Director of Hospital Services

Position Available: Director of Hospital Services

Institution: Lao Friends Hospital for Children

Location: Luang Prabang, Lao PDR

Date posted: December 12, 2025

Starting Date: March 1, 2026

Closing date: January 23, 2026

Period: Minimum two-year contract

Report to: Friends Without a Border, New York

About the organisation

Lao Friends Hospital for Children (LFHC) is a 52-bed acute pediatric hospital situated in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR. It is operated by a New York-based non-profit organisation, Friends Without A Border, which is dedicated to providing high-quality and compassionate healthcare to children in remote areas of Southeast Asia. In 2015 the hospital was opened on the same campus as the Luang Prabang Provincial Hospital and has been developing its services since then.

LFHC is a teaching hospital offering emergency, inpatient, outpatient and surgical services to neonates and children throughout Northern Laos. Limited on-site radiology, pathology and pharmacy together with a homecare program, complement these clinical activities. A major goal of this hospital is to promote clinical learning and professional development of the local staff such that key positions in the hospital are progressively filled by a well-trained and dedicated local workforce.

Position overview:

The DHS will provide leadership and strategic direction for the hospital ensuring that it functions effectively and achieves its aims and objectives; namely the provision of evidence based high quality medical and nursing care, education of staff, and community disease prevention. To achieve this, the DHS will work closely with representatives of the Luang Prabang Provincial Health Department and Hospital, Ministry of Health and University of Health Sciences, developing a harmonious working relationship that promotes the integrated delivery of compassionate and quality health care to children in the Luang Prabang Province and support other provinces in Lao PDR.

The Director of Hospital Services supervises the entire clinical aspects of the hospital (physicians and nurses included) with a mix of clinical shifts in the outpatient department, emergency department, inpatient department, High Acuity Unit and neonatal unit as well as oversees the administration functions working closely with the Director of Admin. Most direct clinical work is performed by our staff of Lao doctors. A major responsibility of the Director of Hospital Services’ role is to ensure the provision of high-quality care to the LFHC patients as well as high-quality of education and professional development to the LFHC doctors, nurses and ancillary staff members.

Duties and responsibilities:

• The DHS will work closely with and report regularly to FWAB NY.
• Directly supervises the medical director, medical education director, director of nursing, admin director, director of prevention and outreach coordinator.
• Oversee the development and provision of educational activities that will meet the needs of the hospital and hospital staff members.
• Develop leadership within the Lao clinical and administrative team to enable sustainable local management to occur within the hospital.
• In charge of the hospital quality of care framework design and implementation (in close collaboration with the Medical Director and the Nursing Director) for the development and monitoring of a hospital quality assurance system which allows the assessment and improvement of the quality of health care provided by the LFHC team.
• Oversees the development and implementation of hospital wide medical policies and protocols.
• Ensures LFHC has a coordinated multidisciplinary clinical team that provides compassionate, safe and effective clinical care to children.
• Provides guidance on the hospital long term strategy.
• In charge of the opening of new clinical services.
• Review Clinical Incidents together with the Medical director and the Nursing Director with incident review committee and propose appropriate corrective actions.
• Providing bedside education, consultation, and assistance with clinical care to Lao medical staff as required.
• Develop collaboration with LFHC external partners in order to improve LFHC clinical practices.
• Clinical shift supervision with bedside education, mentoring, and guidance.
• Supports the LFHC team in close collaboration with the Medical Education Director in undertaking research projects.
• Sharing back-up call (day and night) as needed.
• Lead by example in demonstrating excellent care on a daily basis.
• Demonstrate positive interpersonal relations in dealing with fellow employees, supervisors.

Qualifications and Attributes:

Essential:

1) A Medical Degree from an internationally recognized university

2) Registration to practice clinical medicine in the applicant’s home country

3) Recent clinical experience in the practice of acute pediatric medicine

4) A higher qualification in pediatrics and/or a close related pediatric subspecialty field

5) Management and budgeting experience in a health care setting

6) Demonstrated high-quality communication, leadership, team building and organizational skills

7) Commitment to providing compassionate and nurturing care to patients

8) Willingness to work with donors and community businesses for the purpose of fundraising, if necessary

Highly desirable:

1) A higher qualification in a health or management field

2) Experience working in a developing country in a low resource settingSalary and Benefits:

Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications. Health benefits, housing allowance, travel to and from point of hire and four weeks of annual leave provided.

Salary and Benefits:

Housing allowance; travel allowance (R/T to home country once a year); health insurance; and salary competitive and commensurate with experience and qualifications. Luang Prabang is an amazing and lovely place to live and work.

Application

Please email a cover letter and CV, and three references from past employers to: hr@fwab.org with the subject line “Director of Hospital Services.”

For specific enquiries regarding this position, email Nicole@fwab.org.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview.

Housing allowance; travel allowance (R/T to home country once a year); health insurance; and salary competitive and commensurate with experience and qualifications. Luang Prabang is an amazing and lovely place to live and work.

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