Technical Lead – Health Systems Strengthening (HSS)

Job Title: Technical Lead – Health Systems Strengthening (HSS)
Reports to: Program Coordinator – Health & Nutrition
Terms: Fixed term contract.
Salary: GB5, step 1
Requirements: This position is based in Concern’s Mogadishu office and involves frequent travel and
substantial support to Concern programme locations across Somalia.
About Concern: Established in 1968, Concern is a non-profit, non-governmental humanitarian organisation,
dedicated to the reduction of suffering and the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in
the world’s poorest countries.
Concern’s vision, our mission and our work are all defined by one goal – ending extreme
poverty, whatever it takes. Concern strives for a world free from poverty, fear and
oppression.
Our culture is values driven and we believe that our people are central to all that we do and
are key to delivering on our goal of Reaching the Furthest Behind First. We are committed to
ensuring a workplace where everybody feels valued and are enabled to succeed in their
work and contribute to delivering on our mission.
Role Purpose: The Technical Lead – Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) provides hands-on technical
leadership to strengthen health systems and support effective implementation of the
Essential Package of Health Services (EPHS) across Concern’s health and nutrition
programmes. The role ensures regular, structured engagement with the Ministry of Health at
national, state, and regional levels to support planning, rollout, supervision, and monitoring
of the health services. The position delivers practical, field-focused technical support on
health systems strengthening, including service delivery, quality improvement, health
workforce capacity development, supply chain management, and health information systems.
In addition, the role supports the transition from direct service delivery towards Government
and local partner-led systems, advancing localisation, and institutional strengthening of
sustainable health systems.
Responsibilities:
Technical Leadership and Support on Implementation
 Provide hands-on technical leadership for health systems strengthening aligned with the Essential Package of
Health Services (EPHS) across Concern’s health and nutrition programmes, ensuring EPHS services are
operationally integrated into government health systems and contribute to improved service quality,
coverage, and sustainability.
 Deliver high-level technical oversight and practical field support across all programme locations, strengthening
service delivery models, health workforce capacity, supply chain utilization, health information systems, and
quality improvement processes in line with EPHS standards.
Technical Lead – HSS
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 Work collaboratively with programme teams and government counterparts to ensure Concern-supported
interventions are effectively implemented, harmonized with existing government systems, and responsive to
contextual and operational realities.
 Prepare and deliver high-quality technical presentations, reports, and briefings to relevant MoH and regional
stakeholders, clearly communicating programme progress, challenges, and outcomes to inform evidencebased decision-making.
 Provide technical guidance and performance oversight to implementation teams to ensure delivery of highquality outputs that meet system building objectives, EPHS standards, and donor compliance requirements.
 Contribute to health systems strategic planning processes by developing high-quality technical inputs,
including annual implementation plans, progress reports, and planning documents that clearly articulate
programme objectives, system-level achievements, and implementation priorities.
 Ensure that all health system strengthening activities are fully integrated into the overall programme
implementation plan and adequately coordinated to maximize impact and long-term sustainability.
 Assist Program Coordinator in liaising with the Ministry of Health (MoH), local NGOs, community-based
organizations, and other stakeholders, acting as a key technical support to ensure programmes are integrated
into national frameworks and aligned with Health Sector Strategic Plans and national Nutrition strategies.
 Provide technical input into programme planning, proposal development, and reporting, supporting the
Programme Coordinator in ensuring high-quality deliverables and compliance with donor and organizational
requirements.
Coordination, Representation and Networking
 In close collaboration with the Programme Coordinator, serve as the primary technical liaison between
Concern Worldwide, the Ministry of Health, and national and state/regional stakeholders, ensuring that all
health and nutrition programmes are fully aligned with government policies, national health strategies, and
international standards.
 Lead and support national and sub-national coordination mechanisms, technical assessments, and reviews,
promoting evidence-based learning, adaptive programming, and continuous improvement of programme
performance and EPHS implementation outcomes.
