Senior Technical Director

About the Role

The Senior Technical Director holds overall technical direction and technical quality accountability for a program or project(s) across various global health pillars. They set the technical strategy and decide how technical resources are invested against that strategy, and hold final technical sign-off on what leaves FHI 360 under the project(s). This role serves as a strategic global health leader, overseeing the implementation of multiple technical portfolios and initiatives, providing technical oversight to a division, fostering innovation, and ensuring the delivery of high-quality outcomes aligned with organizational objectives. The Senior Technical Director collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to gather and share evidence, lessons learned, and best practices to drive continuous improvement and organizational impact.

Responsibilities

• Technical Leadership & Direction:
  • Sets the technical strategy for the technical pillars and decides how technical resources, staff time, and technical investment are allocated.
  • Holds final technical sign-off on workplans, technical deliverables, and normative products before they reach the donor.
  • Arbitrates technical questions that cross technical areas or awards, including indicator and case definitions, service package composition, and data architecture.
  • Ensures technical approaches are grounded in current normative guidance and revises FHI 360 technical positions as guidance changes.
  • Sets and upholds the technical standard for integration across disease areas and health systems functions.
  • Serves as FHI 360’s senior technical interlocutor with the U.S. Department of State, ministries of health, and other normative bodies, as well as technical counterparts among implementing partners.
  • Directs the technical response during short-notice demands such as outbreak response, donor-requested surge, or country program difficulties.
  • Builds the technical evidence base from portfolio implementation, including peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and contributions to normative guidance.
  • Provides senior technical leadership on new business, including technical strategy, design, and review of proposals and country buy-ins.
• Complexity & Problem Solving:
  • Navigates complex challenges inherent in project implementation.
  • Offers strategic direction and innovative solutions for portfolio-specific challenges.
  • Analyzes project performance and identifies areas for improvement.
  • Recommends actionable solutions to enhance effectiveness and efficiency.
  • Fosters innovation and shares best practices to drive organizational impact.
• Discretion & Impact:
  • Exercises discretion over project-related matters with direct impact on project outcomes and organizational success.
  • Makes decisions on resource allocation, risk management, and stakeholder engagement.
  • Influences portfolio performance and reputation, contributing to achieving organizational objectives and driving positive change in public health outcomes.
• Collaboration & Interaction:
  • Engages with internal and external stakeholders to gather and share evidence, lessons learned, and best practices.
  • Fosters partnerships with project teams, donors, and implementing partners.
  • Facilitates communication and knowledge exchange to enhance project outcomes.
  • Works cross-functionally to achieve common goals and drive organizational impact.
  • Establishes and maintains relationships across FHI 360, including with all Groups and Enterprise Support colleagues.
  • Collaborates with the Project Director and department senior leadership to define the division of responsibility between technical direction and award management, delivery, and compliance.
  • Maintains the technical relationship with the donor’s technical staff directly, in coordination with the Project Director.
• Management & Supervision:
  • Oversees project implementation within their division, providing leadership and guidance to project teams.
  • Sets strategic direction, manages budgets, and ensures programmatic quality.
  • Focuses on fostering a culture of excellence and accountability.
  • Manages project staff and shapes the portfolio structure for optimal efficiency and effectiveness.
  • Leads a team of seasoned technical experts, handling supervision, performance management, and professional development.
  • Line manages the technical area leads and is accountable for their performance, development, and deployment across mechanisms.

Qualifications

• Knowledge & Skills:
  • Comprehensive knowledge of project management principles and program implementation methodologies.
  • Expertise in organizational leadership practices, strategic planning, risk management, and stakeholder engagement.
  • Proven track record of driving innovation and achieving impactful outcomes.
  • Ability to meet or exceed revenue targets across segments (USG, foundations/corporations, and other donors).
• Minimum Qualifications:
  • Master’s Degree or its international equivalent in Public Health, Medicine, Epidemiology, Health Systems, or a related field.
  • Minimum of 12 years of relevant experience in project management, overseeing complex projects and initiatives; or 9 years with a PhD.
  • Minimum 8 years of experience in leadership and line management.
  • Proven experience leading and managing complex, strategic portfolios of programs/projects on a national or international scale.
  • Experience leading teams in complex settings, managing financial and human resources.
  • Significant experience working in non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
• Preferred Qualifications:
  • At least eight years of experience in senior technical leadership of infectious disease or health systems programming in low- and middle-income countries.
  • Demonstrated experience holding technical quality and technical direction across multiple concurrent awards or mechanisms.
  • Experience as the senior technical counterpart to a U.S. Government donor, including technical negotiation of scope and workplans.
  • Doctoral degree (DrPH, PhD, or MD with public health training) in a relevant field.
  • Clinical or epidemiological training.
  • Experience with U.S. Department of State-funded global health mechanisms.
  • Proficiency in French in addition to English; Portuguese is an asset.
  • Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification or other recognized project management certification.
  • Certifications relevant to research management or organizational leadership.

Schedule

• Approximately 25% travel may be required, primarily to engage with stakeholders, oversee project implementation, and attend meetings and events related to portfolio activities.

Work Environment

• Typical office environment.
• Constant use of a computer and other office productivity machinery (e.g., calculator, copy machine, printer).
• Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time.
• Technology requirements include a computer/laptop, Microsoft applications (Office 365, SharePoint, Skype/Zoom/Teams), cell phone/mobile technology, and standard office equipment.

Pay

US Based Hiring Salary Range: USD 160,000 - 190,000. International hiring ranges will differ based on location.

FHI 360 contributes 7% of monthly base pay to a money purchase pension plan account. Additionally, all US-based full-time staff receive 18 days of paid vacation per year, 12 sick days per year, and 11 holidays per year. Paid time off is reduced pro rata for employees working less than a full-time schedule.