ABOUT HEPU

The Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS) is a comprehensive health and allied sciences higher learning institution established with the primary function of training health workers and to conduct health research. The Health Economics and Policy Unit (HEPU) is a unit under the Department of Health Systems and Policy within the School of Global and Public Health (SOGAPH) at KUHeS which was jointly established with the Ministry of Health (MoH).

With support from the Health Services Joint Fund (HSJF), the HEPU has been tasked with conducting health economics and policy analyses. The goal is to provide evidence for policy initiatives that will improve the capacity to generate and use health economics evidence in health sector decision making. The HEPU aims to enhance the ability to make informed policy decisions by applying economic principles to health issues. Through this initiative, the unit seeks to strengthen the link between health economics capacity and capability building, research evidence generation and policy formulation in the health sector.

The HEPU is therefore seeking a visionary, highly accomplished Senior Research Fellow to serve as Co-Director.

JOB SUMMARY

Reporting to the Director, in this role, the Co-Director will work hand in hand with the Director to provide strategic, technical, and operational leadership across the unit's core pillars: economic evaluations, health financing, cutting-edge research, policy analysis, and high-level policy engagement. Beyond research, the post holder will be a cornerstone for institutional sustainability and capability building, leading resource mobilization, mentoring the next generation of health economists, transition of the unit into an institute, and leading the implementation, teaching, and supervision of postgraduate and Master's programs.

Further, the post holder will collaborate directly with the MoH to diagnose systemic inefficiencies and inequalities in health and healthcare and design strategic roadmaps, translating these insights into co-developed concept notes, policy briefs, and high-impact manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals. Furthermore, the post holder will drive capacity and capability building by designing and delivering health economics modules and short or long courses across both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Strategic Leadership, Policy Engagement and Influence

• Unit Direction: Work alongside the Director to oversee HEPU's strategic direction, institutional growth, and operational management.
• Leadership: Technical lead for all health economics and health financing workstreams.
• Policy Lab Integration: Lead high-level health economics and health financing policy analysis and translate complex economic data into actionable policy briefs for the Ministry of Health and global health stakeholders.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Represent HEPU in national and international forums, liaising with international and local partners, coordinating multidisciplinary think tanks and driving policy dialogues around health economics, health financing and Health Technology Assessment (HTA).
• Policy Alignment: Ensures health economics research themes match the objectives of the MoH.
• Policy Influence: Guides government, local and international partners on health economics, health financing, resource allocation in health and healthcare.

2. Research Excellence & Technical Leadership

• Principal Investigation: Design, secure funding for, and execute health economics and health financing research projects.
• Technical Oversight: Provide rigorous health economics technical leadership across all HEPU research portfolios, ensuring high methodological quality and alignment with international standards.
• Academic Peer-Review: Maintain a strong personal health economics publication pipeline in high-impact, peer-reviewed international journals.
• Resource Allocation: Oversees health economics modelling to maximize public medical resource impact.
• Proposal Development: Guides senior analysts in translating country healthcare needs into health economics viable research funding proposals.

3. Stakeholder Engagement & Policy Labs

• Think-Tank Management: Spearheads health economics and financing regional policy dialogues, Think-Tank Conferences, and high-level stakeholder symposia.
• Policy Translation: Oversees the HEPU "Policy Lab" to turn health economics and financing scientific data into practical policy briefs for lawmakers.
• External Partnerships: Maintains institutional relationships with international collaborators such as the University of York, Centre for Health and funders like the NIHR and the Wellcome Trust.

4. Resource Mobilization & Sustainability

• Grant Leadership: Serve as the lead writer and coordinator for major international competitive research grants, bilateral funding proposals, and consultancy bids to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the unit.
• Partnership Cultivation: Build and maintain strategic networks with global health funders, academic institutions, and international development agencies.

5. Academic Implementation, Teaching & Mentorship

• Master's Program Oversight: Lead the curriculum implementation, continuous review, and quality assurance of HEPU's Health Economics Master's and postgraduate programs.
• Teaching & Supervision: Deliver high-quality lectures on health economics, health economic evaluation, health financing and public financial management in health; supervise Master's theses and PhD candidates.
• Capacity Building: Act as the primary mentor for Postdoctoral Research Fellows, research assistants, and the broader team of health economists, fostering a collaborative culture of continuous professional development.

QUALIFICATIONS

The Co-Director shall serve as a Co-Investigator on internationally funded projects under HEPU and therefore it requires a senior university faculty or senior research fellow, with at least the following credentials:

• Primary Degree: A minimum of a PhD in Health Economics, Economics, Public Health Policy, or an equivalent quantitative healthcare modelling discipline.
• Publication Record: A proven track record of peer-reviewed publications in international health systems or economic journals.
• Professional Experience: At least 7 to 10 years of progressive research management/leadership and management experience in health economics and health financing, with specific exposure to steering policy collaborations alongside the Malawi Ministry of Health or similar settings in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Those with experience in policy engagement in health economics, health financing or have publications will have added advantage.
• Minimum 5 years' progressive experience in a management position.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in research, study design, and data analysis.
• Demonstrated knowledge in framework development.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Excellent research methodology and data collection skills.
• Excellent analytical and presentation (oral and written) skills.
• Ability to organize work plans based on higher level goals.
• Strong organizational skills in order to balance competing priorities.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Ability to apply research ethics procedures.
• Excellent computer skills including word processing, spreadsheet programs and database management.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Interested candidates who meet the above requirements should send their applications including cover letter, CV with names of three traceable referees and copies of relevant certificates to:

By Post:

The Registrar

Kamuzu University of Health Sciences

Mahatma Gandhi Road Campus

P/Bag 360

Chichiri

Blantyre 3, Malawi

By Email: recruitment@kuhes.ac.mw

Copy to: hepuadmin@kuhes.ac.mw

Indicate position title on the envelope for hard copy applications and indicate the same in the subject line of your email for electronic submissions.

Applications should reach the Registrar not later than 14th August 2026. Only short-listed candidates will be acknowledged.