Health Insurance and 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 Insurance and Health Financing Specialist provides technical leadership and implementation support to strengthen Ethiopia’s health insurance system and advance health financing reforms. Reporting to the Health Care Financing Technical Lead, the Specialist works day to day with the Ethiopian Health Insurance Service (EHIS), the Ministry of Health, and regional health bureaus to develop the national health insurance pooling roadmap, revise Community-Based Health Insurance (CBHI) contribution schedules based on ability-to-pay evidence, strengthen indigent targeting and enrollment in pilot woredas, and define the content of the health insurance decision-support dashboards used by government leadership.
Key Deliverables (Year 1)
· Technical content and stakeholder consultations for the national health insurance pooling roadmap, through to government endorsement.
· Revised CBHI contribution schedules and indigent-targeting criteria, applied in pilot woredas.
· Indicator definitions and business rules for the health insurance decision-support dashboard used by EHIS and Ministry of Health leadership.
· Enrollment, premium collection, and coverage analyses for pilot regions that feed the provider payment pilots.
· Verification-ready documentation for each insurance deliverable.
Primary Responsibilities
· Support the design, implementation, and strengthening of Community-Based Health Insurance (CBHI), Social Health Insurance (SHI), and broader health financing reforms.
· Strengthen insurance coverage, enrollment, premium collection, and financial sustainability mechanisms, including revision of CBHI contribution schedules and indigent-targeting criteria based on ability-to-pay evidence.
· Support benefit package design and financial risk protection within CBHI and SHI schemes, in coordination with the Strategic Purchasing and Provider Payment Specialist.
· Lead consultations with EHIS, the Ministry of Health, regional health bureaus, and woreda CBHI schemes to build consensus on the pooling roadmap and secure its formal endorsement.
· Define the content, indicators, and business rules of the health insurance decision-support dashboard and support its adoption by EHIS and Ministry of Health leadership.
· Provide technical assistance and capacity strengthening to government institutions and key stakeholders.
· Facilitate stakeholder engagement, policy dialogue, and collaboration among government, development partners, and implementing organizations.
· Document and disseminate lessons learned, best practices, and project achievements.
Required Qualifications
Education
· Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Health Economics, Health Financing, Public Health, Economics, Health Policy, Public Administration, Business Administration, Health Informatics, Insurance, Development Studies, or a related field.
Experience
· Minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience in health financing, health insurance, health systems strengthening, or public health programs.
· Demonstrated experience supporting Community-Based Health Insurance (CBHI), Social Health Insurance (SHI), health financing reforms, or Universal Health Coverage initiatives.
· Experience working with government institutions, donor-funded programs, development partners, or international organizations.
· Experience supporting strategic purchasing, provider payment reforms, financial risk protection, or health insurance systems.
· 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 financing, health insurance systems, and Universal Health Coverage reforms.
· Experience with strategic purchasing, provider payment mechanisms, and financial risk protection approaches.
· Experience conducting health financing analyses, costing studies, expenditure reviews, and financial sustainability assessments.
· Familiarity with public financial management systems, National Health Accounts, and health sector financing frameworks.
· Experience with health insurance management information systems, including EHIS platforms, and related digital health platforms.
· Strong analytical, communication, stakeholder engagement, and problem-solving skills.
· Ability to translate technical 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.
