Senior Fellow: Strategic Purchasing for Primary Healthcare (SP4PHC)

ThinkWell; Pakistan; Remote; PKR 1,400,000 - 2,000,000; Part time

Job summary

An international health systems development organization is seeking a Senior Fellow to provide strategic advice on healthcare purchasing reforms in Pakistan. The role requires extensive experience in health policy, financing, and primary healthcare, along with strong relationships with senior government stakeholders. This part-time consultancy role allows for flexibility and nationwide travel within Pakistan.

Qualifications

• Minimum 15 years of progressive leadership experience in Pakistan’s health sector.
• Demonstrated leadership in designing and implementing PHC reforms.
• Strong relationships with senior stakeholders in Health, Finance, and Planning.

Responsibilities

• Advise on workstreams under the SP4PHC project across Pakistan.
• Cultivate relationships with senior counterparts in health and finance.
• Co-author project briefs and contribute to publications on PHC reforms.

Skills

Health policy expertise

Health financing knowledge

Primary healthcare experience

Leadership skills

Relationship management

Education

Advanced degree in health economics, public health, or related field

Job description

Overview

ThinkWell Institute is an international health systems development organization focused on using tailored health financing approaches to help low- and middle-income countries achieve universal health coverage. We believe that effective health financing systems are essential to ensuring health services are well-resourced, high-quality, accessible, and do not cause financial impoverishment for those who use them. ThinkWell Institute employs a “whole-of-systems” approach to health financing. We specialize in five practice areas that intersect with health financing: governance, human resources for health, private sector, public financial management, and research and evaluation. ThinkWell Institute is seeking a Senior Fellow in Pakistan to provide high-level strategic advice and leadership in designing and advancing purchasing reforms for primary healthcare (PHC). The Senior Fellow will work closely with government stakeholders across provinces, development partners, and ThinkWell Institute’s technical team to shape reform agendas, build consensus, and support implementation. The role requires deep expertise in health financing and PHC reforms in Pakistan, strong relationships with senior government counterparts, and the ability to influence policy processes at national and provincial levels.

Responsibilities

• Advise the country team on all workstreams under the SP4PHC project across all provinces in Pakistan.
• Cultivate relationships and buy-in with senior counterparts in provincial departments of Health, Finance, and Planning & Development (P&D); provide high-level briefings to officials to build consensus for PHC purchasing reforms.
• Advise government counterparts on reforms related to strategic purchasing and PHC financing.
• Facilitate and attend technical working groups with government agencies and development partners to co-design health financing reforms, foster stakeholder consensus, and coordinate phased reform sequencing.
• Guide the development of key knowledge products such as policy briefs, analytical reports, contracting templates, and implementation guides to support PHC reforms.
• Strengthen local capacity by mentoring ThinkWell staff and government counterparts through workshops, training sessions, and on-the-job guidance on strategic purchasing, provider payment, and performance monitoring frameworks as required.
• Co-author project briefs and contribute to peer-reviewed publications on PHC purchasing reforms in Pakistan, documenting lessons and innovations.
• Represent the SP4PHC project at national and international forums; contribute to cross-provincial learning agendas and synthesize lessons learned for policy audiences.
• Support dialogues with donors (World Bank, Gates Foundation, GFF, Gavi, Global Fund, USAID) to align PHC financing priorities.

Qualifications

• Minimum 15 years of progressive leadership experience in Pakistan’s health sector, with proven expertise in health policy, health financing, and primary healthcare.
• Advanced degree in health economics, public health, public policy, or a related field.
• Demonstrated leadership in designing and implementing PHC reforms or provider payment innovations at national and/or provincial level.
• Strong relationships and credibility with senior stakeholders in Health, Finance, and Planning & Development departments and related agencies.
• Track record of policy advisory, publications, and technical leadership in PHC financing or strategic purchasing.
• Experience in a senior public-sector leadership role will be considered an asset.

Location & Travel

This is a remote position based in Pakistan. Nationwide travel across Pakistan’s provinces as required.

Contract and Reporting

Contract type: Part-Time Consultancy
Duration: Through July 2026
Level of effort: 5–8 days/month (flexible based on project needs)
Reports to: Project Director, SP4PHC
Collaborates closely with: Country Director, Technical Advisors

Additional Information

The Senior Fellow will have flexibility in scheduling work hours, with the expectation of regular communication and collaboration with the team. Periodic travel required for meetings, conferences, and other events. Compensation will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. The consultant must disclose all current and planned engagements, particularly with organizations working on health financing in Pakistan, to ensure no conflict of interest or direct competition with ThinkWell Institute’s work.