Health Professional Education Specialist

Amref Health Africa (Amref) was founded in 1957 and has since grown to become the largest African-based international health development organisation; currently implementing more than 180 programmes, reaching more than 40 million people across 35 African countries; and a staff complement of over 2,000. Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, Amref Health Africa has offices in ten countries in Africa – Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Guinea (Conakry), Kenya, Malawi, Senegal, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. An additional eleven advocacy and fundraising offices are in Europe and North America.

Amref is driven by its vision of ‘Lasting health change in Africa’ and its mission ‘To catalyse and drive community-led and people-centred health systems while addressing social determinants of health’. We believe that the power to transform Africa's health lies within its communities and therefore strive to ensure that health systems are not only functional but that communities are empowered to hold these systems accountable for the delivery of quality and affordable health care.

About the Project

The Partnership for Education of Health Professionals (PEP) is a multi-country initiative aimed at strengthening institutional capacity for education on cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) across East Africa. Implemented in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Ethiopia, the program focuses on equipping health training institutions with the systems, tools, and competencies needed to produce a CMD skilled health workforce.

In Ethiopia, the project supports the integration of CMD content into pre-service and in-service education, enhances faculty and preceptor’s capacity, promotes innovative teaching approaches, including digital and blended learning and strengthening educational research. The goal is to ensure that health professionals(nurses, health officers and medical doctors) are well prepared to deliver effective CMD prevention and care services, particularly at the primary health care level.

The initiative is implemented over a 36-month period in collaboration with government institutions, universities, and professional associations, contributing to stronger health systems and improved health outcomes.

The Health Professional Education Specialist provides technical expertise and hands-on operational support to strengthen both pre-service and in-service education systems for health professionals including nurses, health officers, and medical doctors in Ethiopia, with a particular focus on cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs).

The role works closely with training institutions to enhance the quality and relevance of education by supporting curriculum integration, building faculty/preceptors capacity through training and mentorship, promoting modern and innovative teaching approaches, and strengthening education-related research. A key emphasis is ensuring that learning is practical, competency-based, and responsive to the realities of the health system, while ensuring alignment with national priorities and global standards.

In close collaboration with the Ministries (MoH, MoE), professional associations, and academic institutions, the Specialist contributes to developing a competent, responsive, and sustainable health workforce. Ultimately, contributing to production of health professionals who are better equipped to prevent, detect, and manage CMDs in their daily practice.

Position Summary

The position plays a central role in:

• Strengthening health professional education systems
• Supporting competency-based curriculum implementation
• Enhancing faculty teaching capacity
• Promoting digital and blended learning approaches
• Support/Facilitating education research and evidence use

The Specialist ensures that training programs are practical, scalable, inclusive, and aligned with health system needs, particularly at Primary Health Care (PHC) level.

Key Responsibilities

1. Programme Implementation & Coordination

• Lead the day-to-day implementation of education and training activities, ensuring they are delivered on time, within scope, and aligned with approved project workplans.
• Translate high-level project plans into practical, actionable implementation plans, including clear timelines, responsibilities, and milestones.
• Develop and maintain tracking tools (e.g., workplan trackers, activity logs, risk registers) to monitor progress and ensure accountability.
• Coordinate closely with universities, training institutions, and regional stakeholders to organize and deliver both pre-service and in-service training activities.
• Ensure all activities are aligned with national Human Resources for Health (HRH), education, and health sector priorities and policies.
• Proactively identify implementation challenges and risks, and work with the team to develop timely and practical solutions.

1. Curriculum Development & Integration

• Provide technical support to integrate priority health areas particularly cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) into existing health professional curricula.
• Work with academic institutions and subject matter experts to review, revise, and develop competency-based curricula, modules, and teaching materials.
• Ensure curricula are aligned with national standards, clinical guidelines, and accreditation requirements.
• Support institutions to operationalize and implement the revised curricula in teaching environments.
• Facilitate workshops and consultations to ensure faculty ownership and sustainability of curriculum changes.

1. Training & Capacity Building

• Design and deliver high-quality training-of-trainers (ToT) and faculty development programs tailored to institutional needs.
• Strengthen faculty capacity in:
  • Modern pedagogy and adult learning principles
  • Competency-based education approaches
  • Student assessment, feedback, and evaluation methods
• Facilitate both face-to-face and digital training sessions, ensuring they are engaging, practical, and contextually relevant.
• Provide ongoing mentorship, coaching, and supportive supervision to faculty and trainers to reinforce learning and improve teaching practices.
• Support institutions to institutionalize continuous professional development (CPD) related to CMD education.

