Zanzibar Director at D-tree March, 2023

Reports to: Director of Program Operations

Location: Stone Town, Zanzibar

Start date: Immediate opening

Who we are

D-tree has been pioneering digital health since 2004 and leverages digital technology to create solutions that transform health systems for the better, making people’s care more personalized, more accessible, and more coordinated. We work with governments from ideation to implementation, combining a deep understanding of local contexts with global expertise to build human-centered, government-aligned digital health programs that are designed to scale and integrate into health systems — ultimately leading to sustainable, long term improvements in health outcomes for all. We partner with technology organizations, academia, medical hospitals, and like-minded organizations internationally and locally, private and public.

Since 2011, D-tree has partnered with the Zanzibar Ministry of Health to implement an innovative digital health program, Jamii ni Afya (“Community is health”) supporting Community Health Volunteers to provide health services within their communities. This program has consistently demonstrated improved health outcomes, a strengthened community health system, and increased use of data for decision-making. Over time, Jamii ni Afya has grown from a pilot to a national program and has demonstrated how digital technology can transform the quality of a health system. The Zanzibar government has committed to adopt Jamii ni Afya at national scale; integrating digitally-enabled Community Health Volunteers into their formal Community Health Strategy. This represents the world’s first nationally scaled digital community health program, bringing high quality health services to the doorsteps of all of Zanzibar. The digital health program will be fully scaled in July 2021, allowing D-tree to focus on program sustainability, quality and impact.

An important aspect of our work is ongoing government engagement and capacity building to fully transition Jamii ni Afya to the government in terms of financial & political, technology & data and program & operational management. We are in the process of finalizing a transition plan together with the Zanzibar government which outlines their commitment to taking on significant responsibility for the program, resulting in full government ownership and management by 2026. While we are committed to the institutionalization of Jamii ni Afya, we are also working to further realize the potential of digital health to strengthen the broader primary health system in Zanzibar, acting as a key trusted partner to the government as they explore how the health system can continue to be strengthened. This is an exciting opportunity to help deepen and expand our work and impact.

Who you are

We are seeking a full time Zanzibar Director, based in Stone Town, Zanzibar, to manage D-tree’s Zanzibar portfolio, which consists of multiple funding streams supporting the Zanzibar government to integrate digital technology into their primary health system. This is a dynamic and challenging role requiring an individual with experience fostering and developing strong and empowered multi-cultural teams, managing programs, engaging with a diverse group of stakeholders, and strategically leveraging resources to deepen impact.

You are someone who is just as comfortable motivating team members and creating a positive office environment as you are engaging in strategic conversations with the Ministry of Health and development partners. You have the ability to see the big picture, as well as have excellent attention to detail and are very proactive. You are passionate about leading teams and have demonstrated your ability to develop leaders and create a positive, supportive environment in which all staff feel engaged, empowered and valued. You are a humble leader who aims to serve and support your team and you are able to balance an inclusive and empowering leadership approach, while ensuring high quality work outputs. You have experience strategically engaging with governments to garner commitment and action to own development programs, both financially and operationally. You enjoy developing partnerships with a broad range of stakeholders, including government, local and international implementers, and potential donors, and finding opportunities for mutual benefit.

Team Leadership (30%)

Lead the Zanzibar team by empowering local leaders; fostering a collaborative, inclusive and high-performing environment; and building capacity for long-term success.

• Directly supervise 4-6 staff, including team leads who are supervising staff in various roles and oversee the entire Zanzibar team (currently 12 employees)
• Mentor and coach mid-level staff to increasingly take on leadership roles, effectively supervise their teams, and be accountable for program outcomes and work in a coordinated way across units
• Foster a positive, collaborative and effective environment in which all staff feel empowered, energized, supported and aligned with program and organizational goals
• Develop team building and professional development opportunities for staff and engage in frequent feedback sessions to gauge staff satisfaction and identify areas for further improvement
• Strategize and plan for long term staffing needs for the Zanzibar program including supporting the recruitment and onboarding processes and seamlessly integrate new staff into the team
• Communicate the importance and global relevance of our work to keep the team motivated and focused on the big picture of what we are accomplishing

Government Integration & Sustainability (30%)

