Program Manager, Medical Oxygen Ecosystems

Strategic and Technical Leadership

• Oversee the planning and execution of the Oxygen Program cluster activities in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders, and in alignment with the National Medical Oxygen Strategic Plan.
• Lead engagements with country stakeholders to conduct periodic assessments to update the country’s oxygen needs, inform quantification exercises specifically on required investments for the procurement of medical oxygen, accessories, and installation of infrastructure, and support development of appropriate policy recommendations.
• Work closely with the MoH Department of Clinical Care and Diagnostics and the Department of Public Health and other relevant departments to coordinate medical oxygen availability and utilization across essential health services, including newborn and child health, maternal health, surgery and trauma, and infectious and non-communicable respiratory disease.
• Strengthen MoH and facility-level technical capacity for medical oxygen quantification, management, operation and preventive maintenance of oxygen-generating systems.
• Work with the MoH coordinating team to strengthen quality control and quality assurance systems for monitoring the quality of all medical oxygen used across facilities in Zambia, in line with WHO/UNICEF technical specifications for oxygen therapy.
• Lead advocacy efforts with the MoH and ZAMMSA to secure government budget lines for medical oxygen, facilitate the integration of medical oxygen procurement under Ministry/facility ownership, and manage the transition of LOX financing and procurement from donor-led to government-led mechanisms.
• Oversee the installation of medical gas pipeline systems (MGPS) at Ndola and Kitwe Teaching Hospitals.
• Develop and share weekly progress trackers with the grant’s donor.
• Work closely with the CHAI global team to coordinate scoping efforts to identify opportunities for future investments in the medical oxygen space in Zambia.

Supply Chain and Market Engagement

• Liaise with the CHAI global team to monitor the operationalization of the national LOX storage and distribution hub including providing support to facilitate the hub’s installation, monitoring the progress of manufacturing the storage and transportation equipment against project timelines, and providing regular updates to the Ministry of Health and donors.
• Monitor the implementation of the LOX supply agreement and pricing commitment to ensure alignment with the terms of engagement between CHAI and the LOX supplier.
• Proactively monitor the oxygen ecosystem to identify risks and opportunities to shape market dynamics for medical oxygen, surfacing risks and adapting program strategy as needed.
• Assist the MoH in developing and maintaining a standard monitoring tool for the medical oxygen supply chain, including a facility-level tracking system to determine utilization and inform planning.
• Support the MoH and relevant stakeholders to aggregate oxygen demand across existing and newly commissioned LOX-enabled facilities to strengthen purchasing power, improve supply predictability and inform procurement and contracting decisions.

Partnerships and Stakeholder Coordination

• Develop strong, trusted working relationships with key stakeholders across government, professional bodies, regulatory authorities, donors, partners and NGOs, and ensure coordination of resources and efforts.
• Undertake consultative processes with stakeholders to strengthen systems for efficient and effective program implementation.
• Coordinate closely with MoH, partners, and the national Oxygen Technical Working Group to increase collaboration and reduce duplication.
• Facilitate a coordination role between MoH and cooperating partners on medical oxygen, linking with relevant health system strengthening and public health emergency preparedness coordination platforms in Zambia.
• Collaborate with the Government of Zambia and other partners to strengthen government systems for medical oxygen planning, procurement, infrastructure management, supply, quality assurance and utilization.

Program Management, Monitoring and Reporting

• Oversee the planning, coordination and implementation of the medical oxygen program, ensuring activities are delivered against agreed priorities, timelines, budgets and quality standards.
• Oversee collection and analysis of program data to allow for monitoring, evaluation and learning to guarantee program performance and inform timely course correction.
• Prepare annual donor reports and other program reports as needed, ensuring reports from the country level are of the highest quality.
• Analyze risks and opportunities as the program evolves, including risks to the sustainability of pandemic-era oxygen infrastructure, and work with the CHAI team to manage these accordingly.

People Management and Leadership

• Manage an Associate, including providing mentorship and performance feedback.

• Bachelor’s Degree in Community Health, Public Health, or Social Sciences with 8 years’ experience in the health sector. Advanced degree in a related field will be an added advantage.
• Experience in capacity building and policy design and implementation, in collaboration with the Ministries of Health and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated strong analytical, organizational, leadership, and problem-solving skills.
• Exceptional diplomatic and interpersonal skills, and able to build strong professional relationships with a range of stakeholders in a challenging, multicultural environment.
• Demonstrated ability to multitask, be effective in high-pressure situations, and adapt to fast-paced and changing environments with a strong commitment to excellence, both internally and externally, and with limited structural support, while maintaining maximum efficiency and impact.
• Experience working effectively with diverse teams.
• Willingness to travel domestically.
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