Program Manager – Health Workforce

About this role

The Benjamin William Mkapa Foundation (BMF) seeks a Program Manager to lead its Health Workforce Portfolio, providing strategic oversight and direction for programs designed to strengthen health workforce systems and improve health outcomes across Tanzania. The role is based in the Directorate of Programs and Strategic Information and reports directly to the Director of Programs and Strategic Information. The Program Manager will oversee multiple health workforce initiatives operating across Mainland Tanzania while collaborating with counterparts in Zanzibar, ensuring coherent program delivery, quality assurance, and strategic growth of the portfolio. Core responsibilities encompass strategic leadership of health workforce systems strengthening, including integrated approaches to workforce planning, deployment, performance management, retention, and governance.

The role manages the full program cycle, from planning and implementation through monitoring, reporting, and adaptive management, coordinating across multiple funding streams and locations. Technical duties include leading capacity-strengthening initiatives such as training, mentorship, coaching, and supportive supervision, while promoting evidence-based decision-making and documenting lessons learned for policy influence and scale-up. The role also involves building and maintaining partnerships with government ministries, development partners, donors, and implementing organisations, representing BMF in technical working groups and policy forums. Business development responsibilities include contributing to concept notes, proposals, and grant applications to grow the health workforce portfolio.

Team leadership, compliance oversight, and risk management round out the position, which supervises Program Officers focused on Health Workforce and Compensation. Candidates must hold a Master’s degree in Public Health, Health Systems Management, Health Workforce Development, Health Policy, or a related field, paired with at least eight years of progressively responsible experience in health workforce or health systems strengthening programs. Experience managing donor-funded projects and leading multi-stakeholder initiatives involving government institutions and development partners is required. Knowledge of Tanzania’s health workforce policies and priorities is essential, with regional experience considered an added advantage.