PATH is an international organization that drives transformative innovation to save lives and improve health. We accelerate innovation across five platforms-vaccines, drugs, diagnostics, devices, and system and service innovations-that harness our entrepreneurial insight, scientific and public health expertise, and passion for health equity. By mobilizing partners around the world, we take innovation to scale, working alongside countries primarily in Africa and Asia to tackle their greatest health needs. Together, we deliver measurable results that disrupt the cycle of poor health.
PATH’s Advocacy and Public Policy (APP) department works to improve global health by increasing awareness and support of global health priorities and evidence-based policies among policymakers, coalitions and other influential individuals and groups in the U.S., at global levels and in Africa and Asia. APP is a department of more than 40 staff, across multiple locations worldwide, responsible for advocacy for policy change in a wide range of health areas, with strong emphasis on the Continuum of Care (reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health) and global health research and development (R&D).
The Regional Advocacy Director, based in Nairobi, Kenya is a member of APP’s senior leadership team, reporting to PATH’s Vice President of Policy and Advocacy in Washington, DC, and will be responsible for the following key activities:
- Provide strategic guidance and oversight to country advocacy managers who are responsible for Continuum of Care and R&D advocacy programs, program budgets and staff in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and other countries to be determined. Provide quality assurance to achieve objectives, manage budgets and deliverables, implement course corrections as needed, and elevate successes.
- Liaise with and advise PATH leaders and technical experts in US, Africa and Asia to develop and implement advocacy strategies to advance their program objectives in the region in close collaboration with country program and health area technical teams.
- Serve as a senior PATH representative on the global stage and participate in regional and global steering groups and events to strengthen linkages between global and national policy agendas and share PATH’s expertise and thought leadership.
- Lead development and implementation of a regional strategy to raise visibility and profile of PATH’s advocacy work and grow PATH’s advocacy footprint in Africa, including expanding the number of focus countries and topics.
- In collaboration with key PATH stakeholders, identify and lead business development and partnership opportunities to support PATH advocacy growth in additional countries in Africa and Asia, including proposal development and staff recruitment.
- Lead development and implementation of an advocacy strategy to influence African regional structures, such as the African Union and Regional Economic Communities, relative to Continuum of Care and R&D.
- Design initiatives to build the capacity of PATH country-based programs and partners to more effectively engage in advocacy, strengthen linkages between country programs, and facilitate opportunities for south-to-south collaboration and learning.
- Develop and produce policy and advocacy thought pieces on Continuum of Care, R&D and other topics, including high-level reports and peer reviewed documents.
- Develop productive internal and external relationships with donors, senior government representatives, health specialists and global advocates, and allied public and private partners to achieve cross-cutting advocacy goals.
- As a member of the APP senior leadership team, participate in APP (and PATH) strategy and work plan meetings to contribute toward the development and execution of the programs objectives and priorities and to ensure close linkages between PATH’s evidence gathering, implementation and advocacy efforts.
- Liaise with PATH advocacy—specifically APP issue leads—and technical colleagues in Washington, DC and Seattle and elsewhere to ensure aligned strategies across geographies.
- Travel up to 30 to 40%.
Required Experience
- Master’s degree in public health, public policy, communications or related field, plus a minimum of 10 years of relevant advocacy experience in global health or development.
- Experience living and developing/implementing advocacy strategies that target policymakers or decision-makers in sub-Sahara Africa.
- Demonstrated experience managing and supervising a team of senior advocates who are geographically-dispersed.
- Demonstrated experience and knowledge of health advocacy issues and barriers to implementation in Sub-Saharan Africa. Experience influencing country and regional policy issues at the national/local government level is a plus.
- Experience managing a program to meet deliverables within budget.
- Experience managing consortia or coalitions of multiple stakeholders to influence policy at regional, national, and/or local levels in Africa.
- Excellent communication skills in speaking and writing.
- Advanced writing and editing skills in a variety of styles, including proposals.
- Ability to translate technical, policy and complex topics into compelling advocacy agendas and initiatives.
- Ability to work productively with policy and technical experts based in many different countries.
- Ability to effectively prioritize and deliver quality work on deadline in a fast-paced environment, with a sense of how to appropriately balance risk with reward.
- Strong existing relevant professional networks in public, UN, donor, iNGO, civil society and private sectors.
- Experience serving as an organizational spokesperson.
- Ability to juggle multiple assignments and interact with varied work teams with strong results.
- Team-oriented and ability to facilitate productive working relationships inside and outside the organization.
- Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills, with attention to detail.
- Flexible and adaptable to changing priorities.
- Expert computer skills in Microsoft Office Suite applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
- Fluency in English required. Combined English and French fluency strongly preferred.
- Candidates must be eligible to work in Kenya
PATH is dedicated to building an inclusive workforce where diversity is valued.
PATH is an equal opportunity employer. Every qualified applicant will be considered for employment. PATH does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, age, national origin, marital status, disability status, political ideology, military or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
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