Regional Technical Advisor – Integrated Innovation Highway- Oromia, Somali and Sidama Regions- Ethiopia

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PATH is a global nonprofit advancing health innovations for the people who need them most. With 50 years of experience, a global team of experts, and trusted partnerships spanning 70+ countries, PATH turns breakthroughs into better health for millions every single year.

PATH combines scientific and public health expertise, implementation experience, innovation, and strong partnerships with governments, communities, civil society, and development partners. In Ethiopia, PATH works closely with the Federal Ministry of Health (MoH), Regional Health Bureaus (RHBs), health facilities, communities, local organizations, and development partners to strengthen health systems and expand access to high-quality, equitable health services.

Project Overview

The Integrated Innovation Highway (IIH) is a Gates Foundation–funded initiative supporting the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) and the Ministry of Health to establish a government-owned platform that systematically identifies health system needs, prioritizes innovations, assesses evidence and readiness, and supports the introduction, transition, and scale-up of innovations within the Ethiopian health system.

The IIH promotes an integrated approach across six innovation highways:

- Medical devices
- Diagnostics
- Therapeutics, family planning, and nutrition products
- Vaccines
- Technology, including digital health, artificial intelligence (AI), and biotechnology
- Bundled and systems innovations

Phase 1 will focus on three tracer products across two highways: AI-enabled point-of-care ultrasound (AI-POCUS) under medical devices, and near-point-of-care TB PlusLife and Ebola diagnostics under diagnostics.

The project will work closely with the MoH, RHBs, public health institutes, universities, health facilities, innovators, development partners, and other stakeholders to strengthen innovation governance and establish practical pathways for evaluating, introducing, transitioning, and scaling priority health innovations.

Position Summary

The Regional Technical Advisor will provide technical and operational support for the implementation, assessment, introduction, and transition-to-scale of priority health innovations within the assigned region. The position will serve as the primary regional focal point for IIH implementation, working closely with the respective RHB, zonal and woreda health offices, health facilities, and other regional stakeholders.

The Advisor will translate national IIH priorities into regional implementation plans, facilitate innovation readiness assessments, coordinate implementation activities, strengthen regional capacity, monitor progress, and document evidence and lessons to inform decisions on the sustainable integration and scale-up of health innovations.

Working under the guidance of the IIH Project Director and in close coordination with national technical leads for medical devices, diagnostics, AI and innovation, and monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning, the Advisor will help ensure that IIH interventions respond to regional health priorities, service-delivery needs, and local implementation contexts.

Number of Positions: 3

Regional Assignments:

- Regional Technical Advisor – Somali Region
- Regional Technical Advisor – Oromia Region
- Regional Technical Advisor – Sidama Region

Duty Station: Within the assigned region, with regular travel to health facilities, zonal and woreda health offices, and Addis Ababa as required.

Candidates are to specify their preferred region in their application

Key Responsibilities

1. Regional Implementation Planning and Coordination

- Support the development, contextualization, and implementation of regional IIH work plans aligned with MoH priorities, regional health strategies, and project objectives.
- Work with the respective RHB, zonal and woreda health offices, and health facilities to identify priority health system needs and opportunities for introducing and scaling innovations.
- Coordinate regional implementation activities, ensuring alignment between national technical guidance and regional operational realities.
- Support the integration of IIH activities into regional health plans, existing coordination mechanisms, and relevant service-delivery platforms.
- Maintain regular communication with regional counterparts and the national IIH team on implementation progress, challenges, emerging opportunities, and required actions.

2. Innovation Readiness Assessment and Introduction

- Support regional and facility-level readiness assessments for priority innovations, including AI-POCUS, TB PlusLife, and Ebola diagnostics, as applicable to the approved regional implementation plan.
- Assess key readiness factors, including infrastructure, equipment, workforce competencies, service-delivery workflows, referral systems, connectivity, data systems, maintenance arrangements, and availability of essential supplies.
- Work with RHBs and health facilities to identify implementation gaps and develop practical readiness improvement plans.
- Facilitate the adaptation and application of national guidelines, protocols, standard operating procedures, and implementation tools to regional and facility contexts.
- Support the identification and prioritization of appropriate health facilities based on disease burden, service-delivery needs, operational readiness, equity, and feasibility.