1. Digital Learning & Innovation

• Support the integration of digital and blended learning approaches to enhance accessibility and flexibility of health professional education.
• Work closely with project teams to implement and maintain Learning Management Systems (LMS), including user support and system optimization.
• Coordinate the digitization of curricula, training materials, and learning content to ensure they are suitable for online delivery.
• Ensure digital platforms are user-friendly, inclusive, and accessible to both faculty and students.
• Identify and address technical challenges, and support continuous improvement of digital learning experiences.

1. Education Quality Improvement

• Support institutions to apply quality assurance and continuous improvement frameworks in education delivery.
• Adapt and implement national education quality standards (e.g., ETA tools) to strengthen teaching and learning processes.
• Strengthen collaboration between academic institutions and health facilities to ensure better integration of theory and practice.
• Promote the use of simulation-based learning, skills labs, and practical training approaches to enhance student competency.
• Support regular review and improvement of teaching practices based on feedback and performance data.

1. Research & Knowledge Management

• Promote and support educational and operational research, particularly in CMD-related education and training.
• Build faculty capacity to design, conduct, and use research to improve teaching and learning outcomes.
• Facilitate documentation of best practices, lessons learned, and innovative approaches emerging from the project.
• Support dissemination of research findings through reports, workshops, publications, and policy dialogues to inform policy and practice
• Contribute to the development of technical reports, knowledge products, and learning briefs.

1. Stakeholder Engagement & Partnerships

• Build and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with key stakeholders, including:
  • Ministry of Health (MoH) and Ministry of Education (MoE)
  • Universities and health training institutions
  • Regulatory and accreditation bodies
  • Professional associations
• Facilitate coordination meetings, workshops, and technical working groups to ensure alignment and shared ownership.
• Represent the project in relevant national and regional forums.
• Advocate for strengthening health professional education systems, particularly in relation to CMDs.

1. Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting

• Track and analyze key indicators related to training, including enrollment, participation, completion, and competency outcomes.
• Maintain accurate, up-to-date data in line with Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) frameworks.
• Prepare clear, timely, and well-structured progress reports, dashboards, and technical updates.
• Support assessments and evaluations to measure the effectiveness and impact of training interventions.
• Use data and feedback to inform continuous improvement of program activities.

1. Gender & Inclusion

• Promote gender-responsive and inclusive approaches in all education and training activities.
• Support strategies to increase the participation of women in health professions education and research.
• Ensure training opportunities are accessible to diverse groups, including underserved and marginalized populations.
• Integrate equity and inclusion considerations into curriculum design, training delivery, and program implementation.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, Public Health, Medical Education, or related field
• Master’s degree in Health Professions Education, Public Health, or related field
• Minimum 10+ years of relevant experience in:
  • Health professional education
  • Training and capacity building
  • Curriculum development
• Experience in competency-based education and training delivery
• Experience working with universities, training institutions, and government systems
• Familiarity with digital learning platforms/LMS
• Experience in health workforce or HRH programs is an advantage

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Technical Expertise: Health education systems, curriculum design, pedagogy/andragogy
• Planning & Organization: Strong execution and multitasking skills
• Communication: Excellent facilitation, writing, and presentation skills
• Collaboration: Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship management
• Problem Solving: Practical, solution-oriented approach
• Digital Literacy: Experience with e-learning tools and platforms
• Accountability & Integrity: High professional and ethical standards
• Adaptability: Ability to work in dynamic and resource-limited settings

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Frequent travel to regions and training institutions
• Engagement with multiple stakeholders across sectors
• Fast-paced program environment requiring flexibility and initiative

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The role contributes to strengthening health systems and workforce capacity by improving the quality, relevance, and accessibility of health professional education, ultimately enhancing service delivery and population health outcomes.

We invite you to submit your CV and a cover letter outlining your motivation and suitability for the role by August 6th 2026.

Amref Health Africa is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce. We strongly encourage qualified women to apply.

Amref Health Africa does not require applicants to pay any money at whatever stage of the recruitment and selection process and has not retained any agent in connection with recruitment. Although Amref may use different job boards from time to time to further spread its reach for applicants, all open vacancies are published on our website under the Vacancies page and on our official social media pages. Kindly also note that official emails from Amref Health Africa will arrive from an @amref.org address.

Amref Health Africa is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment. Amref Health Africa is is dedicated to diversity and is an equal-opportunity employer with a non-smoking environment policy.