Head of International Programs

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 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 and development on the continent.
• Up to date with current topical discussions on Africa’s research and development and science and their linkages to policy.
• Minimum of 5 years in a senior management role.
• Has undergone or is willing to undergo leadership training.