior staff within the department to ensure those capacities are developed or acquired.
• Identify capacities needed within the AKF,P health and nutrition team and ensure those capacities ae developed or acquired.

Stakeholder Engagement and Coordination

• Ensure routine, timely and effective consultation with relevant Government stakeholders at National, Regional and District level.
• At the request of the CEO, ensure routine, timely and effective consultation and communication with the internal and external stakeholders relevant to the health and nutrition portfolio.
• Ensure smooth coordination with sister agencies in health and nutrition, i.e., AKRSP, AKHS and AKU, in strategy development, programmatic implementation and resource mobilization.
• Proactively identify and troubleshoot coordination challenges alongside AKF,P CEO and senior leaders in AKDN sister agencies.
• Work closely with internal and external partner agencies to build their capacity in community health, nutrition and social and behaviour change communications and support their growth in the health and nutrition sector.
• Identify opportunities to collaborate with other AKF,P departments on programmes of common interest, i.e., ECD, adolescent, climate change, nutrition and agriculture, and ensure smooth coordinate across the cultivation and implementation lifecycle.
• In coordination with the CEO, represent AKF in various key development forums and external meetings, including policy fora, roundtables and working group meetings, and coordinate external relations across the network.
• Conduct mapping of health sector stakeholders, design and develop stakeholder relationship strategy and ensure a robust relationship with all stakeholders. 

Financial

• The Director Health is ultimately accountable for financial management of AKF,P-administered funds both within AKF,P and funds deployed to sister AKDN agencies.
• Oversee management of health and nutrition programmatic budgets, ensure compliance for all programme grants and contracts; work with Partnership and finance team to implement and/or improve financial tracking tools.
• Lead timely, periodic, programme and financial reviews with partners to ensure on time and on budget implementation of programmes and grants.  

Resource Mobilization:

• In collaboration with CEOs office, AKF,P Partnerships team, AKF Donor Units, and the GPT, identify and cultivate health and nutrition donors locally, regionally and internationally through informed strategic dialogue and exploration of areas for potential new or expansion of partnerships.
• In collaboration with AKF,P Partnerships team, develop a resource mobilization strategy for health and nutrition along with supporting documentation i.e., capability statements, decks, etc.
• To work closely with Partnerships, Finance, AKDN agencies, AKF units to develop high-quality concept papers and proposals for health and nutrition.

 Required Qualifications

• The incumbent must have a strong background in Health Sciences with, at a minimum, a degree in Public Health, Health Policy/Systems/Management, and Population Health, Life Science or other related science field from a well reputed, accredited and recognized university. An degree in medicine will be an added plus.
• The incumbent must have at-least 15 years of proven and relevant experience in design, implementation, monitoring & evaluation of high scale and quality health programmes and systems, with expertise in policy analysis and with at least 10 years of management experience in a comparable organization.
• The candidate must have solid field-based experience and be able to engage field teams on practical, operational solutions i.e., must have more than strategic, stakeholder management skills.
• The candidate must have optimal knowledge and skills of project/programme and financial management and budgeting and can demonstrate high level of command and understanding of the monitoring and evaluation processes and systems, especially those in the context of health and nutrition development programs.
• The candidate should have strong coordination and stakeholder management experience and skills with past experience of successfully managing multiple partners and stakeholders.
• The candidate must possess exceptional, proven communication skills.
• Experience of working in multi-cultural environments and administering, managing and implementing donor-funded programmes is desirable.
• Experience of digital health or health information system, as well as telehealth.
• Candidate must have outstanding writing skills, good knowledge of MS Office, Analytical tools and packages, flexibility to travel and ability to work in a diverse team environment are encouraged to apply. This is not an Expatriate position.

AKF (P) offers a competitive remuneration package & conducive working environment. The recruitment, selection policy and procedures reflect our commitment to equal opportunity and the safeguarding of children, vulnerable adults, beneficiaries, partners, community members and employees in accordance with AKF(P)’s Safeguarding policy and AKDN Code of Ethics. Females are encouraged to apply.

The deadline for the applications is 19 December 2024. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.