The Foundation

We are the largest nonprofit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. Founded on a simple premise: people everywhere, regardless of identity or circumstances, should have the chance to live healthy, productive lives. We believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve. We provide an exceptional benefits package to employees and their families which include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums, generous paid time off, paid family leave, foundation-paid retirement contribution, regional holidays, and opportunities to engage in several employee communities. As a workplace, we’re committed to creating an environment for you to thrive both personally and professionally.

The Team

The foundation’s Program Advocacy and Communications (PAC) teams, both globally and in our Africa offices specifically, work in partnership with program teams and others to achieve policy and finance goals related to our issues by: 

● Developing and coordinating the execution of advocacy and communications strategies. 

● Using leadership and foundation voice to implement advocacy strategies. 

● Developing policy recommendations or proposals in partnership with programmatic, global, and regional offices. 

● Developing and managing a grant portfolio dedicated to achieving advocacy and policy outcomes. 

● Directly advocating with sector leaders, influencers, media, and government officials in order to achieve advocacy and policy outcomes. 

● issue-specific communications in service of advocacy goals. 

The foundation’s Africa PAC team leads this work from a cross-cutting perspective on the African continent, supporting health, economic opportunity, and gender equality outcomes. Within the global PAC team, the Global Health Innovations (GHI) cluster focuses on the health innovation platforms and systems that broadly enable the foundation’s health goals, with a particular emphasis on R&D systems that accelerate development of, access to, and initial uptake of innovations with the highest potential global health impact.

Application Deadline: 28/2/25

Your Role  

The Senior Program Officer (SPO), R&D Systems Advocacy, will design and lead policy and advocacy efforts to ensure strong health innovation systems—globally, but particularly in Africa—are able to speed the development and approval of new global health tools and technologies. All with an eye toward future uptake and use. More specifically, the SPO will work with internal and external partners to advocate around:  

1). Clinical research financing and infrastructure, including helping to optimize the impact, efficiency, and equity of the African clinical trials ecosystem;  

2). Regulatory systems, including supporting financing and policy for ethical, faster, and more harmonized regulatory institutions at global and regional levels;  

3).Health product manufacturing, including sustainable regional manufacturing agendas that support long-term innovation and access goals;  

4). Accelerated and evidence-based pathways for future product introduction as new innovations are approved; and 

5). The importance of global health R&D broadly, including innovation policies and effective financing; the role of public-private and South-South partnerships; and approaches to product development that supports the health needs of vulnerable populations. 

 

The SPO will report into the foundation’s Africa PAC team based in Nairobi, while also serving as a key member of the global GHI PAC team anchored in Seattle. While the SPO will have a particular focus on partnerships and outcomes in Africa, this is a global strategy role with accountabilities across our foundation’s health R&D systems agenda. Responsibilities will include managing key relationships with relevant foundation technical teams, global donors, global health institutions, regulatory authorities, civil society, and others across the health R&D ecosystem. The SPO will also support R&D systems advocacy related to the foundation’s work in India and other key geographies where needed.  

 

This role will report to the Deputy Director, PAC, based in Nairobi with a dotted line to the Deputy Director, Global Health Innovations PAC, who oversees the relevant global strategy. They will work closely with the full GHI PAC team, the Africa Regional team headquartered in Nairobi, and teams across foundation divisions and offices.   

 

What You’ll Do  

Within the foundation’s overall GHI policy, advocacy, and communications strategy, and as part of a dynamic and collaborative team, develop, implement and refine advocacy and communications strategies and tactics to advance R&D systems goals. These strategies and tactics may include: 

○ Market-specific coalition and champion building and advocacy c paigns; 

○ Policy analysis and political/economic assessments of R&D ecosystem issues and equity challenges; and/or  

○ Evidence-based investments that drive policy and resources outcomes for health innovation systems. 

Develop partnerships with people and organizations in the public and private sectors, including in civil society, industry, and research institutions – relevant to foundation R&D and health innovation goals.  

Develop, negotiate, and manage a portfolio of investments that support R&D systems outcomes, particularly but not exclusively in Africa, including all related grant making processes (e.g., research and analysis, investment reviews, strategic alignment, grantee engagement, etc.). 

Lead key collaborations with internal teams across the Global Health, Global Policy and Advocacy, Global Development, and other Divisions to advance cross-functional global health R&D and innovation financing goals. Engage most specifically with the Africa regional and country offices, but also our India and China offices and donor government relations teams. 

Serve as a point of contact on portfolio-related issues for internal and external partners, working within a complex matrix style organization. 

Represent the foundation to external constituencies. This could include formal and informal presentations such as making speeches, attending conferences, committee representation and other meetings. May serve on boards and working groups.  

Produce high-quality and informative written briefs, reports, and other materials for foundation leadership on key Global Health R&D topics, health innovation challenges, and other relevant issues. 

 

Your Experience  

Experience as a leader in global health R&D advocacy or on another highly relevant topic, whether in the public, private, or NGO sector; experience in the conception, design and management of health R&D-related advocacy strategies, initiatives, and programs. 

Deep familiarity with global health R&D and innovation systems related to low- and lower middle-income country needs, including clinical research, regulatory, manufacturing, and/or product introduction. Familiarity with the key bilateral and multilateral institutions and mechanisms that manage and support these systems, particularly in Africa. 

Demonstrated understanding of how health R&D policies can advance impactful and more equitable health outcomes; and of how health R&D issues and partnerships intersect with national and regional health systems particularly in Africa.  

Demonstrated understanding of the role of advocacy and communications efforts to increase awareness of global health and development issues and to inform political and financial support for health and development goals. 

Experience interacting with senior level policy makers, civil society organizations, coalitions, and governments. 

Experience managing grants or as a philanthropic grantee. 

Demonstrated ability to collaborate within fast-paced, dynamic, and matrixed teams across many time zones; and to provide vision and influence others in a constructive, optimistic manner, while forming and sustaining key relationships. 

Excellent verbal and written communication skills, able to effectively synthesize information to reach diverse audiences and build consensus. 

Other Attributes

Strong oral and written communications

Ability to travel up to 25% domestically and internationally.

Strong initiative, organizational skills and ability to work autonomously and cross-functionally while remaining flexible to changing tasks, priorities, and roles and responsibilities

Hiring Requirements

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Candidate Accommodations

If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request here.

Inclusion Statement

We are dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We strive for a global and cultural workplace that supports ever greater diversity, equity, and inclusion — of voices, ideas, and approaches — and we support this diversity through all our employment practices.

All applicants and employees who are drawn to serve our mission will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to race, color, age, religion, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and prior protected activity.