Permanent Secretary at Ministry of Health

May 28, 2026

971

OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER

EXTERNAL CIRCULAR NOTICE NO. 2 OF 2026

Applications are hereby invited from suitably qualified local candidates for the following vacant positions:

Permanent Secretary – Ministry of Health

Position Details

Item	Details
Position	Permanent Secretary
Responsible To	Government Secretary
Day-to-Day Reporting	Minister
Grade	L
Ministry/Office	Health
Duty Station	Maseru
Duration	5 Years

Job Purpose

The Permanent Secretary is the Chief Accounting Officer of the Office of the Prime Minister and provides strategic guidance and supervision in the implementation of the Office’s strategic plan towards attainment of national development priorities.

Job Summary

Under the general supervision of the Government Secretary and the direct guidance of the Minister, the Permanent Secretary (PS) will be responsible for the development and review of the Office’s strategic plan and legal frameworks; implementation of the Office’s strategic plan, programmes and legal frameworks; financial and budget management; implementation of Government Decisions and Directives; supervision of subordinates; and perform other duties and responsibilities in line with Section 97 (1,2,3(b),(c)) of the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution Act, 2025 and Section 13 (2) of the Public Service Act, 2005.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

1. Development and Review of the Office’s Strategic Plan and Legal Frameworks

1.1 Leads the development of the strategic plan in line with the National Strategic Development Plan to ensure that the Office responds to the needs of the national health care needs.

1.2 Presents the strategic plan to the Minister, and to the Ministries of the Public Service and of Finance and Development Planning for approval.

1.3 Supervises the development of policies, laws and regulations pertaining to the mandate of the Ministry.

1.4 Facilitates presentation of developed policies, laws and regulations to Cabinet for consideration and approval.

1.5 Reviews the strategic plan and legal frameworks regularly in order to address emerging issues affecting the health sector in the Country.

2. Implementation of Strategic Plan, Programmes and Legal Frameworks

2.1 Supervises the development of the implementation plan for the strategic plan, programmes, projects and the legal frameworks to ensure that the Ministry achieves the intended targets.

2.2 Liaises with all relevant stakeholders including development partners to ensure that the implementation plan is widely communicated for maximum support and participation.

2.3 Convenes regular Executive Management meetings to solicit progress reports on the operations and activities of Departments.

2.4 Reports to the Minister, Government Secretary, Development Partners and all relevant stakeholders on progress made on the implementation plan for regular updates and to solicit support when necessary.

3. Financial and Budget Management

3.1 Leads the Ministry’s budgeting process to ensure that its strategic activities are adequately funded.

3.2 Presents the budget to the Minister for his/her appreciation, buy-in and approval.

3.3 Presents the budget to the Ministry of Finance & Development Planning for funding of the Ministry’s annual operational plan.

3.4 Authorizes procurement and payments of goods and services in line with Financial and Procurement Regulations to ascertain that the Ministry obtains value for money.

3.5 Directs compilation of procurement, financial, and reconciliation reports so as to assess the effectiveness of procurement services and track the financial performance of the Ministry.

3.6 Directs preparation of reports (budget execution and audit queries) for submission and presentation to the National Assembly.

3.7 Supervises the development of the asset register to ensure safeguarding of assets and their proper record keeping.

3.8 Supervises the development of the risk strategy to manage and mitigate risks.

4. Implementation of Government Decisions and Directives

4.1 Supervises the implementation of Government decisions for improved service delivery.

4.2 Supervises compilation of reports on the implementation of decisions and directives and submits to GS for consideration, approval and onward submission to Cabinet.

5. Supervision of Subordinates

5.1 Conven es meetings with individual subordinates to develop annual work plans.

5.2 Reviews progress on the planned activities quarterly so as to monitor the performance of individual supervisees.

5.3 Conducts performance appraisals annually on the individual supervisees to assess their overall performance.

5.4 Facilitates assessment of training and development needs of staff for the development of needs-based ministerial training plan.

5.5 Supervises the execution of the training plan with the aim of enhancing employees’ skills for improved service delivery.

5.6 Leads the monitoring and evaluation of the impact of the undertaken training and development on staff in order to determine an appropriate remedial action where necessary.

Compensable Factors

Qualifications

Applicants must possess one of the following qualifications:

Option 1

Master’s Degree from a recognized university in one of the following disciplines:

Health Sciences
Administrative Studies
Strategic Management
Related field

OR

Option 2

Postgraduate Diploma/Honours Degree from a recognized university in one of the following disciplines:

Health Sciences
Administrative Studies
Strategic Management
Related field

OR

Option 3

First Degree from a recognized university in one of the following disciplines:

Health Sciences
Administrative Studies
Strategic Management
Related field

Experience

Five (5) years work experience for Master’s Degree holders
Seven (7) years for Postgraduate Diploma/Honours Degree holders
Ten (10) years for First Degree holders

Experience must be in a senior management position.

Experience in public service management is critical to coordinate and manage the centre of Government.

Competencies

Good leadership traits
Motivation and persuasive skills
Planning, coordination and budgeting skills
Communication and presentation skills
Good problem solving and analytical skills
Appreciation of Government Procurement Act, Public Financial Management and Accountability Act, Public Service Act, Public Service Regulations, Basic Conditions of Employment for Public Officers and Legal Frameworks related to Cabinet procedures and processes
Computer skills (Excel, Word & PowerPoint)
Proposal and report writing skills
Ability to communicate fluently in Sesotho and English
Ability to work in a multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary professional setup
Ability to work under pressure within short timelines

Responsibility

For Work of Others

The incumbent is responsible for the general supervision of all employees and for ensuring that the Ministry achieves its targets within the set timelines.

For Property

The incumbent is responsible for the proper handling and safety of the Ministry’s assets.

For Effects of Errors

The incumbent shall be responsible for errors that may occur during the execution of the Ministry’s activities.

For Safety of Others

The incumbent shall be responsible for the safety of staff when carrying out their day-to-day activities.

Complexity

Authority for Decision Making

The incumbent shall be responsible for making assessments regarding work-related activities and make decisions thereof.

Problem Solving

The incumbent will be responsible for solving work-related problems that may arise from time to time, especially from high level offices.

Supervision Received

The incumbent will be expected to work independently but report daily to the Minister and weekly to the Government Secretary on operational issues.

Dexterity

This factor is not identified with this type of job.

Contacts

Office/Institution	Reason	Frequency
Minister	Reporting on implementation of technical activities and Cabinet decisions	Daily
Minister	Reporting on administrative and financial issues	Daily
Minister	Advising on strategic directions to be taken	As and when need arises
Government Secretary	Reporting on implementation of operational plan and Cabinet decisions	As and when necessary
Development Partners	Consultations and reporting	Regularly
Other Ministries locally and counterparts internationally	Networking, sharing ideas, experiences and best practices to improve service delivery	As and when required or necessary
Permanent Secretaries	Soliciting support and consultations	As and when required or necessary

Effort

Mental Effort

The job involves dealing with high level offices including Cabinet and handling complex issues which may lead to depression and fatigue. A high level of analytical planning and problem-solving techniques are required.

Physical Effort

The factor is minimal in this job.

Emotional Effort

The incumbent is expected to work with different characters and multi-discipline professionals, hence the need to be always emotionally stable.

Working Conditions

Unfavorable Working Conditions

Since the job involves field visits to the districts and hard-to-reach areas, the incumbent is expected to work beyond normal working hours, during weekends and holidays, as well as in very harsh weather conditions and unfavorable topography.

Health Hazards