Reporting to the Team Leader, the Senior Health Specialist is an executive member of the AFHP team. The Senior Health Specialist is a high-level technical role responsible for driving strategic initiatives and providing oversight to enhance health service delivery and equity in Fiji.

The Senior Health Specialist provides strategic advice, prepares high-quality written materials, and engages in policy advocacy and program implementation. Through complex problem-solving and issues management, the Specialist ensures the achievement of strategic public health outcomes while supporting sustainable health sector development. These efforts aim to enhance equitable access to healthcare, with a particular focus on the rights of underserved populations.

The Senior Health Specialist will also have several direct reports, and this includes National Health Supply Chain Specialist, SRHR Specialist, SRH Specialist and other consultants/advisors upon recruitment. This multifaceted role requires strong leadership, technical expertise, good networks within Fiji’s health systems and a commitment to advancing health equity and inclusivity throughout Fiji”s health system.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Technical Leadership and Health Systems Stewardship

• Provide senior-level strategic leadership and authoritative technical advice on health systems strengthening, primary healthcare, and priority health sector reforms, ensuring AFHP investments are evidence-based, coherent, and aligned with MHMS policy, planning, and budgeting cycles.
• Lead and oversee the recruitment, performance management, and technical direction of AFHP-supported health specialists and advisors (including the National Health Supply Chain Specialist, SRH/SRHR Specialists, Regional Health Programs Coordinator, and other consultants), ensuring their work contributes to integrated system-wide outcomes and AFHP objectives.
• Provide senior oversight of AFHP’s support to flagship initiatives, including the Community Health Worker Training Project, the National Disability Inclusive Health and Rehabilitation Action Plan (2023–2027), and the development and operationalisation of gender-responsive, accessible, and climate-resilient Minimum Service Standards (MSS) for health facilities and associated procurement.
• Serve as AFHP’s senior technical authority to ensure consistency, quality assurance, and technical integrity across all health investments, deliverables, briefs, and advisory products intended for MHMS, DFAT, and other stakeholders.
• Champion the use of data and evidence for decision-making by analysing health system performance, service delivery outcomes, and equity indicators, and translating findings into high-quality technical reports, policy briefs, talking points, and executive-level presentations.
• Provide senior technical leadership during public health emergencies and disasters, contributing to preparedness, response, and recovery planning to strengthen system resilience and continuity of essential services.
• Lead the development and review of Terms of Reference, scopes of work, and technical inputs for health-related consultancies, procurements, and partnerships, ensuring strategic alignment, feasibility, and value for money.

2. Program Delivery, Oversight, and Adaptive Management

• Support the Team Leader in shaping and implementing annual and multi-year AFHP workplans, ensuring strategic prioritisation, sequencing of investments, and alignment with emerging national health priorities and program objectives.
• Provide senior oversight of the delivery of AFHP health initiatives, proactively identifying risks, implementation bottlenecks, and system constraints, and leading the development of mitigation and resolution strategies in collaboration with MHMS, DFAT, and delivery partners.
• Contribute to the development of investment proposals and business cases to deliver agreed workplans, ensuring technical soundness, implementation readiness, and alignment with DFAT requirements.
• Ensure AFHP health programming complies with DFAT safeguarding, PSEAH, fraud control, GEDSI, and environmental and climate resilience requirements, embedding these principles into design, delivery, and monitoring processes.
• Promote climate-resilient, sustainable, and inclusive health solutions across all AFHP investments, with a strong focus on improving access and equity for underserved and marginalised populations.
• Support and contribute to AFHP governance mechanisms with MHMS and DFAT, including preparation for meetings, documentation of decisions, and systematic tracking of actions and outcomes.

