Commodity Financing Analyst

Commodity Financing Analyst

Abt Associates Inc.
Tanzania
Apply by 24 November 2017
Posted on 25 October 2017
Job Description

Opportunity

Abt Associate seeks a qualified Commodity Financing Analyst (CFA) to support the International Health Division in Tanzania.

In June 2016, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Tanzania initiated the Global Health Supply Chain Technical Assistance – Tanzania (GHSC-TA-TZ) Program. GHSC supports the development of agile, robust, and sustainable health supply chains that will improve the availability of medicines and the health status of Tanzanians through the following objectives:

• Objective 1: Provide strategic planning and implementation assistance
• Objective 2: Improve delivery of health commodities at service sites
• Objective 3: Broaden stakeholders’ understanding of and engagement in the supply chain system
• Objective 4: Strengthen enabling environments to improve supply chain performance

GHSC will achieve these objectives by optimizing the design of the supply chain, strengthening governance systems and stakeholder capacity to manage health commodities, fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration, and improving the use of supply chain performance data to address systemic challenges.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

• Identification of supply chain cost drivers and strategies to improve supply chain management efficiency
• Determination of financial resources required for commodities supply chain operations in Tanzania
• Articulation of resource mobilization strategies and reduction of anticipated financial gaps
• Determination the implications of Direct Health Facility Financing on commodities management
• Support of implementation of the supply chain results-based financing scheme
• Support the HFS in coaching supply chain managers on costing methodologies required to identify cost drivers, and improve the efficiency of the supply chain
• Support implementation of a study estimating the total health commodities/financial resources needed at the facility level
• Contribute to mapping the sources of health commodity financing at the national level; for example, analyzing Ministry of Health annual budget to ascertain trends in allocation of funds to procurement of health commodities and supply chain management activities
• Assist the HFS in the strategic communication activities conveying the impact of the commodity financing activities to relevant stakeholders
• As a member of the project team, participate in annual reviews and project planning, and ensure accurate and timely submission of technical reporting and deliverables

Preferred Skills / Prerequisites

• Degree in Public Health, Public Affairs, Supply Chain or other relevant field.
• Familiarity with the Tanzanian public health sector preferred.
• Experience in health financing, supply chain, and resource mobilization preferred.
• Excellent writing, computer, management and organizational skills required.
• Strong interpersonal skills and communication skills, initiative, and good judgment needed.
• Ability to anticipate and solve problems. Ability to plan, support, and execute daily tasks while remaining organized and focused on long-term deadlines and strategy.
• Written/oral proficiency in English and Kiswahili.
• Computer literacy (MS Office).

Minimum Qualifications

• ( 4+ ) years of experience OR the equivalent combination of education and experience.

About the Organization

Abt Associates is a mission-driven, global leader in research and program implementation in the fields of health, social and environmental policy, and international development. Founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1965, Abt Associates was built on the concept that sound information and empirical analysis are the best foundations for effective decision making. The firm blends the subject matter expertise of our staff with technical capabilities in applied research, program implementation, and data collection to shape policy, strengthen systems, measure performance, and deliver other solutions to our public and private sector clients. Examples of Abt Associates’ work include nationally recognized research, evaluation, and technical assistance to improve the efficiency of healthcare systems, the effectiveness of government housing programs, the production of food, and the measurement of public opinion. Abt’s staff of more than 2000 includes national and international experts who are known for their understanding of communities and governments worldwide, innovative research techniques, and insightful—and often groundbreaking—analyses and recommendations. Approximately 51 percent of our staff has graduate degrees; one in six has a doctorate. Our staff’s educational and professional disciplines include economics, engineering, environmental analysis, epidemiology, food security, health, housing, international development, psychology, social science, statistics, and survey methodology. Abt’s research staff is experienced with prominent statistical software packages, including SPSS, SAS, and STATA, along with qualitative software such as NVIVO and Atlas. In 2011, Abt Associates was ranked among the top 20 global research firms and one of the top 40 development innovators. Abt has offices in Atlanta, Ga.; Bethesda, Md.; Cambridge, Mass.; Chicago, Ill.; Durham, N.C.; and New York City and program offices in nearly 40 countries in Africa, Central and Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East and North Africa. www.abtassociates.com