Portfolio Lead – Health Systems Capacity & Capability

SRI Executive Search has been contracted by the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity to assist with the search for an exceptional candidate to fill the position of Portfolio Lead – Health Systems Capacity & Capability.

The Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity is an innovative philanthropy headquartered in Abu Dhabi, dedicated to advancing human potential and opportunity through global health and inclusive development. Building on the UAE’s longstanding legacy of investing in health outcomes worldwide, MBZFH works across health systems strengthening, healthcare infrastructure, health workforce, preventable diseases, maternal, newborn and child health, assistive technology and thriving communities.

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The Portfolio Lead – Health Systems Capacity & Capability will lead MBZFH’s global systems‑strengthening agenda, with a focus on building the capabilities required for countries and institutions to sustain stronger health outcomes over time. Rather than being accountable for disease programmes themselves, the role will ensure that investments across disease areas, service lines, infrastructure and workforce initiatives strengthen the underlying capacity, leadership, governance, policy alignment, institutional capability, knowledge transfer and operational systems needed for sustainable country ownership.

• Develop and implement MBZFH’s capacity development and health systems strengthening strategy across large grants, workforce development, disability empowerment, service line delivery and country‑level institutional strengthening.
• Ensure capacity‑building initiatives respond to country health system priorities and move beyond “touch and go” interventions towards sustainable local capability.
• Define, from the outset, how strengthened capabilities will be owned, governed, financed, managed and sustained by local institutions and country‑level actors.
• Anchor the portfolio in MBZFH’s wider programme mandate, including pipeline development, programme design, partner selection, due diligence, investment recommendations, implementation oversight, learning and renewal decisions, while ensuring each initiative has a clear country‑ownership, sustainability and transition pathway.
• Support infrastructure, disease programmes, workforce initiatives and service‑line investments to reinforce one another and contribute to stronger national health systems.
• Integrate programmes that previously operated independently into a coherent health systems strengthening portfolio.
• Translate investments into measurable improvements in country capability, institutional resilience, service delivery outcomes and the long‑term ability of local actors to manage and sustain strengthened systems.

• Develop programmes.
• Partner with governments and institutions to build sustainable local capability, with clear ownership, management and transition arrangements embedded in programme design.
• Support training, mentoring and knowledge transfer models.

• Integrate MBZFH’s disease‑focused initiatives into broader health systems approaches by strengthening the capabilities required to sustain disease programmes, rather than assuming direct accountability for those programmes.
• Ensure programmes addressing areas such as NCDs, infectious diseases and maternal health strengthen overall system capacity, including workforce, leadership, governance, policy alignment, institutional systems and knowledge transfer.
• Align investments with national healthcare strategies and policies.
• Support targeted service‑line programmes, such as maternal and child health, where MBZFH seeks to build clinical and operational capacity around specific health outcomes.
• Ensure each disease or service‑line investment answers the sustainability question: who will own, manage, finance and maintain the strengthened capability…