3. Policy Advocacy, Partnership Building, and Donor Coordination

• Lead AFHP’s strategic engagement and policy advocacy in the health sector, representing the program on high-level advisory panels, steering committees, technical working groups, and other forums to influence policy dialogue and reform.
• Build, maintain, and strategically leverage strong relationships with MHMS, central agencies, development partners, donors, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders to enhance coordination, reduce duplication, and maximise collective impact.
• Act as a convenor where appropriate, creating opportunities for joint initiatives, harmonisation of technical assistance, and coordinated support to MHMS priorities.
• Develop, maintain, and actively use a comprehensive stakeholder and donor mapping to identify synergies, gaps, and opportunities for collaboration and strategic alignment.
• Support AFHP and DFAT public diplomacy objectives, including contributing to communications, events, and media engagement in collaboration with the Platform Communications Team.

4. Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, and Adaptive Improvement

• Work closely with the Team Leader and MEL Specialist – Health to ensure robust monitoring, evaluation, and learning frameworks are applied across all AFHP health investments.
• Champion adaptive management by ensuring monitoring and evaluation findings are systematically reviewed, interpreted, and translated into actionable recommendations for program improvement and policy influence.
• Support structured learning, reflection, and knowledge-sharing activities with MHMS, DFAT, and partners to strengthen system performance and inform future investment decisions.

5. Leadership, Capacity Building, and Team Management

• Provide leadership, mentoring, and professional development support to AFHP staff and advisors, fostering a high-performing, collaborative, and values-driven team culture.
• Ensure effective supervision and performance oversight of in-line staff and consultants, including work planning, quality assurance, and timely delivery of outputs.
• Promote sustainable capacity development within MHMS by embedding co-development, mentoring, and institutional strengthening approaches across AFHP technical assistance.
• Act as secondary supervisor for in-line staff, including approval of timesheets and leave, in coordination with MHMS counterparts and the Team Leader.

6. Executive and Strategic Support

• Contribute as a senior member of the AFHP leadership team to strategic planning, risk management, and reporting to DFAT and MHMS.
• Provide strategic advice to the Team Leader on emerging health sector trends, risks, political economy considerations, and reform opportunities.
• Deputise for the Team Leader during periods of leave or absence, ensuring continuity of leadership, stakeholder engagement, and decision-making authority.
• Undertake other related duties as required to support the effective delivery of AFHP objectives.

Key Working Relationships:

Reporting to

• Team Leader, AFHP

Other

• AFHP Program Support Team
• Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS)
• Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
• ABT Senior Health Advisor

Selection Criteria:

Experience

• This a locally recruited position and we are interested in applicants with significant expertise (10+ years) in one or more of the following areas: public health, health policy and planning, health program management, international development, health systems strengthening, universal health coverage, communicable and/or non-communicable disease control.
• Comprehensive understanding of the structure and organisation of the Fiji Health System.
• Strong understanding of health and/or development issues in the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia’s priorities and interests.

Qualifications 

• Relevant tertiary qualifications and/or experience in public health, international development, project management, governance, or related fields.

Knowledge/Skills 

• Highly developed project management skills. Ability to deliver work to a very high standard and within deadlines.
• Very strong written and oral English, including an ability to communicate with influence to shape strategic thinking and policy development.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, including demonstrated ability to engage at a senior level, build and maintain networks, provide advice and communicate effectively (both written and verbal) on sensitive issues with a culturally and professionally diverse range of stakeholders.
• Strong presentation skills and experience presenting to large groups. Knowledge of, or familiarity with DFAT’s compliance standards for development programs, particularly child protection, Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH) and fraud awareness and control requirements and practice.
• Proficient in using Microsoft Office Suite and other relevant software applications.

Personal Attributes 

• Collaborative and proactive, able to work effectively in teams and independently with a strong sense of initiative.
• Results-driven with a can-do attitude, focused on timely delivery and achieving program objectives.
• Strategic thinker, skilled at identifying risks and bottlenecks early and implementing mitigation strategies before escalation.
• Highly organized and adaptable, capable of managing multiple priorities under pressure while maintaining flexibility.
• Professional and principled, demonstrating integrity, sound judgment, and commitment to equitable health outcomes.