 Promote the integration of programme approaches by actively engaging with the MoH, local NGOs, and
community-based organizations to embed Concern’s interventions within national frameworks for health
system strengthening and emergency response, including the Health Sector Strategic Plan (HSSP) and Nutrition
Action Plan, ensuring alignment with evolving national priorities.
 Strengthened multisectoral coordination by facilitating regular joint planning and review meetings with MoH
and cluster partners; contributed at national and regional coordination forums, leading to improved
harmonization of services deliver
 Coordinate Concern and partner inputs to policy review and development processes
 Support and facilitate localization and sustainability by supporting MoH-aligned program, planning, and
supervisory activities; increased government-led supervision coverage from enabling stronger ownership of
EPHS implementation at district and regional levels.
 Strengthened emergency response integration by aligning health and nutrition interventions with national
emergency preparedness and response frameworks; contributed to improved coordination during health
emergencies, ensuring continuity of essential services and reducing service disruption
 Provides technical input to promote the integration of multisectoral system-strengthening approaches across
Concern’s programmes—including Resilience, Durable Solutions, Emergency, Health, Nutrition, and
Education—and strengthened alignment with government systems and sector-wide priorities.
 Regular engagement with Local Implementing Partner NGOs and Government (Ministry of Health).
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Monitoring, Accountability and Learning
 Conduct regular field and site monitoring visits, under the line management of the Programme Officers, to
provide hands-on technical oversight and ensure effective operationalization of health and nutrition activities
in accordance with government policies, EPHS standards, and health system strengthening principles.
 Collaborate with the MEAL team to design and support health and nutrition surveys, routine assessments,
evaluations, and beneficiary consultations, ensuring systematic use of data, learning, and best practices to
inform programme decision-making.
 Assist in documenting lessons learned, best practices, and innovations from programme implementation to
inform evidence-based learning, adaptive programming, and continuous improvement.
 Systematically assess programme and system performance against approved plans and indicators, document
lessons learned and best practices and proactively escalate critical implementation risks or bottlenecks to the
Health and Nutrition Programme Coordinator, with clear, actionable recommendations to strengthen future
programming.
 Foster a culture of accountability, performance, and continuous improvement by working closely with staff to
achieve programme goals, providing regular constructive feedback, and ensuring accountability to
beneficiaries, government partners, colleagues, and donors in a context of professionalism and mutual
respect.
 Lead joint monitoring and technical assessments, establishing collaborative mechanisms to track programme
implementation, identify best practices, address implementation challenges, and ensure alignment with
national policies and community needs.
Capacity Strengthening
 Uphold and actively promote Concern Worldwide’s values, including workplace equality, diversity, inclusion,
and safeguarding principles.
 Closely support the Health and Nutrition Programme Coordinator in providing technical oversight and
guidance across all health and nutrition programme activities, ensuring alignment with EPHS, government
priorities, and Concern Worldwide standards.
 Support the development, implementation, and adaptation of health system strengthening initiatives,
including workforce capacity building, service delivery models, supply chain systems, and health information
systems, ensuring programmes remain operationally aligned with government systems.
 Provide ongoing technical guidance, mentorship, and coaching to staff to strengthen their capacity to
implement health system strengthening activities, ensuring that interventions consistently reflect EPHS
standards, government priorities, and Concern Worldwide technical frameworks.
 Provide continuous technical support, mentorship, and capacity strengthening to health and nutrition staff,
District Health Management Teams (DHMTs), partners, and Concern programme focal points to enhance
implementation quality and government system capacity.
 Support capacity-building initiatives for government staff, DHMTs, and partners, including training,
mentorship, and technical support, to strengthen local health systems and sustainable EPHS delivery.
 Strengthen government and partner capacity by supporting the design and delivery of training programmes,
mentorship frameworks, and other capacity-building initiatives that align with national priorities and local
realities. Facilitate the adaptation and scale-up of key health and nutrition interventions to ensure sustainable,
high-quality service delivery at facility and community levels.
