Senior Health Systems and Health Care Financing Specialist

The USAID-funded Policy Initiative (HPI) Project in Vietnam aims to facilitate a consistent, enabling legal and policy environment in the country and work to establish and implement best practice- and evidence-based programs for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and impact mitigation.
In the face of the challenge of decreased international funding to support the HIV/AIDS prevention and care programs in Vietnam, Abt Associates Inc. is looking for a senior technical manager to join their team for the Health Policy Initiative Vietnam project funded by USAID (USAID/HPI). Planned health systems strengthening work under USAID/HPI will help to provide innovative and realistic approaches and options to the Government of Vietnam to narrow the expected funding gap.

Senior Health Systems and Health Care Financing Specialist will provide overall technical leadership for the “health systems and health care financing” activities.
- Provide leadership in assessing the options for national funding of the financing gap created by donor withdrawal.
- Develop strategies and plans to shape national decision making.
- Work with the VSS, MOH and VAAC officials to determine costs, ability and methods to pay for HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment.
- Inform policy-makers about lessons learned in alternative health care financing mechanisms, and to provide training to MOH to build institutional and management capacity in cost-effective program implementation.
- Contribute to brainstorming and development of research agendas and special projects related to lessening the expected funding gap for HIVAIDS prevention, care and treatment in Vietnam.
- Ensure accurate and timely submission of all required technical reporting and deliverables for the health financing component of the project. Define alternative health policies to reduce HIVAIDs prevention, care and treatment costs, to ensure access, quality, and sustainability.
- Provide guidance for improve the legal framework to support effective financing for HIVAIDS prevention, care and treatment subsequent to graduation.
- Enhance financing and health insurance coverage through the design, implementation and eventual scale up of pilot programs for providing access to a HIVAIDS prevention, care and treatment.
- Design policies and mechanisms required for insurance coverage of target populations.
- Develop long-term plans for resources needed based on estimations of costs and social health insurance coverage

The ideal candidate would possess the following skills and qualities:
- PhD preferred or Master’s level education is required in the area of Health financing or Health Economics.
- 8 years of experience, with a minimum 5 years of experience in health systems strengthening, health economics, or health financing, research, and project management.
- Experience with HIV/AIDS issues in Vietnam and the region.
- Specific technical expertise in health economics, health insurance and health systems strengthening.
- Strong interpersonal skills and communication skills, initiative, and good judgment.
- Strong existing relationships with Vietnamese stakeholders for example Vietnam Social Security (VSS), MoH (VAAC), People’ Committees, National Assembly, PACs.
- Previous work experience with international or bilateral agencies or NGOs.
- Demonstrated program management skills.
- Exceptional interpersonal, teamwork, and partnering skills.
- Superior writing, research and presentation skills, including the ability to convey technical information clearly to a non-technical audience.
- Ability to anticipate and solve problems.
- Fluency in English and Vietnamese.

Deadline March 4, 2012
Please apply to [email protected]