Lead, Health Sector Public Financial Management & Fiduciary Risk Assessment

ThinkWell Uganda is seeking a Lead, Health Sector Public Financial Management (PFM) & Fiduciary Risk Assessment to be based in Kampala, Uganda.The Lead will provide senior technical leadership across ThinkWell’s work on PFM and health financing in Uganda. The role will have an immediate focus on strengthening the assessment and management of financial and fiduciary risk as health financing increasingly flows through government systems, while contributing to other PFM and health financing initiatives as ThinkWell’s Uganda portfolio evolves.

The Lead will bring deep understanding of how public financial management systems work in practice and the judgment to determine where risks lie, why they matter, and what can realistically be done about them. They will work across national institutions, local governments, health facilities, and other health-sector entities, combining financial, institutional, and operational evidence to support better financing and risk-management decisions.

This role requires someone who can connect detailed PFM analysis with the wider objectives of health financing and health-system performance—and help government institutions develop practical, sustainable approaches to managing public resources.ThinkWell Uganda is seeking a Lead, PFM & Fiduciary Risk Assessment to be based in our Kampala office. Reporting to the Chief of Party (COP), the Lead will be a technical, managerial, and strategic leader for ThinkWell’s growing portfolio in health financing, systems strengthening, and policy in the country. They will be an exceptional technical thinker and analyst, superb communicator, motivating mentor, and effective diplomat and champion for ThinkWell’s work.

Responsibilities

Technical and thought Leadership (60% of LOE)

• Lead the design and application of practical, evidence-based approaches to assessing PFM and fiduciary risk in the health sector, including assessment criteria, evidence requirements, risk scoring, materiality judgments, and escalation thresholds.
• Analyze health-sector funds flows and PFM arrangements to identify material risks across budgeting, fund release, expenditure, procurement, accounting, reporting, internal controls, and audit, distinguishing institution-specific weaknesses from systemic constraints.
• Lead technical judgments on financial management readiness and fiduciary risk, determining where existing evidence is sufficient, where further assessment is warranted, and what safeguards or actions are proportionate to the risks identified.
• Support planning and monitoring of Government Co-Financing Arrangements
• Lead the triangulation and synthesis of existing PFM, fiduciary, and institutional assessments at national and subnational levels to inform G2G readiness, risk assessment, and verification priorities.
• Represent the project and provide technical leadership in relevant national PFM, health financing, and related technical working groups and coordination platforms.
• Provide technical assistance to government counterparts on priority PFM reforms, including procurement reforms, strategic purchasing, financial accountability, and other measures that strengthen the efficiency and integrity of health financing.
• Support the tracking of G2G fund disbursements through the IFMIS system.
• Serve as senior technical leader and authority on public financial management and fiduciary risk assessment
• Provide tailored technical assistance, including but not limited to research and analysis, capacity building, and facilitation, in support of the Government of Uganda’s health financing and policy reform agenda. Initial areas of technical focus are expected to include:
• Reviewing the public financial management (PFM) system with a focus on the flow of funds in the health sector and assessing PFM gaps and good practices at the local government and facility levels
• Other projects as assigned
• Lead the writing and dissemination of analytical and communications products, including research reports, journal manuscripts, policy briefs, blogs, and slide decks tailored to government, scholarly, and lay audiences.
• Contribute to internal initiatives to document, share, and learn from technical experiences and innovations across ThinkWell’s numerous country teams and initiatives.
• Provide timely, politically savvy, and technically sound responses to inquiries about ThinkWell Uganda’s work, including from the Government of Uganda, ThinkWell leadership, and donors.
• As the country portfolio evolves, lead or contribute to emerging technical work streams aligned with the STA’s area of specialization

Strategy, Representation and Organizational development (20% LOE)

• Build trusted technical relationships with relevant government institutions at national and sub-national levels and communicate complex or sensitive findings clearly while maintaining technical independence.
• Facilitate discussions across institutions with different mandates and perspectives to diagnose problems, resolve technical questions, and develop feasible responses.
• Coordinate with other PFM stakholders on relevant activities
• Strengthen existing government systems, designing tools and processes that GOU counterparts can progressively own and use to assess risk, monitor corrective action, and make better financing decisions.
• Contribute to the growth of ThinkWell’s PFM and health financing portfolio by identifying emerging opportunities, cultivating strategic relationships, and shaping technically strong proposals and new areas of work.

People and Project Management (20% LOE)

• Provide clear direction, coaching and mentorship to ThinkWell team members while building the judgment and capabilities needed to deliver high-quality PFM and health financing work.
• Drive effective delivery of assigned workstreams, translating technical priorities into clear workplans, coordinating resources and dependencies, and ensuring outputs are delivered on time and to the required quality.
• Support strong program management and accountability, working with project leadership to identify and resolve delivery risks, monitor progress and resources, and meet ThinkWell and client requirements.
• Coordinate with relevant stakeholders for timely completion of peridioc verification excercises and follow up action.
• Other duties as assigned.

We are:

ThinkWell core values are our fundamental organizational guiding principles. They define our corporate culture, influence our behavior at work, and help us achieve our mission. Our values are:

Think big

Influence the conversation

Empower others

Be exceptional

Always question

Relate authentically

Evolve by learning

You are:

ThinkWell core competencies are foundational skills and behaviors that align with our values and are expected of all employees.

An entrepreneurial, results-oriented ‘do-er’ willing to take risks, think big, and challenge conventional wisdom.

A change maker who reaches independent judgment with an open mind influences the conversation and seeks innovation.

Able to help create an empowering environment where everyone feels free to take initiative, be accountable, and fail intelligently (learn from mistakes).

A collaborative colleague who engages constructively with people from different cultures, orientations, and perspectives and maintains positive relations in a virtual world.

Principally motivated by a growth mindset, meaning the pursuit of knowledge, experience, and self-improvement.

You constantly question and continuously learn.

Authentic, honest, direct, self-aware, and open to giving and receiving feedback.

Successful candidates will bring substantial experience working on public financial management, fiduciary risk, public finance, health financing, or closely related areas in Uganda. Successful candidates for this position are likely to have many of the following qualifications:

• A degree in health economics, public health, public policy, or other disciplines relevant to the STA’s responsibilities. A bachelor’s degree is required, with an advanced degree (masters or doctorate) preferred;
• At least 12 years (or 10 with an advanced degree) of substantive, relevant work experience in health systems with a development agency, NGO or government, including progressively greater technical and leadership responsibilities;
• A demonstrated track record of delivering timely, rigorous technical advice and capacity building to government agencies and health system stakeholders in the areas of health financing, public financial management, strategic purchasing, and/or private sector engagement;
• Familiarity with a range of research methods, analytic tools, and data visualization techniques, and deep expertise in at least some relevant research methodologies;
• A deep understanding of health financing in Uganda and a demonstrated ability to engage effectively with relevant stakeholders and funders at the national and sub-national levels;
• Exceptional writing and presentation skills, including the ability to effectively communicate technical information to diverse audiences (note: full professional fluency in written and spoken English is essential);
• Excellent interpersonal and management skills, including a consensus-based mindset;
• An interest and experience in training, coaching, and mentoring junior colleagues;
• Extensive experience participation in new business development, proposal writing and fundraising;
• Outstanding cross-cultural communication skills, including the ability to relate respectfully with staff at all levels, ages, genders, nationalities, and orientations as well as across work areas;
• Comfort with computing and essential workplace software, including but not limited to Microsoft Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel; and
• Ability and willingness to travel within Uganda for up to 25% of working days, including occasional travel on weekends.