• Be accountable for the institutionalization of D-tree’s work into government health systems; this includes supervision and close collaboration with three senior staff who are each responsible for one of the main areas of government transition for Jamii ni Afya: financial & political, program & operations, and technology & data
• Cultivate strong working relationships with senior government officials and keep them apprised of D-tree’s work and plans
• Working with the three senior staff responsible for main areas of government transition, be accountable for the execution of the Jamii ni Afya transition plan which includes clear milestones for each year, resulting in full government ownership of Jamii ni Afya by 2026 in areas of finances & political leadership, program & operations, and technology & data
• Articulate and actualize a vision for the potential of digital health and garner government commitment and excitement over expanding digital health systems in Zanzibar
• Stay abreast of government plans, policies and strategies to align D-tree work within government systems

Program Oversight & Development (25%)

• Be accountable for the success of D-tree’s Zanzibar portfolio, including high-quality work and measurable impact
• Serve as a member of D-tree’s executive team to ensure Zanzibar programs are aligned with the direction of the organization and contribute to organization-wide decision-making
• Identify key health system challenges in Zanzibar, prioritize health areas of focus to address in current or future programs, and develop strategies that apply or expand upon D-tree’s areas of expertise to tackle the problems
• Set and refine program strategies, with a focus on health systems strengthening and building local capacity
• Stay abreast of progress on holistic program objectives; ensure staff and partners are kept on track and informed of progress and challenges maximizing ability to achieve results
• Ensure teams are on track to meet performance goals (including setting team and individual objectives and goals that help achieve program success)
• Be accountable for financial stewardship of donor funds and have working knowledge of budgets
• Work with the global support team to design new projects, iterate and expand existing programs and contribute to funding proposals that move the organization towards achievement of D-tree’s 5-year strategic plan

Strategic Partnership Building (15%)

• Stay abreast of the field of global health (with a focus on community/primary health and digital health) to align our work with global best practices and contribute to global dialogue
• Strategically engage with potential partners and/or funders and identify alignment between D-tree’s vision and donor and partner priorities to highlight new funding opportunities
• Lead communication with in-country partners on a regular basis and during review meetings
• Maintain and advance D-tree’s reputation as an active and reliable health partner in Zanzibar by sharing plans and results regularly and employing a collaborative approach with other partners
• Represent D-tree to senior government officials and with NGO partners, including the Zanzibar Development Partners Group
• Present D-tree’s work in an exciting and inspiring way, linking our programs to the broader field of global and digital health, at meetings and fora/conferences
• Strategically identify and coordinate among various partners (such as research entities, local organizations, etc.) to maximize impact of donor funding towards program goals

What we’re looking for

We are looking for a motivated, passionate leader who is willing to wear multiple hats and do what it takes to make our programs and staff succeed. The following attributes are a general overview, but we will consider individuals who do not meet all of the details below if you have the right skill set and attitude.

Basic requirements

• Minimum 10 years work experience with 7 years in leadership positions specifically with a digital, primary health and /or health system strengthening focus
• Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g. public health, global development)
• Experience strategically engaging with governments and supporting transition of donor programs to government systems (ideally with health programs)
• Experience managing, motivating and mentoring a large, multi-cultural team and demonstrated success in cultivating a positive, empowering environment for all team members
• Minimum 2 years’ experience living in a low- or middle-income country (Tanzania or East Africa preferred)
• Superior analytical skills; ability to think logically and rationally about problems and solution oriented
• Must be able to handle complex priorities, collaborate effectively with a distributed team, be persistent and work under tight deadlines with minimal supervision
• Experience developing and implementing strategies to efficiently expand and scale programs, while maintaining program quality
• Excellent written and spoken English required; Swahili preferred
• Experience cultivating diverse donor relationships (such as UN agencies, US government, private foundations)
• Committed to spending 3 or more years in Zanzibar

Desired characteristics

• A positive team leader: You are a caring, collaborative leader with experience coaching and mentoring staff, gaining more satisfaction by empowering others than taking credit yourself.
• A can-do attitude: You remain optimistic in the face of adversity and creatively solve problems to get things done.
• A systems thinker: You are able to understand linkages and interactions between individual components in a health system, and design solutions to strengthen the overall system.
• An innovator: You enjoy thinking outside of the box and want to use that thinking to solve pressing global health problems.
• A detail oriented & strategic thinker: You pay attention to small details and focus on quality and consistency, but also have the ability to see the big picture and think strategically.

Salary Range

$70,000-$110,000 annual salary (or equivalent) inclusive of all cash compensation. Payment will be made in local currency for local nationals.

Note: Starting salaries typically fall in the lower half of the salary range; however, they are ultimately determined by the scope of the position, the candidate’s relevant experience, and internal equity.

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