Description

Pathfinder Overview

Pathfinder International is driven by the conviction that all people, regardless of where they live, have the right to decide whether and when to have children, to exist free from fear and stigma, and to lead the lives they choose. Since 1957, we have partnered with local governments, communities, and health systems in developing countries to remove barriers to critical sexual and reproductive health services. Together, we expand access to contraception, promote healthy pregnancies, save women’s lives, and stop the spread of new HIV infections, wherever the need is most urgent. Our work ensures millions of women, men, and young people are able to choose their own paths forward.

Summary:

Serves as a strategic thought partner to Pathfinder International on all digital health, technology, data, and technical innovation to enable implementation of the organizational digital strategy. Lead the visioning, strategy development and implementation working closely with global and in-country stakeholders to co-design digital health solutions that ensure opportunities to strengthen national community health systems through strong regional and local partnership. The role involves conducting audit and evaluation of various digital programs across the organization for consolidation. Design and implement standard compliant digital solution for scale and replication to enable optimize flow and use of data in support of organizational strategy and growth.

Key Job Outcomes: 

Strategy

• Create a vision for Digital Health not only as an enabler but transformative for strengthened community health systems, government partnerships that align with organizational strategic priorities.
• Benchmark globally emerging digital health solutions, tools, and innovation trends. Be the expert on all aspects of digital transformation to bring best practices, advising the CEO, executive team and the board with decision support on digital health strategy, future direction, funding opportunities, providing insights into pivotal issues like program expansion and investment requirements, contracting models and where needed recommending adjustment to strategic approaches as needed.
• Lead the development of organizational digital health vision, direction, and digital health product with focus on data utilization strategy to drive organizational Ensure standard based interoperable, scalable, and compliant digital health tools are delivered and digital solutions can be owned by governments.
• Build cost effectiveness astuteness by driving core digital, data and technology strategy with cost-curve optimization to deliver more for less.

Partnerships and External Representations

• Oversee Digital Health Partnership engagements with external senior players; technical vendors, implementers, funders, innovators and government officials including the development of roadmaps for technology products and services and building strong partnerships with third-party vendors, ensuring alignment with long-term organization strategy.
• Provide advisory services to governments and partners on their digitization roadmaps and community health digitalization reforms to leverage national health systems and infrastructure to strengthen digitally enabled community health systems
• Represent Pathfinder externally, working closely with the other business teams to communicate a compelling technology story in support of fundraising efforts and advocacy efforts for wider adoption of technology for the community health

Implementation oversight

• Lead implementation of organizational digital health, data, product and technology strategy, working with tech and non-tech teams to design roadmaps and KPIs that ensure delivery of impact goals.
• Deliver digital programs, solution and vision for improved stakeholder experience, user journey and user adoption of tools.
• Ensure data architecture and flows are designed and optimized for quick decision making and enable effective use of data across users internally and by government partners to drive key decisions and improved impact.
• Develop tools, systems, governance processes and metrics to ensure critical technology and data systems are an effective enabler to deliver organizational vision and mission cost effectively.

• Working closely with the local and regional program teams and through the global product team to provide strategic thought leadership on end-to-end the product mmanagement of digital tools ensuring effective and sustainable solution for siloed and fractured community health with human centered design approaches utilized and strong project management oversight for delivery to user expectations enable strong digital solutions that strengthen program delivery and system resilience.
• Oversee the effective implementation and maintenance of organizational back office IT services, IT infrastructure including, ERP, other integrated systems, and support systems.
• Ensure that organizational staff are equipped with the best possible technology tools and platforms to facilitate efficiency and a high level of internal controls and data integrity.

People & Culture

• Provide leadership to all organizational digital health tools/solutions, data and technology functions and manage the team as the department evolves. Constantly review on cost effectiveness of the team and ensure that capacity continues to be strengthened. Develop budgets, manage risks and governance by providing on all activities, plans, targets, and organizational drivers
• Hire, onboard, and retain top talent. Build resources for the future and inspire and motivate others to be the best they can be.
• Be a core member of the global executive leadership team, contributing to the wider organization strategy, and providing collective leadership to the organization.

Minimum Education and Work Experience

• Relevant Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering and over twenty (20) years’ relevant experience with over twelve (12) years in senior management, eight (8) of which should be at executive level in a similar organization.
• Proven professional experience of leading digital transformation, securing funding and leading global technical teams
• Extensive experience of hands-on digital solution development, global product development, scalable product deliver, enterprise architecture, solution architecture and databases

• Relevant experience in delivering multiple systems integration solutions to large commercial and/or government customers (on time and within budget)
• Proven track record of significantly contributing to the overall organization strategic direction, planning and operations oversight
• In depth experience in building digital health strategies and engaging with government and influencers of government across the African continent
• Extensive experience running agile teams to get to quick solutions
• Significant experience in mobile applications and/or delivering system integration projects for large demanding clients
• Experience of contributing to national global standards, advocating adoption of standards
• Experience of leading global initiatives for sustainable development goals at global and regional level

Knowledge and Skills:

• Experience in mobile applications in the African context that are B to C is ideal.
• A good understanding of software architecture and having led a team(s)
• Strong technical knowledge of data engineering and infrastructure as well as systems management and integration

Additional preferred experience:

• Professional experience with leading digital health firms
• Experience in digital payments and fintech will be an added advantage.

Other Information:

• Travel required (30% or less)
• Uses cellular and office phone, laptop or desktop computer

Competencies/Attributes:

• Strategy development and execution: Experienced at strategy development, both organizational and technology strategies, including opportunity sizing, assessments and developing plans for implementation. Experience articulating strategies at Board level and able to break them down to operational level. Experience using best-in-class strategic tools with abilities to facilitate and coach executive teams
• Thought Leader: You have influenced top leaders, executive team and board members. Others look to you for insight and your opinion. You have cutting edge ideas, spot trends and propose ideas to address challenges. You continually challenge the status quo yet are inspiring and collaborative.
• People leadership and management: Strong senior people management experience, proven ability build teams as work evolves, to deliver outstanding results through others. Build and maintain strong relationships with teams, colleagues across different functions, and external partners.
• Decision making: Makes sound decisions based on the organizational needs and objectives.
• Analytical abilities: Ability to piece together various happenings in an organization, those related/not related to technology.
• Uses information to provide insights and leadership to steward organizational programs
• Change agent: You are someone with the ability to lead strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals.
• Political and Government partnerships: Understands varied country political and government contexts. Proactively develop plans, engagement models and solutions that yield strong partnerships
• Resourceful and entrepreneurial. Enjoys ambiguity, doing whatever it takes to break through unexpected barriers and obstacles, and balance detail-orientation with the ability to move fast. Thrives under pressure, capable of making decisions
• Growth mindset: Enthusiasm for learning, feedback, and continuous improvement
• Communication skills: Advanced written skills, prepares written information that is consumable by varying audiences, internally and externally. Well-developed verbal communication skills that model CEO level
• Diversity: You have lived and worked extensively in Africa, possess cross-cultural fluency, are able to collaborate with colleagues and partners from diverse backgrounds
• Leading leaders: Builds lasting relationships, aligns resources to accomplish key objectives, build resources for the future, and lastly, inspires and motivates others to be the best they can be. Comfortable in a matrixed environment ensures success of the same
• Collaborative spirit.  Listens and connects easily with teams and colleagues.  Rolls up your sleeves and help others out.