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PROGRAMME BACKGROUND

Samartha: Enhancing Gender and Human Development Outcomes through Systems Strengthening is a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) funded programme implemented by Adam Smith International. The programme works in close partnership with the Government of Nepal and aims to enhance the capacity of provincial and local governments to deliver social sector services.
This programme will focus on improving the systems and capacity of local government to deliver its social service mandates with a specific focus on improving access to quality health and education services, especially by women, girls and marginalised communities. This will be complemented with national policy support in the Health and Education sectors to ensure sector policies and resource allocations align to support Nepal in building responsive and resilient Health and Education service delivery systems. Through systems strengthening, Samartha aims to enable more equitable, accountable, and inclusive development outcomes.

Position: Provincial Health Specialist
Number of Positions: 1
Project: Samartha: Enhancing Gender and Human Development Outcomes through Systems
Strengthening
Location: Janakpurdham, Madhesh Province (with frequent travel to Local governments)
Type: Full-time
Reports to: Provincial Head, with technical reporting to health lead and Samartha Programme
Management Unit (PMU)
Start Date: 01 August 2025 (subject to funding approval from the donor)
End Date: 31 March 2026

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Provincial Health Specialist will serve as a province-level technical advisor to the Madhesh Province government to provide strategic oversight and evidence-based support to the health-related components of the programme. S/he will be responsible for close collaboration with the provincial health authorities (including the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), other relevant line ministries, local governments, and other stakeholders), and for providing strategic guidance to strengthen resilient health systems and inclusive and accountable service delivery.

The Specialist will also support the adaptation and contextualisation of national policies at the provincial and local level, ensuring that service delivery strategies reflect federal and provincial priorities. The position requires a technically proficient professional with demonstrated expertise in public health programme implementation, health sector governance, public sector engagement, and institutional capacity strengthening. The Provincial Health Specialist will work closely with the Samartha’s federal technical team, cluster staff, and provincial counterparts to provide evidence-based, inclusive, and sustainable health interventions.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

Technical Leadership and Programme Implementation (60%)

• Provide leadership for technical support on the design, implementation, and adaptation of health sector interventions in Madhesh Province, with a focus on systems strengthening, inclusive service delivery, and local-level responsiveness.
• Maintain an up-to-date understanding of evolving health sector priorities, reforms, and coordination mechanisms at provincial level, ensuring programme strategies remain aligned and contextually relevant.
• Support the development of programme tools and approaches that are grounded in local realities and informed by national and international best practices in health systems strengthening.
• Provide necessary technical support to capacitate LGs in use of Health Management Information System (HMIS) in Local Health Plans, annual plans, policy and budgeting.
• Lead and support subnational governments in inclusive service delivery and extending linkages of various cross-sectoral agencies such as One Stop Crisis Management Center (OCMC) mechanisms
• Collaborate closely with thematic leads in GEDSI, governance, education, and Innovation,Evidence and Learning (IEL) to ensure coherence, integration, and complementarity across Samartha’s interventions.
• Support the application and monitoring of quality assurance standards across health service delivery and system strengthening components.
• Identify systemic bottlenecks and service delivery gaps; support adaptive programming by applying evidence-based analysis to inform strategic and operational adjustments.
• Provide technical inputs and backstopping to health teams operating across clusters and local governments, as needed and in response to emerging programme priorities.
• Undertake any other tasks as assigned to support the effective delivery of the Samartha programme in Madhesh Province

Coordination and Stakeholder Engagement (15%)

• Maintain effective, respectful, and strategic working relationships with the MoHP, Ministry of Social Development (MoSD), other relevant provincial ministries, local governments, and development partners.
• Represent the Samartha programme in relevant provincial-level technical working groups, coordination committees, and stakeholder forums, ensuring alignment and visibility.
• Facilitate coordination between the technical teams and provincial/municipal stakeholders to promote effective communication and shared understanding.
• Support joint planning, implementation reviews, and learning dialogues with provincial and local government actors.
• Coordinate with other British Embassy Kathmandu funded programmes and with other like-minded development partner programmes.

Innovation, Evidence, and Learning (IEL) with Reporting (10%)

• Contribute to the generation, interpretation, and use of data and evidence to inform programme design and implementation, particularly related to service quality, health system performance, and equity outcomes.
• Collaborate with the IEL team to monitor the effectiveness and inclusiveness of health sector interventions, and support course correction as needed.
• Document lessons learned, innovations, challenges, and good practices to support internal learning and external dissemination.
• Contribute to the preparation of technical reports, case studies, success stories, and other learning products related to health programming in Madhesh.

Capacity Building and Technical Support (15%)

• Identify capacity needs and system constraints among local health staff, provincial counterparts,and frontline service providers, and propose appropriate support strategies.
• Facilitate to interlink local government capacity needs with district, province and federal level technical capacity, information and materials.
• Plan and facilitate training sessions, peer learning opportunities, mentorship, and on-the-job coaching in priority technical areas.
• Support the development and contextualisation of technical tools, operational guidelines, and training materials that reflect the needs and realities of subnational health governance in Madhesh.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Education and Professional Background

• A Master’s degree in Public Health, Health Policy, or a related field
• At least 7 years of relevant experience in public health planning, budgeting and promoting inclusive health programme
• Strong experience working with provincial and/or local governments and knowledge of Nepal’s health governance structure
• Prior experience with donor funded projects focusing on women’s health, health systems strengthening and health governance is highly desirable

Skills and Competencies

• Strong technical knowledge of health systems, policy frameworks, service delivery mechanisms and quality of care.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to interpret health data and inform decision-making
• Proven skills in stakeholder coordination, policy engagement, and technical advisory
• Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to non-technical audiences
• Excellent analytical, communication, and writing skills in English and Nepali; knowledge of local languages (e.g., Maithili or Bhojpuri) is an advantage

Other Requirements

• Based in Madhesh Province with willingness to travel frequently to municipalities and health facilities
• Strong commitment to inclusive development, local ownership, and equitable health service delivery
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in complex and evolving political and institutional environments
• Candidates with a valid driving license is a distinct advantage.

TERM OF REFERENCE (ToR)

A detailed Terms of Reference outlining the scope of work, responsibilities, and expected deliverables will be shared with shortlisted candidates during the recruitment process.

Note: Women, candidates from marginalised communities, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Interested candidates should submit their CV and a cover letter to asi.nepal@adamsmithinternational.com by 10 July 2025. Please include “Application: Provincial Health Specialist – Madhesh” in the subject line.