 In consultation with the Programme Coordinator, support capacity building and policy alignment by assisting
the MoH in developing training programmes, mentorship frameworks, and other capacity-strengthening
initiatives that align with national priorities and local contexts. Facilitate the adaptation and scale-up of key
health and nutrition interventions to ensure sustainable service delivery at facility and community levels.
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Staff Management
 Provide clear leadership and strategic direction to Program Officers setting well-defined performance
expectations, ensuring effective communication, and fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and
high performance, aligned with EPHS implementation and organizational objectives.
 Develop and implement individual and team workplans, define performance objectives, monitor progress, and
conduct regular performance appraisals to maintain high standards of program delivery, professional growth,
and alignment with national health priorities and EPHS standards
 Identify skill gaps and training needs among staff and partners, and design and facilitate targeted capacitybuilding initiatives, including workshops, on-the-job coaching, and cross-functional mentoring, to enhance
both technical and operational competencies while reinforcing EPHS-aligned service delivery.
 Lead efforts to foster a high-performing team culture that encourages initiative, innovation, collaboration, and
knowledge sharing, promoting accountability and EPHS-focused outcomes across all levels of the health
system team.
 Support succession planning and talent development by identifying high-potential staff, guiding career
progression, and ensuring knowledge transfer to maintain continuity of technical expertise and support
sustained EPHS delivery within Concern and partner teams.
 Conduct regular team meetings, reflective sessions, and performance reviews to monitor workload, address
challenges, recognize achievements, and provide constructive feedback that reinforces EPHS alignment,
professional standards, and organizational values.
 Collaborate with the Programme Coordinator and HR teams to manage staff performance, development plans,
and capacity-building initiatives, ensuring alignment with Concern Worldwide policies, national priorities, and
EPHS frameworks.
 Promote staff engagement in strategic planning, operational decision-making, and adaptive programme
management, empowering teams to respond to contextual challenges while maintaining fidelity to EPHS
standards and sustainable health system strengthening outcomes.

Role Holder Requirements:
a) Education:
 Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field with significant senior-level experience in government Collaboration
in health system strengthening, government engagement, and programme management may be
considered.
 Master’s degree in public health (MPH), Health Systems, Health Administration, Epidemiology, Nutrition,
or a related field would be advantageous
 Additional Training: Courses or training in health systems strengthening, emergency health response, and
program management can be advantageous.
b) Work Experience:
 At least 4 to 6 years’ work experience and at least 1 year management or advisory experience in managing a
similarly progressive role, with a focus on Health System Strengthening with proven record of accomplishment
in working on projects aimed at improving health system capacity and effectiveness.
 Demonstrated experience in designing, implementing, and monitoring health and nutrition programmes
aligned with national health priorities and EPHS frameworks.
 Proven experience in government engagement and partnership management, including collaboration with
Ministries of Health, regional and district health offices, and other stakeholders.
 Experience in staff management, mentorship, and capacity-building for multidisciplinary teams in health
system or nutrition programmes.
 Demonstrated ability to work in complex, resource-limited, and multi-stakeholder environments.
 Strong verbal and written skills in English and good knowledge of the Somali language and context dynamics.
5 c) Competencies:
 Candidates are expected to demonstrate abilities in the following priority competency areas (highlight 3-4
competencies in bold as appropriate):
Managing Yourself Planning and decision-making
Individual leadership Creativity and innovation
Communication and working with others Influence, advocacy and networking
Delivering results Change
We encourage all eligible candidates, irrespective of gender, ethnicity or origin, disability, political beliefs, or socioeconomic status to apply to become a part of the organization. Concern is against all forms of discrimination and
unequal power relations and is committed to promoting equality.

How to Apply;
Interested candidates, who meet the above requirements, should submit their applications (cover letter and updated
CVs) by email to [email protected] with the subject line “Application for Technical Lead – SSCR” by
Saturday 28 February 2026. This position is open to both internal and external candidates.
If you have any concerns about our recruitment process and need particular assistance - for example if you have a
disability e.g. a hearing impairment - please let us know and we will do our best to respond to your needs.