Health Economist/Health Financing Specialist
Locations: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Deadline: 30 September 2026 (Early Application are encouraged as the position may close once a suitable candidate is found).
Job Description
About Palladium
Operating in over 50 countries, Palladium is a global consulting and implementation company working in partnership with governments, businesses, investors, and communities to design and deliver solutions that create lasting positive impact. We address some of the world’s most complex challenges across infrastructure, economic growth and natural capital, health, energy, climate and environment, and digital transformation—strengthening systems, institutions, and markets to support inclusive and sustainable development. Our more than 2,100 staff worldwide work as trusted advisors across diverse contexts, combining deep technical expertise, implementation techniques, and innovative technology to deliver locally informed, client-focused solutions that help organizations achieve measurable, sustainable impact.
Palladium is part of GISI’s global family of companies, which aims to create solutions for the world’s most complex challenges. With annual revenues of $14 billion, GISI’s approximately 15,000 employees are engaged in projects across 100 countries worldwide providing construction, program/project management, and engineering consulting services.
Project Overview
The GHSD America First Palladium Sole Source Award supports country-led efforts to strengthen health systems, advance global health security, and sustain essential health services in alignment with the America First Global Health Strategy. Leveraging Palladium’s expertise in health systems strengthening, digital transformation, and data use, the project will strengthen governance, service delivery, and decision-making through integrated and interoperable systems across priority health programs. The award also supports stronger health financing, public financial management, and accountability mechanisms to promote resilient, efficient, and country-owned health systems.
Duration and Funding
This is a fixed-term, project-funded position with an initial term of 12 months (through September 2027). Employment is contingent upon the availability of funding, with the potential for extension based on project requirements and funding availability.
Location
This role is based in Palladium’s Addis Ababa, Ethiopia office, with periodic travel within Ethiopia to project sites and regional offices. Applicants must have authorization to work in Ethiopia, as visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
Position Summary
The Health Economist / Health Financing Specialist provides technical and analytical leadership to strengthen health financing systems, inform policy and investment decisions, and support sustainable health sector financing. Reporting to the Health Care Financing Technical Lead, the Health Economist leads the project’s ability-to-pay analysis and actuarial modelling for Community-Based Health Insurance (CBHI) contribution schedules, produces the costing and expenditure evidence that informs provider payment rates, and builds the analytics behind the health resource tracking, co-financing monitoring, and program-based budgeting dashboards used by the Ministry of Health and the Ethiopian Health Insurance Service (EHIS).
Key Deliverables (Year 1)
· A household ability-to-pay analysis and actuarial model that underpin revised CBHI contribution schedules.
· Costing and payment-rate analyses for the capitation and performance-based financing pilots.
· Analytical specifications and validated datasets for the co-financing monitoring and health resource tracking dashboards.
· Program-based budgeting and expenditure tracking analyses adopted by the Ministry of Health.
· Technical reports and policy briefs documenting each analysis for government review and verification.
Primary Responsibilities
· Lead the household ability-to-pay analysis and actuarial modelling for CBHI contribution schedules, using household survey and scheme data.
· Produce costing, expenditure, and payment-rate analyses that inform the provider payment pilots and health insurance benefit design.
· Strengthen health resource tracking, co-financing monitoring, and program-based budgeting analytics, including the data models behind the government dashboards used for these functions.
· Generate evidence, policy recommendations, technical reports, and knowledge products to support decision-making.
· Support the use of data, analytics, and digital solutions for health financing planning, monitoring, and performance management.
· Provide technical assistance and capacity strengthening to government institutions and key stakeholders.
· Facilitate collaboration with government, development partners, and implementing partners to advance health financing priorities.
Required Qualifications
Education
· Master’s degree or PhD in Health Economics, Economics, Health Financing, Public Health, Development Economics, Public Policy, Statistics, or a related field.
Experience
· Minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience in health economics, health financing, public financial management, health systems strengthening, or related fields, including hands-on actuarial or econometric analysis.
· Demonstrated experience conducting economic evaluations, costing studies, health expenditure analyses, financial modeling, or financing assessments.
· Experience supporting health financing reforms, health insurance initiatives, strategic purchasing, provider payment reforms, or domestic resource mobilization efforts.
· Experience working with government institutions, donor-funded projects, development partners, or international organizations.
· Experience with U.S. Government-funded programs, including DOS, CDC, or other federal agencies, is highly desirable.
· Experience working with multilateral organizations, including the World Bank, Global Fund, United Nations agencies, and other development partners, is an advantage.
· Experience supporting health financing or health systems strengthening programs in Ethiopia, including direct engagement with the Ministry of Health, the Ethiopian Health Insurance Service (EHIS), or regional health bureaus, is required.
Technical Competencies and Skills
· Strong knowledge of health economics, health financing, public financial management, and health systems strengthening.
· Experience conducting economic evaluations, costing studies, expenditure analyses, and financial sustainability assessments.
· Advanced proficiency in STATA, R, or equivalent statistical software, and in analyzing household survey datasets (e.g., HCES, EDHS) and insurance scheme data.
· Familiarity with health financing reforms, health insurance systems, strategic purchasing, and provider payment mechanisms.
· Understanding of donor-funded programs and financing requirements, including U.S. Government and multilateral development partners.
· Strong analytical, communication, stakeholder engagement, and problem-solving skills.
· Ability to translate complex evidence into practical policy and program recommendations.
· Strong organizational, project management, and technical writing skills.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply early as the position may close once a suitable candidate is found. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or status as a protected veteran.
Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made due to a disability or you are a neurodivergent individual, or for any other circumstance, please email our team at accessibility@thepalladiumgroup.com and we will be in touch to discuss.
Safeguarding – We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse. All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.
