Senior Regional Advisor, Tobacco Control, Southern Africa Region 19 views0 applications

Vital Strategies is a global public health organization. Our programs strengthen public health systems and address the world’s leading causes of illness, injury and death. We currently work in more than 80 countries, supporting data-driven decision-making in government, advancing evidence-based public health policies, and mounting strategic communication campaigns. Vital Strategies’ priorities are driven by the greatest potential to improve and save lives. They include noncommunicable disease prevention, tobacco control, road safety, food policy, overdose prevention, environmental health, and data for health. Our programs are primarily concentrated in low- and middle-income countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific; the Overdose Prevention Program is our first initiative in the U.S. Please visit our website at www.vitalstrategies.org to find out more about our work.

Vital Strategies believes our programs are strengthened when they are developed and supported by individuals with diverse life experiences, whose understanding of social and cultural issues can help make our work and workforce more inclusive. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or creed, gender, national origin, ancestry, actual or perceived age, physical or mental disability, veteran or military status, marital status, sexual orientation or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal laws.

About the Role:

The recently launched Tobacco Control Accelerator Fund aims to help advance global tobacco control progress in several low- and middle- income countries. Under this fund Vital Strategies is providing grants and technical support to governments and non-governmental organizations in countries without any best-practice tobacco control measures in place or countries close to implementing all best-practice measures.

Vital Strategies is seeking a Senior Regional Advisor, Tobacco Control, Southern Africa Region to play a critical role in advancing the work for the Tobacco Control Accelerator Fund in the region. This is a new role reporting to the Director, Tobacco Control, Africa, and will serve as the focal point for collaborations with government agencies, key partners and grantees in the Southern Africa region. This individual will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience of policy making, public health policy interventions and government relations and have a deep understanding of government system and connections to government agencies in Africa with a special focus on Southern Africa.

This is a full-time, remote role based in South Africa, with employment facilitated locally through an Employer of Record. We offer highly competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits. The salary range for this position is ZAR 1,170,000 to 1,590,000. The candidate must have authorization to work legally in South Africa at the time of hire.

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Leadership & Representation –

· Focal Point Leadership: Act as the tobacco control focal point for Southern Africa Region countries

· Organizational Representation: Represent Vital Strategies at high-level meetings and events to advocate for tobacco control.

· Strategic Planning: Provide critical inputs to the development of Vital Strategies’ work plans and overarching regional strategy.

2. Policy Advocacy & Stakeholder Engagement –

· Government Liaison: Engage with the Ministry of Health and other relevant ministries at both national and sub-national levels to secure political support for policy implementation.

· Partnership Cultivation: Map and maintain strategic collaborations with diverse national and sub-national civil society organizations (CSOs) and non-government organizations (NGOs) across health and non-health sectors to strengthen policy implementation and enforcement

· Information Gathering: Maintain close relationships with stakeholders to share information on country strategic plans and emerging tobacco control policy developments.

· Tobacco Control Partner Coordination: Ensure collective efforts by coordinating with other Bloomberg Initiative partners at global and local levels.

3. Technical Assistance & Capacity Building –

· Government Support: Provide technical support to address the capacity-building needs of government agencies and specific BI projects.

· Policy Analysis: Conduct detailed political and policy environment analyses and identify new opportunities for technical support.

· Quality Assurance: Review technical resources produced by both grantees and internal teams to ensure alignment with international best practices (such as the WHO FCTC).

4. Grant & Project Management –

· Grant Oversight: Manage the development and implementation of Vital Strategies grants with government and/or local NGO partners.

· Performance Monitoring: Track project progress against agreed-upon objectives and outcomes to ensure accountability.

· Site Inspections: Conduct on-site monitoring visits to verify project activities and provide technical guidance.

5. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting (MER) –

· Technical Reporting: Produce monthly, quarterly, and annual progress reports to track initiative milestones.

· Brief Development: Create policy briefs and technical reports to summarize complex findings for decision-makers.

· Communication Flow: Conduct regular calls and attend meetings with the Bloomberg Initiative and other tobacco control stakeholders to maintain consistent reporting and operational alignment.

Qualifications:

Education and Degree –

· Master’s degree

Skills and Abilities –

· Deep understanding of government system and connections to government agencies in Southern African countries from previous work experience strongly preferred.

· Strong understanding of public health and related policy interventions, government relations, and policymaking

· Comprehensive project management skills, with the ability to make sound, informed judgements

· Demonstrated leadership and people management experience

· Strong interpersonal skills, with demonstrated ability to develop and maintain collaborative relationships with internal and external partners

· Ability to build strong, ongoing, impactful relationships across sectors and organizational levels that involve a diverse range of cultural, generational, ethnic, racial, educational, and social backgrounds

· Commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment.

Language Requirements –

· Fluency in written and spoken English required.

Experience:

Required –

· Minimum of ten years of progressive professional experience in the health sector

Preferred –

· Prior work experience in a government setting relevant to public policy or public health

· Prior experience working in tobacco control or NCDs

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:

· Ability to travel 20%