Senior Technical Advisor - Health Economics, Global Health Security, Antimicrobial Resistance

Senior Technical Advisor - Health Economics, Global Health Security, Antimicrobial Resistance

Organization: Palladium

Location: Washington DC

Duration: Through September 30, 2026

Reports to: Director

Type of assignment: Consultancy

1. Background and Purpose

Palladium is engaging an advisor to respond to the requirements of donors in the field of global health security, infectious diseases of pandemic potential, antimicrobial resistance and health economics and health finance. We wish to build a team of technical advisors to work in multiple countries to address the integration of program implementation, technical advice and health economics addressing the sustainability of interventions with the country Ministry of Health and Ministry of Finance.

The US State Department is currently engaging multiple countries to sign 3-5 year Memoranda of Understanding, followed by the development of implementation plans for the health funding support, with a focus on Government to Government (G2G) funding against measurable outcome and impact targets. These funds will be applied across a range of priorities, including global health security, laboratory strengthening, infectious disease, among others.

Palladium seeks to engage a Senior Technical Advisor with deep expertise in health economics, economic modeling, and policy translation to guide analytical approaches, validate assumptions, and strengthen rapid response analyses and products for country governments and other clients.

2. Role of the Senior Technical Advisor Health Economics

A. The Senior Technical Advisor will assist Palladium in defining the response to the US State Department requirements for transition of the previous funding models and program implementation to G2G funding implementation plans, measured by target linked outcomes and impact. This activity will be supported by Palladium during the grant application stages.

B. The Senior Advisor will provide high-level technical leadership and advisory support for the design, implementation, and refinement of health economics, modeling, and analytical activities. The Senior Advisor will ensure that economic analyses are methodologically sound, policy-relevant, and compelling to both health and non-health decision-makers. The role is advisory and strategic in nature, complementing technical teams and country partners rather than duplicating implementation responsibilities.

C: Additional country specific engagements may be added to this agreement by modification.

3A: Description of Palladium Health Finance and Health Economics response to the transition under Department of State

Whereas the Department of State is shifting the emphasis of international support for health towards G2G funding, the in-country counterpart government MOH, MOA, MIS and MOF require assistance to establish health finance activities in the transition from the MOU to an implementation plan. These activities will include:

* Accessing existing models of health cost for HIV, TB, Malaria and other infectious diseases, primary health care and laboratory capacitation

* Apply the modeling to multiple country situational analyses to identify progress towards disease elimination, cost-efficient interventions and health finance requirements

* With the country coordinating mechanism, identify and prioritize the interventions to be implemented, taking into account the available resources and donor coordination

* Support Palladium activities to establish the G2G approach, including the gap analysis, target setting, monitoring and public management finance act fiscal controls.

3B. Description of health economics and modeling technical advisory support to country programs

The Senior Technical Advisor will support a variety of activities, including:

• Estimating the health and economic burden of infectious diseases of pandemic potential, including antimicrobial resistance by conducting an analysis of health system costs and broader economic impacts (e.g., productivity losses, preventable mortality, outbreak risks).
• Conducting a costing analysis of implementing hospital- and primary-care based interventions to prevent, detect, and respond to outbreaks, including investments required for IPC strengthening, laboratory-clinical integration, and digitalized surveillance.
• Applying a global or regional economic and epidemiologic model adapted to the country contexts.
• Modeling the link between targeted investments and measurable outcomes.

• Conducting diagnostic network optimization analyses to inform investment cases for laboratory strengthening.
• Articulating financing and sustainability pathways, including domestic budget integration, efficiency gains, and strategic alignment of donor and development partner financing.

• Review draft technical outputs, including protocols, data collection tools, and products associated with burden of disease and economic impact estimates, costing analyses, investment case narratives and presentations.

• Mentor team members on economic modeling concepts and interpretation of results.
• Participate in selected technical discussions or workshops with country stakeholders.

5. Deliverables

Key deliverables may include (but are not limited to):

• Inception and Technical Approach note providing written technical guidance on analytical frameworks, modeling and costing approaches and data needs.
• Review memos with detailed feedback and direct edits on draft analytical outputs.
• Contributions to narratives, slide decks, or briefing materials for senior policymakers.
• Participation in selected technical or policy discussions (virtual or in-person, as agreed).

The assignment is expected to be part-time and intermittent.

Payments to the Senior Technical Advisor will be tied to satisfactory completion and acceptance of the deliverables detailed for each assignment. Deliverables may be refined by mutual agreement to reflect evolving project needs.

6. Required Qualifications and Expertise

The Senior Advisor should meet the following qualifications:

• PhD in Economics, Health Economics, with a proven track-record in supporting national diagnostic or treatment programs with research and technical advice. .
• Internationally recognized expertise in the economics of antimicrobial resistance, antimicrobial stewardship, laboratory diagnostic network optimization, and infectious disease control.
• Demonstrated experience developing or advising on AMR burden estimates, economic models, or investment cases at global or country level.
• Strong track record of applying economic analysis to inform policy and financing decisions in low- and middle-income countries.
• Deep familiarity with:
• Proven ability to translate complex economic analyses into clear, compelling messages for policymakers outside the health sector.
• Experience working with multilateral organizations, donors, or global health initiatives on AMR or health security-related investments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication
  skills, with experience providing high-level technical review and
  strategic advice.