EpiC Moldova Consultant Health Economist
Organization: Palladium, EpiC Moldova
Location: Remote with occasional travel to Chișinău, Moldova.
Level of effort: Part-time consultancy from April through September 2026 with potential for extension.
Reports to: EpiC Moldova Infectious Diseases Advisor / EpiC Moldova Country Activity Manager.
Type of assignment: consultancy.
Project Overview
Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpiC) is a global health initiative project funded by United States Department of State (DoS) for the period of 2019–2027.
The project receives Global Health Security funding to strengthen global, regional, and local public health systems, building on broad experience and existing capabilities that align with GHS priorities, National Action Plans for Health Security (NAPHS), and US Government goals.
EpiC is led by FHI 360 with core partners Right to Care (RTC), Palladium International, and Population Services International (PSI), and draws upon regional and local partners. The project delivers high-quality technical assistance at the community, facility, district, regional and national levels, and builds relationships with relevant partners working to address health security issues. Our ability to respond quickly to program, technical and procurement needs leverage our deep bench of country-based clinical, program, and community experts.
Among the most urgent priorities to prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats related to emerging infectious disease include:
1. Provide technical and operational support to the NAPH to strengthen the Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC), including the development and refinement of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), data reporting mechanisms, and coordination processes to ensure timely and effective outbreak response.
2. Support enhancing the reporting and use of data for decision-making through the establishment of real-time dashboards and analytical tools. This will also include support for the development and implementation of a context-specific EMCE approach focused on priority pathogens and high-risk antimicrobial resistant pathogens.
3. Support landscape assessment of Moldova’s digital health and data sharing policies focused on surveillance and reporting of priority pathogens and antimicrobial use (AMU) and antimicrobial resistance. This activity will identify gaps, interoperability challenges, and opportunities to align with international standards and best practices.
4. Strengthen the capacity of priority hospitals to implement effective infection prevention and control (IPC) measures and improve their ability to conduct outbreak surveillance. This will include training, provision of technical guidance, and integration of hospital-level data into national reporting systems.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a growing threat to health security, economic growth, and health system sustainability in Moldova. Developing a credible, policy-relevant investment case for AMR and antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is essential to mobilize resources.
This activity will support the development of the first phase of an AMR investment case that combines global and proxy data with emerging country-specific epidemiologic, costing, and health system information. The investment case will frame AMR not only as a health issue, but also as a constraint on economic productivity, EU alignment, cross-border surveillance obligations, pandemic preparedness, and food safety and security.
EpiC is seeking to recruit a part-time Health Economist consultant for EpiC Moldova. The consultant can be based anywhere but will need to travel on occasion to Chișinău, Moldova.
Tasks:
The EpiC team will establish a credible analytical foundation for the AMR Investment Case activity by:
- Validating priority AMR and AMS interventions, with a particular focus on Moldova’s National Action Plan on AMR and EpiC’s antimicrobial stewardship activity.
- Estimating the health and economic burden of AMR, including:
- Conducting health economic analyses to support policy decisions, including a costing analysis of:
- Working with the Senior AMR Advisor to apply a global or regional AMR economic and epidemiologic model (e.g., OECD Strategic Public Health Planning for AMR model or others) adapted to the Moldovan context.
- Supporting the process of modeling the link between targeted investments and measurable outcomes such as reduced inappropriate antimicrobial use, reduced hospital-acquired infections, and improved outbreak detection.
Scope of Work and Key Responsibilities
Under this Scope of Work, the Health Economist will be responsible for the following:
4.1 Technical and Analytical Support
- Work closely with the AMR Investment Case Senior Advisor and local consultants to define, document methods for, and estimate:
· Lead costing analysis, which may include the following responsibilities:
o Providing initial drafts of data collection tools to the team for review and finalization,
o Developing first draft of data analysis plan and defining institutions which will serve as primary data sources,
o Overseeing primary data collection (in-depth data from the pilot hospital and two comparator hospitals; as well as coordination of collection of structural data from all 16 hospitals), conducting data quality checks, including developing solutions for anticipated and unanticipated data challenges, such as varying data quality, validity, and completeness.
o Assessing the feasibility of a difference-in-differences approach using data from the pilot and two comparator hospitals
o Preparing data analysis briefing notes, presentations, and technical report drafts.
o Developing models for advanced data analysis, such as propensity score matching and difference-in-difference analysis and conducting data analysis directly while guiding / supporting others.
