Background

The role combines strategic advocacy, policy influence, partnership development, and program leadership. The successful candidate will support high-level engagement, shape compelling narratives, cultivate strategic networks, and identify emerging opportunities that advance shared objectives for health innovation and equitable access across Africa. Through this work, the role will help strengthen the conditions that enable scientific discovery and innovation to translate into lasting public health impact, economic growth, and more resilient health systems across the continent.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead strategy for PATH’s health R&D policy and advocacy programs – Drive the vision for the health R&D policy and advocacy portfolio in the region, ensuring strategic alignment, high-quality delivery, and impact.
• Manage program delivery and performance – Oversee workplans, timelines, deliverables, budgets, and reporting requirements to ensure effective program management and accountability.
• Build and manage strategic partnerships – Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with governments, regional institutions, multilateral organizations, research institutions, civil society, donors, and private sector partners to advance shared health R&D goals and objectives.
• Engage regional and continental stakeholders – Strengthen collaboration with institutions such as the African Union, AMA, Africa CDC, AUDA-NEPAD, and related entities to advance health R&D and innovation priorities.
• Represent PATH in strategic forums – Serve as a key representative in technical meetings, policy forums, working groups, and high-level convenings that shape Africa’s health innovation agendas.
• Drive cross-functional coordination with PATH – Collaborate across PATH’s technical, policy, partnerships, and external affairs teams to integrate R&D advocacy, technical, and programmatic priorities into cohesive strategies and outputs.
• Provide team management as assigned and mentorship – Guide project teams, consultants, and partners while fostering collaboration, learning, inclusion, and professional growth.
• Provide thought leadership and knowledge development based on emerging trends and opportunities – Monitor developments across Africa’s health innovation ecosystem to inform strategy, partnerships, and advocacy and policy tools, reports, analyses, presentations, and advocacy materials that strengthen policy engagement and elevate Africa’s health innovation agenda
• Advance PATH’s visibility and influence – Contribute to PATH’s external positioning and thought leadership on health R&D, innovation policy, and equitable access across Africa.
• Business development: identify partnership and funding opportunities, and contribute to proposal development

Essential Skills and Experience

• Education & Expertise – master’s degree in public health, global health, health policy, public policy, international development, pharmaceutical sciences, health economics, or a related field. Experience in management consulting will be valuable
• Health R&D Policy Leadership – Strong understanding of Africa’s health R&D ecosystem, including product development, introduction, access, regulatory systems, and local manufacturing.
• Advocacy Strategy – Proven track record of designing and delivering evidence-based global health advocacy strategies that influence policy adoption and implementation at national, regional, or continental levels.
• Technical Translation – Ability to distill complex scientific, policy, or regulatory issues into clear, persuasive messages for policymakers and other decision-makers.
• Program and Technical Expertise – Demonstrated experience in health R&D, public health programs, policy, or a related field.
• Stakeholder Engagement – Demonstrated ability to build and maintain trusted relationships with governments, regional institutions, multilateral organizations, civil society, and private sector partners.
• Partnership Management – Experience managing partnerships and coordinating across multiple organizations, sectors, or stakeholder groups.
• Communication – Exceptional written and verbal communication skills in English, including strong presentation and facilitation abilities with senior stakeholders.
• Project Management – Strong organizational skills, with experience leading multi-country or multi-stakeholder initiatives and managing multiple priorities, deadlines, and deliverables.
• Collaboration and Cultural Agility – Proven ability to work effectively across teams, geographies, cultures, and sectors in a dynamic environment.
• Legal Work Authorization – Must have legal authorization to work in the country of hire.

Desirable Skills and Experience

• Donor-Funded Programmes – Demonstrated experience managing philanthropy and multilaterally funded projects.
• Client-focused – Mindset that prioritizes stakeholder needs within organizational resource constraints, and attitude that reflects the necessity to be flexible and responsive to rapid changes in the agendas of policy makers.
• Capacity Strengthening – Experience designing or delivering training and technical assistance to build policy and advocacy capacity.
• Multilingual Skills – Proficiency in French, Portuguese, or Arabic for engagement across Africa’s diverse regions.

• Lead strategy for PATH’s health R&D policy and advocacy programs
• Manage program delivery and performance
• Build and manage strategic partnerships
• Engage regional and continental stakeholders
• Represent PATH in strategic forums
• Drive cross-functional coordination with PATH
• Provide team management as assigned and mentorship
• Provide thought leadership and knowledge development based on emerging trends and opportunities
• Advance PATH’s visibility and influence
• Business development: identify partnership and funding opportunities, and contribute to proposal development

• Health R&D Policy Leadership
• Advocacy Strategy
• Technical Translation
• Program and Technical Expertise
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Partnership Management
• Communication
• Project Management
• Collaboration and Cultural Agility
• Multilingual Skills (French, Portuguese, or Arabic)

• Master’s degree in public health, global health, health policy, public policy, international development, pharmaceutical sciences, health economics, or a related field
• Experience in management consulting will be valuable
• Proven track record of designing and delivering evidence-based global health advocacy strategies
• Demonstrated experience in health R&D, public health programs, policy, or a related field
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain trusted relationships with governments, regional institutions, multilateral organizations, civil society, and private sector partners
• Experience managing partnerships and coordinating across multiple organizations, sectors, or stakeholder groups
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills in English
• Strong presentation and facilitation abilities with senior stakeholders
• Strong organizational skills
• Experience leading multi-country or multi-stakeholder initiatives
• Experience managing multiple priorities, deadlines, and deliverables
• Proven ability to work effectively across teams, geographies, cultures, and sectors in a dynamic environment
• Legal authorization to work in the country of hire
• Demonstrated experience managing philanthropy and multilaterally funded projects
• Client-focused mindset
• Experience designing or delivering training and technical assistance to build policy and advocacy capacity