Background information about the job or company (e.g., role context, company overview)

The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) is a premier research-to-policy institution, generating evidence, strengthening research and related capacity in the African research and development ecosystem, and engaging policy to inform action on health and development. The Center is Africa-based and African-led, with its headquarters (HQ) in Nairobi, Kenya, and a West Africa Regional Office (WARO), in Dakar, Senegal. APHRC seeks to drive change by developing strong African research leadership and promoting evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM) across sub-Saharan Africa.

APHRC seeks to recruit Head of International Programs to be based at the Head Office in Nairobi, Kenya. The position holder will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Center’s partnership model and internationalization strategy; providing strategic leadership and overseeing the development and management of the organization's international portfolio while supporting operations in the Center’s offices outside its HQ; facilitating entry and seamless program implementation in line with the different regulatory regimes in countries where APHRC has or intends to implement projects.

This ideal candidate will be expected to ensure that research outputs effectively influence policy processes both in Africa and globally, while also strengthening partnerships with governments, regional bodies, multilateral institutions, universities, and civil society organizations. The role holder will also be responsible for program strategy, fundraising, partnerships, and high-quality research-to-policy engagement that advance the organization's vision and mission.

Responsibilities or duties

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Lead and implement the organization's international programs strategy in line with institutional priorities.
• Identify emerging global policy issues relevant to Africa and guide the development of responsive research, policy translation, and capacity strengthening programs.
• Ensure the integration of research, policy engagement, capacity strengthening, and impact pathways across international initiatives.
• Enhance APHRC's visibility at local, regional, continental, and international levels in collaboration with the Policy Engagement and Communications (PEC) Program, including representing the Center in high-level forums on priority areas.
• Develop a country liaison model to expand and oversee APHRC's strategic partnerships across Africa and globally.

Program Development, Management, and Internal Coordination

• Improve and deepen internal coordination at APHRC by collaborating closely with Research and Operations teams to identify and pursue strategic program growth opportunities in selected priority countries.
• Collaborate with Research and Operations teams to monitor program performance, timelines, and deliverables across international initiatives.
• Apply systems thinking, integrated approaches, and innovative strategies in developing international engagements and initiatives.
• Develop and execute strategies to strengthen collaboration between country programs and HQ.
• Create, disseminate, and implement standard operating procedures for entry into countries, including field operations, hiring, and community engagement by program teams.
• Ensure legal and regulatory compliance in countries where APHRC implements projects.
• Standardize systems and processes across programs in different countries.
• Maintain databases of partners in multiple countries, leveraging the Center's networks and coordinating with the Knowledge Management function to document partner performance for future engagement decisions.
• Collaborate with the Research and Related Capacity Strengthening (RRCS) Program to develop and implement capacity strengthening strategies for partners and individuals in various countries.

Partnership, Strategic Communications, and Stakeholder Engagement

• Collaborate with the PEC, and Business Development (BD) teams to build and maintain strategic partnerships.
• Work with the BD team to streamline and oversee all partnership Memorandums of Understanding.
• Collaborate with the PEC team to lead strategic communications efforts with external and internal stakeholders.
• Work with all programmatic divisions to develop and maintain partnerships with potential donors and funding partners in priority countries.

Fundraising and Resource Mobilization

• Work closely with all programs to lead fundraising for international programs, including grant proposals and consortium bids.
• Collaborate with the BD team to nurture existing relationships and cultivate new ones with traditional and non-traditional development partners.
• Support strategic partners in various countries in identifying and pursuing joint funding opportunities aligned with APHRC themes/units/programs.

Research to Policy Impact

• Work closely with the PEC team in translating research findings into policy-relevant outputs for decision-makers and stakeholders.
• Ensure programs generate measurable policy influence and impact for APHRC's international program team.

Team Leadership and Capacity Strengthening

• Work with a multidisciplinary team of researchers and program managers to optimize the role of international programs in supporting their work.
• Foster collaboration between research, policy engagement, and communications teams.
• Oversee the performance management of country/regional liaison officers.
• Act as APHRC's Consortium for Advanced Research Training Africa (CARTA) liaison officer.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL)

• Oversee the design, implementation, and evaluation of international programs and projects.
• Promote adaptive learning and evidence-based program improvement.
• Ensure documentation of program impact and lessons learned for international programs.
• Ensure MEL aligns with the Center's strategic goals for geographic reach; refine the partnership model and internationalization strategy for APHRC.

Financial responsibility

• Coordinate the identification of priority staffing, equipment, and training needs for international staff and liaison officers to be included in the Center's annual budgets.
• Manage the financial performance of international programs.
• Ensure that appropriate financial sustainability targets are established and monitored at the liaison offices in line with the Center's annual budget and fundraising strategy.

