How to apply for Sr. Director/Director, Health Financing

About ThinkWell Global

ThinkWell Global is a health systems development organization that helps low- and middle-income countries advance universal health coverage through health financing reform. The role reports directly to the CEO and sits at the center of a portfolio that spans many countries and clients. If you want to shape how a global health financing practice evolves as donor funding shifts toward domestic resourcing and blended models, this is the place to do it.

About the role

The Senior Director, Health Financing sets the strategic direction for ThinkWell's health financing portfolio worldwide and reports to the CEO. This is an architect and practitioner role: you design the vision and approach for tackling complex health financing challenges while staying close enough to the technical detail to guide, troubleshoot, and quality-assure the work. You lead a global team of health financing directors and technical leaders, carry fundraising responsibility, and represent ThinkWell on high-level panels and technical advisory bodies.

A typical day

A typical day might involve guiding country teams on a complex health financing challenge, reviewing a technical deliverable for quality, and meeting with a funder or private sector partner about the next phase of the portfolio. You would also spend time recruiting or developing technical talent and representing ThinkWell on a high-level panel or advisory body. Because the role is fully remote, much of this happens through virtual collaboration across time zones.

Who ThinkWell Global is looking for

• A recognized global leader in health financing with credibility on high-level panels and technical advisory bodies.
• A practitioner who can design a portfolio-wide vision and also dive into technical details to guide country teams and quality-assure deliverables.
• Experienced leading and recruiting global teams of health financing directors and technical leaders across multiple countries and clients.
• Has live relationships across funders that matter for health financing and health systems work, including the U.S. Department of State, multi-laterals, philanthropies, corporate foundations, and other critical funders.
• Embraces the private sector and constantly looks for private collaboration opportunities.

Tips for this application

• Lead with your fundraising track record. The job description explicitly states the role carries fundraising responsibility and requires live relationships with funders like the U.S. Department of State, multi-laterals, philanthropies, and corporate foundations. Name specific funders you have worked with and the results you delivered.
• Show both strategic and hands-on technical work. This is an architect and practitioner role. Your application should demonstrate you can set a vision for a global portfolio and also guide, troubleshoot, and quality-assure technical work in country programs.
• Highlight experience managing a portfolio spread over many countries and clients. ThinkWell's health financing portfolio spans multiple countries and clients. Describe how you have kept a coherent approach across a similar spread.
• Address the shift from donor funding to domestic resourcing and blended models. The job description frames this as a moment when health financing is shifting. Explain how you have worked on domestic resource mobilization, blended finance, or private sector collaboration.
• Demonstrate private sector collaboration. The role explicitly says the Senior Director embraces the private sector and is constantly looking for private collaboration. Give examples of private sector partnerships you have built or led.

What to cover in your cover letter

["Your vision for how ThinkWell's health financing portfolio should evolve as donor funding shifts toward domestic resourcing and blended models.", 'Specific examples of leading a global team of health financing directors and technical leaders, including recruiting and building technical talent.', 'Your live relationships with the funders that matter for health financing and health systems work, and how you would use them to fundraise for this portfolio.', 'How you operate as both an architect and a practitioner: setting strategy while staying close enough to the technical detail to guide, troubleshoot, and quality-assure country teams.']

Research before applying

• Review ThinkWell Global's current health financing programs and the countries where they work, so you can speak specifically about the portfolio you would lead.
• Look at ThinkWell's published reports, tools, and technical products on health financing reform and universal health coverage to understand their approach and deliverables.
• Research the funders named in the job description, such as the U.S. Department of State, multi-laterals, philanthropies, and corporate foundations, and identify where you have existing relationships or gaps.
• Find out who currently leads health financing at ThinkWell and how the portfolio is structured, so you can ask informed questions about the team you would inherit and build.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you would set the strategic direction for ThinkWell's health financing portfolio worldwide as donor funding shifts toward domestic resourcing and blended models.
• Your approach to leading a global team of health financing directors and technical leaders across many countries and clients while keeping a coherent technical approach.
• Your fundraising strategy for the health financing portfolio, including which funders you would approach first and why.
• How you stay close enough to the technical detail to guide, troubleshoot, and quality-assure the work while also operating at a strategic level.
• Examples of private sector collaboration you have led or would pursue in health financing and health systems work.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying as a pure strategist without evidence of hands-on technical work. The role explicitly requires staying close enough to the technical detail to guide, troubleshoot, and quality-assure the work.
• Ignoring the fundraising requirement. This role carries fundraising responsibility and requires live funder relationships. Do not treat it as a purely technical or programmatic position.
• Showing no private sector orientation. The job description states the Senior Director embraces the private sector and constantly looks for private collaboration. A public-sector-only track record without private collaboration examples is a gap.