Exciting opportunity at OPM - Senior Health Service Purchasing Specialist

OPM is a successful, growing organisation. We have nine international offices and over 35 years’ experience of delivering projects that reduce poverty and disadvantage through public policy reform. We have a range of opportunities across the business, within our consultancy and corporate functions.
 
If you are looking to join an organisation that values collaboration, mutual support, integrity and empowerment, and you want to work on interesting and challenging assignments, we would love to hear from you.
 
OPM’s health portfolio work extends from policy support at the highest levels of government and international organisations to practical assistance in the implementation of health care reform and development.The portfolio’s main geographical focus is Sub Saharan Africa, South and South East Asia, CIS/CEE, and the Caribbean. The health team has two core areas of competence - one in health policy, planning and management including governance and monitoring and evaluation, and the other in health financing and economics.
 
The health economics and financing core is experienced in fiscal space analysis, expenditure analysis, public expenditure reviews and tracking surveys, benefit incidence analysis and resource allocation formulae. Our experience in health service purchasing covers supporting the governments in designing applying innovative service purchasing mechanisms for inpatient and outpatient services, as well as developing contracting mechanisms for health service providers operating at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Costing is a particular area of strength, with the specific emphases of supporting the governments in costing health service packages.
 
We use analytical insights to support the development of health financing strategies, and we apply this set of skills to financing for HIV and AIDS. We also have a keen interest in health worker motivation and labour market choices, and policy development for better health labour market outcomes.
 
We carry out impact evaluations, qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods studies across these thematic areas, as well as wider health systems performance assessments
 
The role
 
We are looking for a Senior Health Service Purchasing Specialist to join the Health team. The individual’s core responsibilities will be centred on the preparation of tenders and delivering projects in the area of health service purchasing, with a particular focus on Former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern Europe. A consultant is expected to carry out these work initially under the guidance of a line manager/designated project director, and later independently.
 
The job requires experience in:
 
- Strategic purchasing,
- Results Based Financing (RBF),
- Contracting (both at outpatient and inpatient levels),
- Designing and implementing payment mechanisms for inpatient and outpatient services, including Diagnostic Related Groups (DRGs), Pay for performance mechanisms (P4Ps), and Capitation payments.
- Expertise in Social Heath Insurance (SHI) is an asset.
- Consultant may also be involved in projects related to qualitative research, small scale assessments and large-scale impact evaluations, focusing on health service purchasing components.
 
Other functions the consultant is expected to carry out include:
- Contribute to the Portfolio’s business, financial and technical targets, intellectual capital development initiatives, as well as to the broader company development targets, e.g. knowledge transfer, publications, etc, as required;
- Foster good relations with the clients, including the partner Government ministries and donor agencies, taking a role in developing the designated areas of work, and potential new relations through existing and new contacts and networks;
 
Qualification requirements:
The candidate must have:
- A relevant post-graduate degree (at least Masters).Proven consulting or research skills and achievements in areas of personal technical expertise. These might include, but are not limited to: strategic purchasing, results-based financing, contracting, and capitation payments, P4Ps, DRGs, costing, expenditure review and tracking.
- A high level of technical, quantitative research skills.At least 5 years’ experience in developing countries and/or transitional economies tackling strategic purchasing and contracting issues.
- The ability to prepare tender proposals;
- Experience of negotiation and working with senior government officials and staff of international agencies is an asset.
- Strong communication skills with excellent written and spoken English.The ability to work in a collegiate way within the team and externally, in a multi-cultural environment.
 
The position is full-time and based in our offices in Oxford, however, the role will require overseas travel.
OPM offers a competitive salary, a contribution pension scheme and a generous holiday entitlement.
 
For more information, and to apply, please visit: http://www.opml.co.uk/join-us/vacancies

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