Qualifications or requirements (e.g., education, skills)

Qualifications and experience

• PhD or Master’s degree in Public Health, Public Policy, International Development, Economics, Political Science or related field.
• At least 10 years of relevant post-doctoral experience, or a minimum of 15 years of relevant post-Master's experience in international development, policy research, or program leadership.
• Proven experience leading and managing multi-country research or policy programs, and projects with a strong understanding of diverse regulatory regimes across various countries in the continent.
• Demonstrated success in fundraising and donor engagement.
• Experience collaborating with African policy institutions, governments, the private sector, and civil society organizations.
• Expertise in one of the Center's programmatic areas (research, RRCS, PEC).
• Familiarity with population, health, and development research in Africa, as well as pathways for policy translation and enhancing capacity for Africa's self-sufficiency in research an

• Lead and implement the organization's international programs strategy in line with institutional priorities.
• Identify emerging global policy issues relevant to Africa and guide the development of responsive research, policy translation, and capacity strengthening programs.
• Ensure the integration of research, policy engagement, capacity strengthening, and impact pathways across international initiatives.
• Enhance APHRC's visibility at local, regional, continental, and international levels in collaboration with the Policy Engagement and Communications (PEC) Program, including representing the Center in high-level forums on priority areas.
• Develop a country liaison model to expand and oversee APHRC's strategic partnerships across Africa and globally.
• Improve and deepen internal coordination at APHRC by collaborating closely with Research and Operations teams to identify and pursue strategic program growth opportunities in selected priority countries.
• Collaborate with Research and Operations teams to monitor program performance, timelines, and deliverables across international initiatives.
• Apply systems thinking, integrated approaches, and innovative strategies in developing international engagements and initiatives.
• Develop and execute strategies to strengthen collaboration between country programs and HQ.
• Create, disseminate, and implement standard operating procedures for entry into countries, including field operations, hiring, and community engagement by program teams.
• Ensure legal and regulatory compliance in countries where APHRC implements projects.
• Standardize systems and processes across programs in different countries.
• Maintain databases of partners in multiple countries, leveraging the Center's networks and coordinating with the Knowledge Management function to document partner performance for future engagement decisions.
• Collaborate with the Research and Related Capacity Strengthening (RRCS) Program to develop and implement capacity strengthening strategies for partners and individuals in various countries.
• Collaborate with the PEC, and Business Development (BD) teams to build and maintain strategic partnerships.
• Work with the BD team to streamline and oversee all partnership Memorandums of Understanding.
• Collaborate with the PEC team to lead strategic communications efforts with external and internal stakeholders.
• Work with all programmatic divisions to develop and maintain partnerships with potential donors and funding partners in priority countries.
• Work closely with all programs to lead fundraising for international programs, including grant proposals and consortium bids.
• Collaborate with the BD team to nurture existing relationships and cultivate new ones with traditional and non-traditional development partners.
• Support strategic partners in various countries in identifying and pursuing joint funding opportunities aligned with APHRC themes/units/programs.
• Work closely with the PEC team in translating research findings into policy-relevant outputs for decision-makers and stakeholders.
• Ensure programs generate measurable policy influence and impact for APHRC's international program team.
• Work with a multidisciplinary team of researchers and program managers to optimize the role of international programs in supporting their work.
• Foster collaboration between research, policy engagement, and communications teams.
• Oversee the performance management of country/regional liaison officers.
• Act as APHRC's Consortium for Advanced Research Training Africa (CARTA) liaison officer.
• Oversee the design, implementation, and evaluation of international programs and projects.
• Promote adaptive learning and evidence-based program improvement.
• Ensure documentation of program impact and lessons learned for international programs.
• Ensure MEL aligns with the Center's strategic goals for geographic reach; refine the partnership model and internationalization strategy for APHRC.
• Coordinate the identification of priority staffing, equipment, and training needs for international staff and liaison officers to be included in the Center's annual budgets.
• Manage the financial performance of international programs.
• Ensure that appropriate financial sustainability targets are established and monitored at the liaison offices in line with the Center's annual budget and fundraising strategy.

• Strategic leadership
• Program development and management
• Partnership building and management
• Fundraising and resource mobilization
• Research translation and policy engagement
• Communication and stakeholder engagement
• Team leadership
• Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL)
• Financial management
• Understanding of diverse regulatory regimes
• Expertise in public health, public policy, international development, economics, or political science
• Familiarity with population, health, and development research in Africa

• PhD or Master’s degree in Public Health, Public Policy, International Development, Economics, Political Science or related field.
• At least 10 years of relevant post-doctoral experience, or a minimum of 15 years of relevant post-Master's experience in international development, policy research, or program leadership.
• Proven experience leading and managing multi-country research or policy programs, and projects with a strong understanding of diverse regulatory regimes across various countries in the continent.
• Demonstrated success in fundraising and donor engagement.
• Experience collaborating with African policy institutions, governments, the private sector, and civil society organizations.
• Expertise in one of the Center's programmatic areas (research, RRCS, PEC).
• Familiarity with population, health, and development research in Africa, as well as pathways for policy translation and enhancing capacity for Africa's self-sufficiency in research.