Job Details

Job Description

ABOUT HEALTHY LEARNERS

Healthy Learners is an award-winning non-profit organisation working to improve the health and learning of children across Zambia—and soon, beyond. In partnership with the Government of Zambia, we bring healthcare directly into schools so that children stay healthy, stay in class, and reach their full potential. Our model is government-owned and government-led, fully embedded in national priorities, systems, and structures.

Today, we operate in over 720 public schools across all ten provinces, reaching more than 1.1 million learners through Zambia’s first integrated School Health Program. Our approach combines school-based service delivery with technical assistance to government at every level—strengthening planning, supervision, data use, and local capacity to deliver.

As we complete our national scale-up, we’re focused on deepening programme quality, strengthening delivery systems, and laying the foundation for long-term government leadership. We’re looking for a dynamic operational leader to help drive this next chapter—someone ready to manage complexity at scale and help a proven model achieve lasting impact.

Healthy Learners is the proud recipient of the Skoll Award for Social Innovation, the Duke F.M. Kirby Prize, and the Lipman Family Prize from the University of Pennsylvania. These awards reflect not just our success to date, but the strength of the opportunity ahead. If this mission resonates with you, we’d love to hear from you.

ABOUT YOU

You exemplify the qualities of being Humble, Hungry, and Smart in your leadership:

Humble (Continuous Learning & Inclusion): You actively seek, encourage, and facilitate feedback sharing, fostering an environment of continuous learning. You adapt and grow continuously, cultivating a culture of inclusion and belonging.
Hungry (Efficiency, Excellence, and Innovation): Your relentless drive for efficiency and excellence is evident in your approach to both everyday tasks and complex challenges. When obstacles arise, you don’t merely seek answers; you develop solutions and establish structures to address future obstacles proactively. Your hunger for innovation permeates the organisation, where you eagerly explore new and best practices, ensuring our people operations remain modern and highly effective.
Smart (Emotional Intelligence & Psychological Safety): Your exceptional emotional intelligence is your superpower, allowing you to create psychological safety within the organization. Through your ability to build trust, encourage risk-taking, and nurture courageous conversations, you promote an environment where individuals can thrive and collaborate effectively.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Healthy Learners Zambia seeks a highly motivated and experienced Technical Program Manager to oversee the planning, coordination, and execution of our digital health implementation strategy. The TPM will serve as the key technical lead, ensuring smooth deployment of clinical decision support tools, data systems integration, innovative delivery mechanisms like drone logistics, AI-powered dashboards, and system transition to government ownership. The ideal candidate will combine technical expertise, project management skills, and stakeholder engagement experience to deliver impactful, sustainable health solutions.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Program Planning & Execution:

Develop detailed project plans, timelines, and milestones for the implementation phases; coordinate activities across technical teams, partners, and stakeholders.

Technical Leadership:

Lead the technical design, deployment, and scaling of health applications, data systems, and innovative tools (drones, AI dashboards, chatbots); ensure systems adhere to national standards and best practices.

Stakeholder Management:

Engage actively with MoH, MoE, local governments, partners, vendors, and community stakeholders; facilitate communication, manage expectations, and foster collaboration.

Capacity Building & Training:

Organize and support training initiatives for SHTs, Ministry staff, and other end-users; develop training materials and documentation.

Monitoring & Quality Assurance:

Establish monitoring frameworks, oversee system testing, ensure data quality and security, and manage technical issue resolution.

Integration & Transition:

Coordinate with government technical units to plan and execute the system transfer, including knowledge transfer, documentation, and capacity development.

Risk Management:

Identify potential technical and operational risks; develop mitigation strategies to ensure project resilience.

Reporting & Documentation:

Prepare progress reports, success metrics, and lessons learned; document technical specifications, procedures, and compliance standards.

SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

Bachelor’s degree (Master’s preferred) in Computer Science, Information Systems, Public Health, or related field.

Experience:

Minimum of 5 years experience managing complex ICT projects, preferably in healthcare or education sectors in low-resource settings.
Demonstrated expertise in digital health systems, mobile app deployment, data integration, and AI applications.
Experience with model projects involving drone logistics, cloud-based solutions, or AI dashboards is highly desirable.

Technical Skills:

Strong knowledge of health information systems (DHIS2, eLMIS), mobile app platforms, and API integration.
Familiarity with cloud computing, data security, and interoperability standards.
Proficiency in project management tools and methodologies (Agile, Prince2, PMI).
Ability to coordinate multidisciplinary teams including developers, data scientists, health professionals, and government officials.

Soft Skills:

Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills.
Strong problem-solving and decision-making capabilities.
Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

Previous experience working with government health and education ministries.
Familiarity with AI, machine learning, and innovative health solutions.
Experience in scaling pilot projects to national programs.

WHAT WE OFFER

Opportunity for Impact: Play a pivotal role in implementing a program that improves health outcomes for millions of schoolchildren, shaping the future of communities across Africa.
Competitive Compensation: Receive a competitive salary and benefits package that reflects your expertise and commitment.
Professional Growth: Access ongoing training, leadership opportunities, and engage in innovative projects that challenge and inspire you.
Supportive Culture: Join a passionate, dedicated team that values collaboration and mutual support, fostering an environment where all contributions are recognized.
Networking Opportunities: Collaborate with international organizations and enhance your network and influence in the public health sector.