Postion: Senior Program Officer, Health Systems Design

Organization: Gates Foundation

Location: Delhi

Position Summary

The HSD initiative in the ICO has two focus areas. One is to strengthen government capacity for healthcare financing and insurance regulation, e.g., Pradhan Mantri Jan Ayogya Yojna (PMJAY), Employees’ State Insurance Scheme (ESIS), Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).

The second focus area seeks to increase the supply of quality care. This includes assisting the government to roll-out the HWC initiative, undertaking implementation research to help government understand what factors underpin differential performance and test out new models to better deliver quality care in different settings such as through inclusion of PHC in health insurance benefits packages.

Strategy and Leadership

• Play a role in shaping the health systems design efforts of the foundation – both internally in the ICO and externally. This includes implementing programs linked to objectives, and managing grants in support of them, working with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), and other partners internally and externally to support mobilization of the programs and nurturing a partner ecosystem.

• Establish strong relationships with government partners at national and state level. Maintain relationships with development partners, private sector, and civil society, both domestically and globally.

Health Financing

• Work closely with BMGF colleagues as well as our partner ecosystem to bring about measurable change in the health financing landscape in 3-5 years by using our existing grant portfolio and management of new grants that will:

  • strengthen primary health care financing in India both public and private including support for the three main health financing building blocks:  a) resource raising, b) pooling, and c) strategic purchasing

  • improve effectiveness of existing health financing schemes (NHM, state schemes)

  • support convergence and standardization across schemes

  • strengthening of oversight/governance (regulation) and expansion of PHC coverage through tax/compelled financing, strengthened eligibility requirements, benefit package revisions and timely provider payments.

Health Care Delivery

• Implement a program of work that uses insights from national and international efforts for the following long-term goals for India’s health system:

(1) reduce financial shocks due to healthcare expenses,

(2) improve access to quality care / reducing unmet need, and

(3) improve quality of care for the poorest and most vulnerable

• Implement initiatives such as in clinical protocols, fraud management, financing and payments, digital that enhance the coverage and quality of health care and reduce out of pocket expenditure.

Private Sector Integration

• Implement a plan of action to involve the private sector in the provision of primary health care. 

• Generate evidence regarding the scaling of successful private innovations within the Indian health system—and their integration into a national health insurance covered pool.

• Work with quality institutions such as NABL and NABH to upgrade benchmarking processes with a view to improving quality and unlocking private capital infusion into India’s health care markets by reducing information asymmetry.

Learning Ecosystem

• Work with selected national/state governments and private players to build an “inter-state” learning eco-system.

• Connect Indian partners to international experience through exposure, learning collaboratives, and research/policy networks.

• Provide analytic support at the national level to various institutions such as NITI and MoHFW

Digital

• Collaborate with the Digital Team within the Foundation and selected external partners to strengthen digital solutions used for building the capacity of the state to orchestrate delivery of public health with emphasis on quality of care, coverage, patient experience and FLW coordination.

Core Knowledge and Skills:

• Understanding of the design principles and functioning of the Indian and other middle income country health systems with an emphasis on comprehensive primary health care and strategic purchasing.

• Appreciation of the role of state capacity, public finance and digital in country health systems.

• Ability to build strong relationships and working constructively with partners in and outside government.

• Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills with the ability to solve problems with energy and influence.

• Demonstrated ability of building trust-based relationships

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including ability to convey messages to non-technical audiences.

• Demonstrated team spirit; willing to work with humor as part of a team effort.

• Ability to travel up to 35% of the time domestically and internationally.

• Track record of analytical/diagnostic work: preparing high-quality technical reports, policy briefing materials, and presentations.

• A background in economic evaluations (cost-effectiveness; cost utility; cost studies, etc.); economic modeling, systematic reviews, meta-analyses

• A knowledge of models of using private sector providers as part of a unified health system (Regulation, tax incentives, PPPs, contracting, payment, integration into provider payment schemes, etc.).

Education and Experience

• Master's or advanced degree preferably in Health Economics/ Economics/ Digital Health/Public Health/Business Management.

• Ideally, 10+ years of relevant work experience preferably in health financing/ health economics/public health/service delivery/digital health.

*Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.

Hiring Requirements

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Depending upon your work location, we may require proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 and any recommended booster doses. All employees based in the United States are to provide proof of full vaccination upon hire and any recommended boosters, subject to applicable laws.