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, weโre committed to creating an environment for you to thrive both personally and professionally.
The TeamThe Africa Team works to enable the foundationโs ambitious goals of scaling evidence-based interventions that target a range of disease and socio-economic conditions which are endemic across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The team executes its responsibility through direct country engagement to deploy interventions and delivery models, and by building the partner architecture to replicate successful interventions and models across multiple countries.
Application Deadline: 22/9/2025
Your Role
As the Senior Program Officer (SPO), Program Advocacy & Communications (PAC) - Africa you will be key in advancing policy and advocacy priorities that support the foundationโs programmatic goals. You will serve as the Africa Teamโs focal point for health sector planning, budgeting & domestic financing initiatives. In this capacity, you will:
Support the work of the ARO health team in optimizing the role of Health Transformation Units (HTUs) in national and subnational planning and budgeting processes, working to strengthen their capacity to influence resource allocation and execution.
Provide policy leadership on health sector financing, advising on opportunities to enhance domestic resource mobilization, improve budget execution, and integrate evidence into decision-making processes.
Coordinate cross-team engagements to ensure that the foundationโs health financing and planning investments are coherent, responsive to country needs, and leverage partnerships with governments, development partners, and civil society.
Drive advocacy strategies that promote sustainable and efficient health financing reforms, ensuring African voices and priorities are central in global, regional, and country-level policy discussions.
You will support the development of regional and country advocacy strategies to achieve goals in child survival, reducing maternal mortality, and eliminating infectious diseases; oversee grant making and management; and coordinate leadership engagements and trips.
In addition, you will lead the portfolio on Africaโs institutions and bodies, manage the foundationโs coordination with them, oversee policy and advocacy investments in collaboration with GPA colleagues, and ensure Africa PAC perspectives are integrated into foundation initiatives.
This role reports to the Deputy-Director, PAC in Africa. The postholder will be based at the foundationโs office in Nairobi, Kenya.
What Youโll Do
Policy, Advocacy & Communications
Contribute to continental, regional and country advocacy strategy development processes, working closely with colleagues to ensure input from a range of Africa Regional Office (ARO), Program Strategy, and GPA teams to develop strategy materials with advocacy lens.
Ensure Africa Team feedback is reflected in Global PAC strategies.
Support efforts to improve regional consultant support model in support of in-country intelligence gathering, structure/streamline document templates, services we can lean-on with consultants, sharing learnings across foundation teams, etc.
Develop and manage Africa Team cross-cutting investments as needed (regional bodies, gender etc.).
Support and track direct engagement opportunities, including partner and grantee calls.
Global Policy & Advocacy liaison
Represent Africa PAC in GPA meetings and maintain relationships with relevant GPA colleagues.
Lead monthly alignment meetings between GPA and the Africa PGRP team.
Provide oversight and coordination of advocacy investments in Africa, including coordination of Africa Team inputs/concepts for pooled funding and coordination with PAC colleagues on joint investment opportunities.
Act as secondary Program Officer for investments in selected countries in Africa.
Leadership Engagement and Annual Planning
Coordinate and prepare annual leadership trip submissions, socialize and incorporate feedback to Africa Team (regional/multi-country) on advocacy and policy opportunities.
Liaise with other foundation teams to coordinate/align leadership asks.
Regional Platforms for Scale Advocacy & Comms Support and Engagement
Develop strategy and manage related investments with regional bodies.
Manage ongoing discussions with program teams and GPA on AU engagement.
Manage internal AU coordination, including quarterly meetings and follow-up.
Support other Africa Teamโs AU and regional institution engagements on policy and advocacy efforts.
Communications
Support issue-specific communications, in service of advocacy goals; and work closely with Communications Leads in the global PAC Team.
Also work with the Africa Team Communications Lead(s) on broader reputational or leadership related communications activities and visits.
Experience / Ideal Profile
The ideal candidate should hold an advanced degree in Public Policy, Finance, Budget and Planning, Public Health, or Economics, and bring at least 10 years of professional experience. Their background should ideally blend service in the public or non-profit sector with exposure to the private sector. They must also have substantial experience working in the Global South, with a strong grasp of sub-Saharan Africaโs political economy, including national and regional dynamics, key stakeholders, and potential avenues for reform.
Expertise spanning global development policy and advocacy, with a history of working effectively with governments, civil society organizations, the private sector, coalitions, and the media. You will have conceived, designed, and managed advocacy strategies and programs in health, agriculture, and/or financial services for the poor, and are adept at navigating relationships with major donors and multilateral institutions.
Reform enabler who blends strategic insight, political acumen, and delivery discipline, having operated at the highest levels of government and international development, guiding politically sensitive yet transformative health system and financing reforms. Equally comfortable in a cabinet meeting discussing budget execution or in a technical working group refining performance metrics. You will know how to frame reforms, so they are embraced as nationally owned investments in equity and efficiency, rather than externally imposed donor mandates.
Proven ability to mobilize coalitions, align diverse partners behind a single government-led plan, and deploy philanthropic investments to catalyze reforms that optimize resources and talent toward the highest-impact priorities. Above all, possess the cultural sensitivity, resilience, and track record of delivery required to help governments make the tough but necessary reform choices that will shape the future of African health systems in an era of constrained funding.
Demonstrated skill in crafting strategic advocacy and communications portfolios, strengthening partner capacity, and building communications, media, or donor partnerships. This requires experience in fast-paced environments where individuals have effectively managed various tasks and adjusted to changing situations. With strong initiative, organizational skills, and the ability to work autonomously and cross-functionally, they maintain flexibility while delivering results.
Exceptional interpersonal and group communication skills, the ability to synthesize complex information into compelling senior leadership briefings, and excellent writing and communication capabilities in English.
Other Attributes
Skilled in various cultural, geographic, and operational settings, demonstrating cultural sensitivity with diverse groups and strong dedication to development and personal integrity.
Ability to travel up to 40% domestically and internationally.
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 โ of voices, ideas, and approaches โ 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.