Woreda Human Resources for Health (HRH) Health System Strengthening Officer at Ethiopian Associations of Anesthetists (EAA)

EAA’s Mission

The Ethiopian Association of Anesthetists is dedicated to providing quality anesthesia education and care, promoting ethical and standardized anesthesia practice through research and updated evidence, contributing to the health care delivery system of the country, and upholding the honor, rights, and responsibilities of its members.

EAA vision 

EAA aspires to ensure safe anesthesia services and highly qualified professionals for every Ethiopian and to become one of the leading professional associations in East Africa by the end of 2030.

Position Title: Woreda Human Resources for Health (HRH) Health System Strengthening Officer

Duty Station: Woreda-based stations at Bahir Dar, Jigjiga, Shashemene, and Sodo hubs of project implementation

Job Grade: Middle level

Number of positions required: 4 (1 per hub)

Employment type: Contract-based for the project duration

Summary Scope of Work:

The Woreda Human Resources for Health (HRH) Health System Strengthening Officer will support the Jhpiego-led HRH Project funded by the U.S. Department of State. In this integrated HRH role, the primary purpose is to strengthen health workforce management across the healthcare system, primarily in the public sector, while supporting select private-sector engagements at the local government authority level. Specifically, the role will focus on enhancing pre- and in-service education for multidisciplinary health cadres, building capacity in Leadership, Management, and Governance (LMG), and strengthening overall human resource planning, development, and management.

The Woreda HRH Health System Strengthening Officer supports the implementation of integrated HRH interventions that strengthen woreda and health facilities’ leadership, governance, management, and workforce systems, while institutionalizing data-driven HRH planning, learning, and decision-making to create the organizational and institutional conditions necessary for health professionals to perform effectively and deliver high-quality health services. This will include providing support to improve organizational structure and staffing, HR leadership and governance development; evidence-based planning for human resources; strengthening integrated Human Resources Information System (iHRIS), effective HR management including recruitment, deployment, motivation, and retention; and health education and health workforce regulation.

The ideal candidates will have technical expertise and prior experience in HRH program implementation, and experience working with health management structures of the local Government and other key stakeholders. Working closely with the Hub Jhpiego’s HRH Coordinator and other Area Implementation Team (AIT) members, S/he will complete deliverables on time and achieve results effectively.

Reporting Structure:

• Position Reports To (structural): Executive Director/Project Coordinator
• Position Reports To (functional): Hub HRH Coordinator
• Position Supervised: None

Key Roles and Responsibilities

Under the guidance and leadership of the Hub HRH Coordinator, the Woreda Human Resources for Health(HRH) Health System Strengthening Officer is expected to strengthen the Woreda Health Offices (WoHOs), and their respective Primary Health Care Units (PHCUs) capacity to manage and improve their health workforce capacity, productivity, retention, and service quality while ensuring alignment with national HRH and PHC priorities. S/he will contribute to organizational and human resources management capacity assessments, program learning, monitoring and evaluation, and research. And also coordinate anesthesia professionals in the area s/he is assigned in primary healthcare settings.

• Provide first-line technical support to WoHOs and PHCUs for implementation of interventions related to competency-based pre-service education, continuing professional development, professional regulation, workforce competency assessment, leadership development, workforce planning, HRH management, digital HRH, HRH information systems, organizational development, and adaptive learning.
• Support implementation of local capacity building, coaching, and mentorship on health workforce planning, long-term forecasting of HR needs, leadership, governance, and management capacity, and other HRH functions at Woreda and health facility levels.
• Institutionalize use of the Workload Indicators of Staffing Need (WISN) Tool at facility level for workforce planning and provide evidence on anesthetists’ volume/workload at primary healthcare facilities having surgical care.
• Implement innovative deployment, motivation, and retention schemes that address workforce shortages and high turnover rates.
• Coordinate peer-to-peer learning across PHCUs.
• Support WoHO and PHCUs on HRH data collection, compilation, analysis, and use of HRH data for decision-making. Support proper implementation of the iHRIS at woreda and facility level.
• Support CPD provision and access for healthcare professionals working in primary healthcare units
• Support public-private partnerships to have comprehensive HR data from private health facilities
• Coordinate supportive supervision visits to health facilities on HRH functions, including on iHRIS implementation
• Perform other duties appropriate to the position as assigned by the Hub HRH Coordinator or his/her designate

• Strong organizational skills
• Very good writing skills
• Teamworking
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with diverse groups
• Strong presentation skills
• Strong communication skills: developing communication products, including success stories for HRH interventions

Required qualifications and competencies:

• Education: MSC in Anesthesia or MSC/MPH in health-related fields with a BSc in Anesthesia background or BSc in Anesthesia
• Work experience: 3 years for MSc/MPH and 6 Years for BSc in implementing HRH programs, Clinical mentorship, Clinical service, and related areas.
• Having fluency in the English language is required
• Fluency in the local language of the implementation area, a plus.
•  Excellent communication and interpersonal skills is required.
• Willingness to work in the duty station assigned and travel as required