Workforce Development Specialist

ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND

The Pacific Island Health Officers Association (PIHOA) is a non-profit organization headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii, with a field office in Hagåtña, Guam. PIHOA’s mission is to provide, through collective action and decision-making, a credible regional voice for health advocacy in and for the Pacific.

PIHOA’s Executive Board is comprised of the ministers/directors/secretaries of health of the six US- Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPIs): American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Guam, the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and the Republic of Palau.

PIHOA’s Secretariat, comprised of executive, administrative, and technical staff works with a number of consultants to provide technical assistance to the USAPI health ministries and departments in the following areas: 1) health workforce development/human resources for health; 2) epidemiology and surveillance; 3) performance improvement; 4) laboratory services; 5) regional health policy and advocacy; 6) health security; and 7) leadership development.

JOB PURPOSE: The Project Management and Technical Support (PMTS) –Workforce Development Specialist (WDS) will be the primary technical focal point for the overall planning, planning, coordination, implementation and monitoring support of the workforce development activities under Strategy A1, under the RMI MOHHS’ Strengthening Public Health Infrastructure, Workforce, and Data Systems (OE22-2203) Grant funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services (CSELS).

The WDS will be guided by and report directly to the PMTS Team Lead (TL), RMI MOHHS Health Informatics Director, the RMI MOHHS Ministry Leadership Team (MLT) and the RMI MOHHS’ OE22-2203 Project Management Unit (PMU). The PMU is comprised of designated RMI MOHHS staff and OE22-2203-funded consultant technical leads. The PMU will be responsible for the daily management oversight, planning, coordination, and monitoring of OE22-2203-funded activities. The PMU will be further supported by the RMI MOHHS’ OE22-2203 bona fide agent, the Pacific Islands Health Officers’ Association (PIHOA), who will provide administrative and fiscal support for the RMI MOHHS’ OE22-2203 grant. The WDS, as one of the consultant technical leads, will be expected to be an active member of the PMU.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: Under the guidance of the RMI MOHHS PMU and co-supervision of the RMI MOHHS Health Informatics Director and the PMTS TL, the PMTS WDS will:

1. Plan and conduct an onsite baseline environmental scan and gaps assessment of the RMI MOHHS’ human resources/workforce environment;
2. Develop a WD Plan that addresses findings and recommendations for specific targeted actions to address assessment findings;
3. Conduct development/continuous refinement, coordination, implementation, monitoring and reporting of the OE22-2203-funded workforce development (WD) activities in alignment with the RMI MOHHS’ 8- Year Ministry Strategy Plan (MSP);
4. Review, refine, and draft policies and procedures;
5. Lead recruitment and performance monitoring of other grant-funded WD consultants/contractors in coordination with the TL;
6. Plan, convene and facilitate WD planning meetings with RMI MOHHS MLT, PMU, and relevant program staff and local/international partners;
7. Plan and execute mid- and end-term grant WD evaluation activities in coordination with the TL;
8. Provide other WD technical advisory support on request by the RMI MOHHS;
9. When requested, attend and actively participate in all assigned OE22-2203 grants management meetings with the PMU, PIHOA, and CDC to discuss planning, implementation status, reporting, and troubleshooting of approved WD activities;
10. Support the PMTS TL and PIHOA to compile and collate any required CDC progress reports and other grant-required submissions; and
11. Support the PMTS TL and PMU to plan and implement mid- and end-term OE22-2203 grant evaluation activities per CDC grant requirements.

KEY PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND DELIVERABLES

1. Complete at least ten RMI domestic neighboring island trips for initial project scoping and environmental scan within the first year of consultancy
2. Baseline and annual WD environment scan/gaps assessment reports
3. Workforce Development Plan
4. Minimum 75% implementation rate of approved activities per the WD Plan
5. Provision of WD technical assistance and training
6. New and/or updated human resources SOPs

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

Qualifications

1. Minimum bachelor’s degree in public health, Health Administration, Human Resources/Public Administration, or another health-related field from a recognized university. Master’s degree or above preferred.
2. Minimum eight years of experience in health workforce development, ideally in low-resource settings.

Skills

1. Must have advanced experience in HR processes and best practices; experience with HR databases; ability to work with HR software; cross-sectoral coordination (particularly with partners in education); drafting policies to address health workforce issues; and licensure and credentialing standards.
2. Must have advanced knowledge of labor laws and regulations.
3. Must have demonstrated experience working collaboratively with other healthcare professionals and leadership in a team-based environment.
4. Must have advanced interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to facilitate effective, professional, and compassionate communication and consultations with health agency leadership and program staff, community stakeholders, partners, and funders.
5. Must have advanced computer skills, including familiarity with MS Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and fluency in a variety of applicable programming languages, software, and systems.
6. Must have advanced English speaking and writing skills.
7. Must have excellent observational skills and attention to detail, including high-level critical thinking and timely, effective decision-making to adapt to and resolve problems as they arise.
8. Must be self-motivated, disciplined, and able to operate with limited supervision.
9. Must demonstrate compassion, patience, and ability to adapt to less-than-ideal, complex, and intense working conditions, including environments with little or no English speaking skills and diverse cultural/ideological beliefs and practices.
10. Must have a valid passport to be able to travel domestically and internationally.
11. When requested, must be able to submit Police and Medical Clearance Reports as part of entry requirements into the RMI.
12. Must have a valid driver’s license.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Office and program equipment and supplies needed to conduct contract work will be provided by PIHOA and the RMI MOHHS, including but not limited to a desk and chair, laptop, relevant software subscriptions and laptop accessories, and general office supplies (PIHOA) and office space (RMI MOHHS).
• Travel expenses between the candidate’s home base and the duty station in Majuro, RMI will be fully covered by PIHOA using the most economical and direct travel route (economy class) at the start and conclusion of the contracted performance period, including any required transit accommodation and related expenses (ground transportation to/from airport and transit hotel), arrival/departure fees, and transit daily subsistence allowance per PIHOA’s Travel Policy. Any accompanied luggage/air cargo, excess weight expenses, and travel insurance fees may be eligible for reimbursement upon submission of proper expense receipts from the airline and travel insurance provider. Transportation of household furniture, goods, personal vehicle, etc., will not be covered.
• At the start of the contract, PIHOA will cover up to 14 days of hotel accommodation, daily subsistence allowance, ground transportation, and other eligible relocation expenses to allow time for the successful candidate to identify more permanent local housing.
• Any local, RMI domestic travel required in the conduct of work within the RMI will be covered by PIHOA using RMI MOHHS’ Travel Policy. All other travels not associated with contracted work will be at the expense of the candidate.
• Eligible dependent travel may be eligible to be covered at the start and end of the contract performance period and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and pending the availability of funds.
• No other benefits will be provided by PIHOA or the RMI MOHHS. Any medical or other insurance expenses, local and home base taxes, etc. will be the sole responsibility of the candidate. The RMI MOHHS can provide information regarding applying for local medical insurance though the RMI Government medical insurance scheme.