3. Implementation and Transition-to-Scale Support

- Provide hands-on technical support to RHBs, zonal and woreda health offices, and selected health facilities during the introduction and implementation of priority innovations.
- Facilitate the integration of innovations into existing health service-delivery workflows, referral pathways, supervision systems, and routine health information systems.
- Work with regional authorities and facility leadership to strengthen workforce readiness through training coordination, mentorship, supportive supervision, and competency development.
- Support operational arrangements for equipment utilization, maintenance, consumables, quality assurance, and technical troubleshooting in collaboration with relevant partners.
- Identify and address operational bottlenecks affecting the adoption, utilization, continuity, or scale-up of innovations.
- Support the development and documentation of regional transition-to-scale pathways, including institutional ownership, domestic financing, workforce sustainability, procurement, and long-term maintenance.
- Promote government ownership and integration of successful approaches into regional systems and routine health services.

4. Technical Support for Priority Innovation Workstreams

- Support AI-POCUS implementation in coordination with national medical device and AI technical leads, including deployment planning, workforce capacity strengthening, utilization monitoring, and integration into maternal and other relevant health services.
- Support TB PlusLife and Ebola diagnostic implementation in coordination with national diagnostics technical leads, the MoH, relevant public health institutes, and regional health authorities.
- Facilitate regional coordination for diagnostic service readiness, specimen referral and transport, testing workflows, quality assurance, infection prevention and control, and linkage to appropriate clinical or public health action, as relevant to each technology.
- Support assessments of regional requirements for equipment placement, infrastructure, workforce, supplies, maintenance, and data reporting.
- Ensure regional implementation approaches are consistent with approved national protocols, regulatory requirements, and project technical guidance.
- Contribute regional perspectives and implementation evidence to IIH innovation governance, learning, and transition-to-scale processes.

5. Government Engagement and Stakeholder Partnership

- Establish and maintain productive working relationships with RHB leadership, technical departments, zonal and woreda health offices, health facility managers, and other relevant government institutions.
- Facilitate engagement with public health institutes, universities, professional associations, local partners, innovators, technology providers, and development partners to support regional implementation.
- Organize and participate in technical review meetings, joint supportive supervision, implementation reviews, and regional learning forums.
- Promote collaboration and information-sharing between regions to facilitate peer learning and adaptation of promising practices.
- Represent the IIH project in regional technical forums and coordination meetings, as delegated by the Project Director.

6. Monitoring, Evidence Generation, and Adaptive Management

- Monitor implementation progress against approved regional work plans, deliverables, milestones, and performance indicators.
- Collect, review, and validate regional implementation data and provide timely updates to the national IIH team.
- Work with the MEAL and Research Advisor to identify implementation learning questions, evidence gaps, and opportunities for operational or implementation research.
- Support routine monitoring of innovation readiness, deployment, functionality, utilization, service integration, workforce competency, and other relevant indicators.
- Identify implementation bottlenecks, risks, and emerging opportunities and recommend corrective actions to the Project Director and national technical leads.
- Support data quality improvement, documentation of implementation experiences, and use of evidence in regional decision-making.
- Facilitate access to relevant implementation sites and coordinate with regional stakeholders to support approved assessments and research activities.

- Support the development and adaptation of training materials, implementation guidance, job aids, and standard operating procedures.
- Document success stories, implementation challenges, promising practices, and lessons learned from the assigned region.

8. Project Reporting, Compliance, and Risk Management

- Prepare timely, accurate, and evidence-based regional progress reports, activity updates, and field visit reports.
- Provide regular updates to the Project Director and national technical leads on progress, deliverables, risks, dependencies, and corrective actions.
- Contribute to quarterly and annual project reporting and donor review processes by providing verified regional results and implementation evidence.
- Maintain appropriate documentation of meetings, field activities, stakeholder commitments, implementation decisions, and follow-up actions.
- Support responsible use of digital tools and AI-enabled technologies, including appropriate attention to confidentiality, data privacy, security, and responsible use.

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Preferred regional experience: Experience working with regional health authorities, health facilities, and decentralized health systems in the mentioned settings are desirable.

Qualifications and Experience

Required Qualifications and Experience

- Bachelor's degree in Public Health, Health Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Health Informatics, Health Systems Management, or a related field.
- Master's degree in Public Health, Health Systems Management, Health Informatics, Biomedical Sciences, or another relevant discipline.
- Experience with donor-funded public health programs, preferably those funded by the Gates Foundation or other major international donors.
- Familiarity with AI-enabled point-of-care ultrasound, medical device deployment, near-point-of-care diagnostics, tuberculosis diagnostics, or public health emergency preparedness and response.
- Demonstrated experience working with government health institutions, preferably RHBs, zonal and woreda health offices, and health facilities in Ethiopia.
- Willingness and ability to travel regularly within the assigned region and to Addis Ababa as required.