Senior Technical Advisor

Position Description | Senior Technical Advisor | Francophone

contact@coopersmith.org

Cooper/Smith is a technical assistance organization that focuses on improving the efficiency

and effectiveness of development programs. We work with host country governments and

development organizations to assemble and analyze complex information, translating data into

meaningful solutions that create lasting effect. We are a growing start-up that operates at the

intersection of health and data, by bringing expertise in economics, decision analysis, results

management, program evaluation, research design, health policy, and software development.

Our funders include the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Global Fund, World Bank,

USAID, the Digital Impact Alliance, and Georgetown University. Founded in 2014, our

solutions have supported more than 20 projects in a dozen countries throughout Africa and

Asia.

Cooper/Smith is currently seeking a Senior Technical Advisor to serve as a technical lead for

Cooper/Smith’s activities in Francophone Africa, and more specifically in Burkina Faso. We

develop solutions that bring the critical insights into the hands of key decision makers. This

new role will focus on designing and developing innovative approaches to strengthening health

data systems at all levels (national, regional, district, facility, community), working in a

collaborative, technically energizing environment.

The Senior Technical Advisor will work closely with Cooper/Smith’s Technical Director and

serve as technical collaborator and strategic thinker for the organization. The Senior Technical

Advisor will also be responsible for representing Cooper/Smith to key government officials,

donors, local stakeholders, and partners.

Duration: Flexible. Ideally, 12 months full-time position (Jan 2021 – Dec 2021). Potential for

longer-term position.

Location: Flexible; West Africa, preferable; Required travel to Burkina Faso and potentially other

Francophone countries (up to 40%)

Who We Are

• A dynamic team with extensive experience in strategic planning, results management,

efficiency analysis, modelling, operational research, and digital health

• Innovators, solutions specialists, champions of collaboration, and global citizens with

professional experience in over 35 countries

• Lovers of hard work, good laughs, and passionate about delivering solutions and results

with broader social value

Who You Are

• A highly curious thinker who is self-motivated and results-oriented, can deliver on tight

deadlines, and motivated by the opportunity to help grow a young organization

• A person who enjoys a challenge, can describe nuance and complexity, and is

ultimately driven to produce creative solutions rather than focus on obstacles

• Someone who seeks to frame their work in the big picture [the 'why?'], but equally

attends to the details in getting there [the 'how?']

• Someone passionate about the use of measurement and data to improve

management, performance, and program effectiveness

• Someone who thrives in a flexible work environment; can manage competing demands and

adapt to shifting priorities; uses good judgments working in stressful situations; and enjoys

working with a diverse, global team

Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical lead and project director for key Cooper/Smith activities in

Francophone Africa

• Provide guidance to partner governments to facilitate user-centred design and validation

workshops to refine the current and future health data ecosystem, in addition to key

evaluation methodologies

• Develop key guiding frameworks to measure health investments and support adaptive

learning activities

• Develop custom monitoring, evaluation, and/or operational research solutions to inform

challenges in practical program settings (e.g., rural health clinics)

• Document successes and challenges and translate complicated results for a non-technical

audience

• Apply adaptive learning tools and methodologies to inform programmatic pivots and future

learnings

• Routinely document project findings and promote dissemination to program stakeholders

and relevant global audiences

• Apply a strong understanding of research design, methods of describing efficiency, and

performance evaluation to the design and delivery of Cooper/Smith’s programs

• Serve as a technical representative with diverse audience groups through conferences,

presentations, design sessions, working groups, and steering committee meetings

• Lead the development of key technical briefs, draft protocols, policy briefs, peer-reviewed

articles, and reports

• Provide advice and guidance to government officials (i.e. Ministry of Health) on the allocation

or reallocation of resources, as appropriate, to achieve national objectives

• Design and oversee the implementation of sustainability initiatives to prioritize key activities

and support the MoH in achieving desired long-term results

• Build the capacity of Government counterparts, particularly in health economics, data use,

health information systems, and analytical methods

Required Skills

• Professional fluency in French and English

• Demonstrated experience leading programs with a holistic systems approach, prioritizing

partnership coordination efforts

• Experience working with the Gates Foundation or other international development

organizations to implement health information systems projects in Francophone Africa

• Excellent data analysis and synthesis skills with deep technical knowledge of data systems

integration and interoperability; proven ability to evaluate cross-systems functionalities

• Intermediate to advanced skills using at least one statistical software package(s) for data

analysis (Python, STATA, SPSS, SAS, R, etc.)

• Experience with modelling, forecasting, predictive analytics, and machine learning, a plus

• Proven track-record representing organizations to high-level government officials (i.e.

ministry officials, district representatives, etc.)

• Experience working with multidisciplinary teams in international settings and familiarity with

commonly encountered organizations in international development (donors, multilaterals,

consulting firms, etc.)

• Deep knowledge of the management, human, and financial resources required to achieve a

strong health data information system and a desired end state

• Analytical thinker, comfortable working with quantitative and qualitative data to establish

and track program performance and efficiency metrics

• Experience conducting assessments, landscape analyses, and data use evaluations

• Experience leading strategic planning sessions

• Ability to rapidly develop custom monitoring, evaluation, and/or operational research

solutions to inform challenges in practical program settings (e.g., rural health clinics)

• Ability to effectively document successes and challenges and translate complicated results

for a non-technical audience

• Solid understanding of research design, methods of describing efficiency, and performance

evaluation

• Strong writing skills, including ability to draft protocols, policy briefs, peer-reviewed articles,

and reports for a diverse audience

• Master’s Degree in global health, economics, data science, computer science, or related

field; PhD, preferable

Practical Requirements

• Willingness to travel within Francophone Africa approximately 40%

• Eligibility to obtain a travel visa for Burkina Faso, Malawi, Cameroon, Senegal, and the US

Application Requirements

Eligible and interested applicants can submit their CV and expression of interest to

jobs@coopersmith.org. Please include the position description in the subject line. Applications

will be reviewed on a rolling basis.