Job description
Reports to: CEO
Location: Ideally Nairobi, Kenya or Kampala, Uganda. Other locations possible with regular travel.
Direct reports: Functional leaders of Research, Health Programs and Knowledge & Insights.
Travel: Up to 30 percent.
Introduction
Do you want your work to matter? Do you want to use your skills to make a difference, not just a living? Do you want to improve millions of lives, including your own?
Living Goods works to reinvent how we improve the lives of the under-served. We think big, but operate lean and nimble. We believe community health is critical to deliver universal health coverage and that community health workers are essential because they bring health services to people’s doorsteps.
We also help governments transform community health through mobile phones. Using the disruptive power of mobile technology, we’ve equipped and deployed 7,500 community health workers across Africa. These community health workers treat common illnesses like pneumonia, diarrhea, and malaria focusing on children and mothers. They also provide primary healthcare to 6 million people at a fraction of the cost of doctors and nurses. And they’ve reduced child mortality by 27 percent.
The secret to our success is a winning team. One that enables people to bring their ideas and creativity to work every day. If you work well in a dynamic collaborative culture, set high standards, meet challenges with determination and a have a sense of humor, come work for Living Goods!
Committed to Evidence
Living Goods is growing! We’ve grown 30 percent every year for the past 5 years. We now have 400 Living Goods staff and 8,200 community health workers working in four countries. In three years we will have 1,000 staff across Africa and work with 30,000 community health workers.
We’re growing because we have a winning model and mission: to ensure that every family has high quality health care in their community. No matter how dense the neighbourhood or how remote the village.
We’re also growing because we measure what matters. We continuously analyze community health data and use it to hone programs and protocols. Four years ago, MIT researchers conducted a randomized control trial of our work, validating our impact and helping us recalibrate programs to better achieve health targets.
The Opportunity
Our strategic plan for growth has 3 objectives: to scale, spread, and strengthen. Community health expansion teams spread Living Goods to new countries. Operations and Government Relations teams scale up our work. Now we need a global health champion to ensure that we strengthen our health programs.
That’s why we’ve created the new executive-level role of Chief Impact Officer. We seek a program designer to move us into new health program areas. A researcher to track trends and evidence in community health. A leader to ensure that our work transforms communities.
Be the impact champion. Our CEO, Chief Development Officer, and Country Directors look to you as the keeper of evidence. We want you to keep up with the latest evidence on Living Goods’ programs and to have your finger on the pulse of community health programs worldwide.
Ensure program excellence. Learning from country data, you will advise health program staff on the best ways to deliver lasting results in community health. As we expand you will ensure that our research is rigorous and data reliable.Spark innovation. You will lead health program innovations – prompting ‘out of the box’ thinking and health program experiments. As our leading technical expert, you will also ensure that our health programs are cost effective, scalable, and replicable.Write and research with rigor. Develop and oversee operational research studies and impact evaluations. You will help analyze our data and ensure that we use it to improve programs. Your team will write articles in peer reviewed journals on community health topics and Living Goods’ innovative programs.Motivate the troops. You will create and guide a new global impact team. Your team will share your commitment to evidence and technical excellence.Guide country technical teams. You will assist country health directors adapt their programs to reflect the latest evidence of what works in community health.Influence externally. Represent Living Goods at community health meetings, conferences, and global forums and contribute to global community health standards and protocols. You will build close relationships with other community health technical experts at foundations, academic institutes, the WHO, UN, and other global health organizations.
Your background
Technical chops. You have at least 12+ years experience as a public health technical lead in a global NGO or corporation, preferably reproductive health (RH), maternal and child health (MCHN) or community health specifically. You have worked at least 5 years at the Senior Director level or above. You have an MPH, MD, or relevant PhD.
Strategic leader. You are able to develop and communicate a shared vision for Living Goods technical work in community health. You can infuse others with your passion for evidence.
Research and evaluation skills. You have designed and led operations research studies. Terms like “regression analysis,” SPSS, and STATA excite you. You like asking tough questions and wading through information to answer them.
Writing & presentation skills. You have experience presenting at global conferences and contributing to peer reviewed articles. You can write simply about complex topics and teach others to do the same.
Community health curiosity. When it comes to public health, you’re a voracious reader. You are good at asking questions and helping your team design research protocols.
Technical working group meetings and conference Q&As spark your creative juices. You believe in the disruptive power of mobile technology to improve community health.Gravitas. Your commitment to technical excellence inspires others to have the same standards.
Diverse management experience. You’ve managed cross-cultural teams across many countries. You’ve lived or traveled extensively in Africa. You have an intuitive ability to connect with people from different backgrounds.
Collaborative spirit. You actively listen and communicate. You connect easily with your team and colleagues. You can roll up your sleeves and help others out in a pinch.
Gets our model. Living Goods is a hybrid model. We’re a nonprofit organization with a business minded approach. We use business practices to achieve social goals.
Candidates with for-profit and nonprofit experience preferred.
Lives our values. You can thrive in our culture – you can demonstrate inclusion, integrity, innovation, quick footedness, collaboration, and accountability.
Compensation
A competitive salary and benefits package commensurate with experience including health insurance and bonus opportunity. The opportunity to be your best while making lives better for those in need.
Living Goods is an equal opportunity employer and will consider every qualified applicant for employment. Living Goods does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, religion, gender, sexual orientation or disability.
Our current job openings are displayed on our website, where you can search for open positions and apply directly. Living Goods does not offer any positions without an interview and never asks candidates for money. If you are asked for money, we strongly recommend that you do not respond and do not send money or personal information.
