Director

Director

D-tree

Zanzibar, United Republic of Tanzania

Who you are

We are seeking a full time Zanzibar Director, based in Stone Town, Zanzibar, to manage D-tree’s Zanzibar portfolio, which consists of multiple funding streams supporting the Zanzibar government to integrate digital technology into their primary health system. This is a dynamic and challenging role requiring an individual with experience fostering and developing strong and empowered multi-cultural teams, managing programs, engaging with a diverse group of stakeholders, and strategically leveraging resources to deepen impact.

You are someone who is just as comfortable motivating team members and creating a positive office environment as you are engaging in strategic conversations with the Ministry of Health and development partners. You have the ability to see the big picture, as well as have excellent attention to detail and are very proactive. You are passionate about leading teams and have demonstrated your ability to develop leaders and create a positive, supportive environment in which all staff feel engaged, empowered and valued. You are a humble leader who aims to serve and support your team and you are able to balance an inclusive and empowering leadership approach, while ensuring high quality work outputs. You have experience strategically engaging with governments to garner commitment and action to own development programs, both financially and operationally. You enjoy developing partnerships with a broad range of stakeholders, including government, local and international implementers, and potential donors, and finding opportunities for mutual benefit.

Team Leadership (30%)

Lead the Zanzibar team by empowering local leaders; fostering a collaborative, inclusive and high-performing environment; and building capacity for long-term success.

• Directly supervise 4-6 staff, including team leads who are supervising staff in various roles and oversee the entire Zanzibar team (currently 12 employees);
• Mentor and coach mid-level staff to increasingly take on leadership roles, effectively supervise their teams, and be accountable for program outcomes and work in a coordinated way across units;
• Foster a positive, collaborative and effective environment in which all staff feel empowered, energized, supported and aligned with program and organizational goals;
• Develop team building and professional development opportunities for staff and engage in frequent feedback sessions to gauge staff satisfaction and identify areas for further improvement;
• Strategize and plan for long term staffing needs for the Zanzibar program including supporting the recruitment and onboarding processes and seamlessly integrate new staff into the team;
• Communicate the importance and global relevance of our work to keep the team motivated and focused on the big picture of what we are accomplishing.

Government Integration & Sustainability (30%)

• Be accountable for the institutionalization of D-tree’s work into government health systems; this includes supervision and close collaboration with three senior staff who are each responsible for one of the main areas of government transition for Jamii ni Afya: financial & political, program & operations, and technology & data;
• Cultivate strong working relationships with senior government officials and keep them apprised of D-tree’s work and plans;
• Working with the three senior staff responsible for main areas of government transition, be accountable for the execution of the Jamii ni Afya transition plan which includes clear milestones for each year, resulting in full government ownership of Jamii ni Afya by 2026 in areas of finances & political leadership, program & operations, and technology & data;
• Articulate and actualize a vision for the potential of digital health and garner government commitment and excitement over expanding digital health systems in Zanzibar;
• Stay abreast of government plans, policies and strategies to align D-tree work within government systems.

Program Oversight & Development (25%)

• Be accountable for the success of D-tree’s Zanzibar portfolio, including high-quality work and measurable impact;
• Serve as a member of D-tree’s executive team to ensure Zanzibar programs are aligned with the direction of the organization and contribute to organization-wide decision-making;
• Identify key health system challenges in Zanzibar, prioritize health areas of focus to address in current or future programs, and develop strategies that apply or expand upon D-tree’s areas of expertise to tackle the problems;
• Set and refine program strategies, with a focus on health systems strengthening and building local capacity;
• Stay abreast of progress on holistic program objectives; ensure staff and partners are kept on track and informed of progress and challenges maximizing ability to achieve results;
• Ensure teams are on track to meet performance goals (including setting team and individual objectives and goals that help achieve program success);
• Be accountable for financial stewardship of donor funds and have working knowledge of budgets;
• Work with the global support team to design new projects, iterate and expand existing programs and contribute to funding proposals that move the organization towards achievement of D-tree’s 5-year strategic plan.

Strategic Partnership Building (15%)

• Stay abreast of the field of global health (with a focus on community/primary health and digital health) to align our work with global best practices and contribute to global dialogue;
• Strategically engage with potential partners and/or funders and identify alignment between D-tree’s vision and donor and partner priorities to highlight new funding opportunities;
• Lead communication with in-country partners on a regular basis and during review meetings;
• Maintain and advance D-tree’s reputation as an active and reliable health partner in Zanzibar by sharing plans and results regularly and employing a collaborative approach with other partners;
• Represent D-tree to senior government officials and with NGO partners, including the Zanzibar Development Partners Group;
• Present D-tree’s work in an exciting and inspiring way, linking our programs to the broader field of global and digital health, at meetings and fora/conferences;
• Strategically identify and coordinate among various partners (such as research entities, local organizations, etc.) to maximize impact of donor funding towards program goals.

What we’re looking for

We are looking for a motivated, passionate leader who is willing to wear multiple hats and do what it takes to make our programs and staff succeed. The following attributes are a general overview, but we will consider individuals who do not meet all of the details below if you have the right skill set and attitude.

Basic requirements

• Minimum 10 years work experience with 7 years in leadership positions specifically with a digital, primary health and /or health system strengthening focus;
• Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g. public health, global development);
• Experience strategically engaging with governments and supporting transition of donor programs to government systems (ideally with health programs);
• Experience managing, motivating and mentoring a large, multi-cultural team and demonstrated success in cultivating a positive, empowering environment for all team members;
• Minimum 2 years’ experience living in a low- or middle-income country (Tanzania or East Africa preferred);
• Superior analytical skills; ability to think logically and rationally about problems and solution oriented;
• Must be able to handle complex priorities, collaborate effectively with a distributed team, be persistent and work under tight deadlines with minimal supervision;
• Experience developing and implementing strategies to efficiently expand and scale programs, while maintaining program quality;
• Excellent written and spoken English required; Swahili preferred;
• Experience cultivating diverse donor relationships (such as UN agencies, US government, private foundations);
• Committed to spending 3 or more years in Zanzibar.

Desired characteristics

• A positive team leader: You are a caring, collaborative leader with experience coaching and mentoring staff, gaining more satisfaction by empowering others than taking credit yourself;
• A can-do attitude: You remain optimistic in the face of adversity and creatively solve problems to get things done;
• A systems thinker: You are able to understand linkages and interactions between individual components in a health system, and design solutions to strengthen the overall system;
• An innovator: You enjoy thinking outside of the box and want to use that thinking to solve pressing global health problems;
• A detail oriented & strategic thinker: You pay attention to small details and focus on quality and consistency, but also have the ability to see the big picture and think strategically.

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