- Support the adaptation and application of global AMR economic and epidemiologic models to the Moldovan context.
- Work closely with local consultants to define and validate assumptions, parameters, and data sources used in modeling and costing analyses.
- Ensure analytical approaches align with best practices in health economics and AMR burden estimation.
4.2 Investment Case Framing and Policy Relevance
- Work closely with Senior AMR Advisor, EpiC Moldova Senior Infectious Disease Advisor, and local consultants to frame AMR as a macroeconomic and development issue, not solely a health-sector concern, reflecting learning from global evidence.
- Engage with CNAM to understand the hospital reimbursement mechanism and incorporate CNAM cost and savings implications into the investment case framing.
- Draft the investment case in collaboration with other team members in terms meaningful to Ministries of Finance, Economy, and Planning, including return on investment, avoided costs, and economic resilience.
4.3 Quality Assurance and Strategic Review
- Review data collected by local consultants and support local consultants to ensure strong quality of data and any technical outputs, data collection tools. Provide written and verbal feedback to strengthen rigor, clarity, and credibility.
4.4 Capacity Strengthening and Knowledge Transfer
- Mentor local consultants / data collectors on costing analysis approaches adopted globally and strengthen analytical capacity when feasible. Guide technical discussions with country stakeholders to inform the analysis plan, analysis, and interpretation of the data to incorporate in the investment case.
Potential tasks include working closely with the Moldovan team to:
· Conduct literature reviews, technical analyses related to health financing, economic evaluation, and costing as needed by the project.
· Develop technical documents (presentations, analytical notes, methodologies, training materials) related to the AMR investment case in collaboration with the team.
· Prepare and process data, conduct data quality checks.
· Assist in conducting technical trainings, workshops, or other capacity building activities.
· Participate in EpiC Moldova technical meetings.
· Integrating data outputs from multiple sources to inform the AMR investment case and costing analysis.
Qualifications and experience:
· Master’s Degree or higher in Economics, Economic Theory, actuarial science, or related area.
· Minimum 7 years’ experience working in health economics, public health, and/or health financing focused roles.
· Extensive experience working in a data management environment from collection, cleaning, analysis to visualization and reporting.
· Strong track record of applying costing and economic analyses to inform policy and planning decisions.
· Strong analytical, problem solving, and facilitation skills with experience in health data and health system analysis. Strong interpersonal skills and ability to explain complex trends in a simple language.
· Experience with health system costing and economic evaluation of public health interventions.
· Knowledge of and proven experience working in a health system in the former Soviet Union / Eastern Europe.
· Experience working with Python, Excel, and R, Stata, SAS, or other related statistical / data analysis software. Experience with linear regression models, propensity score matching and difference-in-difference analysis, and other types of multivariate statistical and machine learning models is preferred.
· Excellent written and verbal communication skills with experience writing technical reports, protocols, and analysis plans.
· Ability to work in a multicultural environment
· Fluency in English required, professional proficiency in Romanian and/or Russian is strongly preferred.
· Team player and fits well in a multi-disciplinary team
· Ability to deliver effectively in high-pressure environment.
· Positive thinker with positive attitude towards critical feedback and ideas.
Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skills, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.
Application details All qualified candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position through our online portal.
About Palladium:
Palladium is a global company working to design, develop and deliver positive impact on the lives and livelihoods of people around the globe; broaden access to health, water, power, and infrastructure; build enduring, sustainable, and transformative institutions and market systems to address global challenges; and conserve the natural world. We operate in over 90 countries and have a workforce of 2,100 talented, motivated, and diverse staff of all religions, races, languages, and gender identities.
Palladium is part of GISI’s global family of companies, which aims to create solutions for the world’s most complex challenges. With annual revenues of $14 billion, GISI’s approximately 15,000 employees are engaged in projects across 100 countries worldwide providing construction, program/project management, and engineering consulting services.
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