Senior Officer, Advocacy - Health Product Introduction for Women and Children's Health

Job Posting Organization:
The organization is the largest nonprofit dedicated to combating poverty, disease, and inequity globally. Founded on the principle that everyone, regardless of their identity or circumstances, deserves the opportunity to lead healthy and productive lives, the foundation emphasizes the importance of diversity among its employees to reflect the populations it serves. The organization offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision coverage without premiums, generous paid time off, paid family leave, retirement contributions, regional holidays, and opportunities for employees to engage in various community initiatives. The foundation is committed to fostering an environment that supports both personal and professional growth for its employees.

Job Overview:
In the role of Senior Officer, Advocacy - Health Product Introduction for Women and Children's Health, you will play a crucial part in connecting innovation with impactful outcomes. Your primary responsibility will be to ensure that essential maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) products are accessible, accepted, adopted, and sustained within government-led health systems. This position requires close collaboration with various teams, including Maternal, Newborn, Child & Nutrition Health (MNCNH), Family Planning (FP), Women’s Health Innovation (WHI), and Immunization Program Strategy Teams (PSTs), as well as country offices in Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Senegal. You will lead advocacy efforts to promote the introduction of priority MNCH innovations at the country level, transitioning from fragmented advocacy efforts to a more coordinated, systems-level approach. Your work will involve engaging with governments, implementing agencies, and advocacy partners to unlock financing, expedite regulatory pathways, and build the necessary evidence and messaging to foster political will, ensuring that innovations are embedded into national strategies and delivery systems efficiently and equitably. You will focus on priority countries for product introduction, including Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Senegal, Mozambique, and Kenya, and report directly to the director" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">Deputy Director, PAC ARO.

Duties and Responsibilities:
Your responsibilities will include co-developing advocacy strategies to address financing and policy barriers that hinder the scaling of high-impact MNCH products in key geographies such as Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Senegal, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. You will coordinate with governments, development partners, and advocacy stakeholders to ensure alignment with national health strategies, optimize financing, and expedite regulatory approvals. Additionally, you will oversee detailed micro-planning analyses to guide country-scale approaches, ensuring that evidence informs policy and financing decisions. As a senior advocacy resource, you will link international research with national MNCH priorities and Sustainable Development Goal 3 achievement plans. You will also identify, negotiate, and manage complex performance-based contracts and grants that support advocacy for MNCH product introduction, ensuring high-quality execution and accountability. Your role will involve managing partnerships and grantee relationships to foster collective learning and advocacy impact, conducting site visits, convening meetings, and evaluating grant components. You will collaborate across foundation teams to align product, policy, and financing efforts, leveraging cross-sector opportunities to amplify advocacy impact. Furthermore, you will enhance the readiness of national health systems and ensure that product introduction strategies are adapted to local contexts. Your responsibilities will also include facilitating knowledge sharing among partners across countries, representing the foundation to key government health leaders, and producing regular reports and strategic presentations to internal partners.

Required Qualifications:
To qualify for this position, you must have a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience, complemented by an advanced degree in medicine, public health, health economics, public policy, or a related field. You should possess exceptional knowledge and expertise in technical advocacy and communications related to health products and commodities, particularly within the family planning and MNCH ecosystem. A strong understanding of the end-to-end pathway for product introduction and the associated impact pathways is essential. Experience in communicating policy and advocacy efforts specific to product introduction and scale, as well as working with governments, academic institutions, NGOs, and the private sector, is preferred. You should have hands-on experience interacting with senior-level policymakers and coalitions, advising government and donor partners in developing countries, and understanding the region's health systems and the socio-economic factors influencing health outcomes. A strong development orientation backed by excellent management capabilities is also required.

Educational Background:
Candidates must hold an advanced degree in a relevant field such as medicine, public health, health economics, or public policy. This educational background is crucial for understanding the complexities of health systems and the advocacy landscape.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in advocacy, policy, and health product introduction. Candidates should have a proven track record of working in complex environments and navigating the intricacies of health systems, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Languages:
While the job does not specify mandatory languages, proficiency in English is essential for effective communication. Knowledge of local languages in the priority countries (such as French for Senegal) would be advantageous and is considered a good-to-have skill.

Additional Notes:
This position is full-time and may require travel up to 40% domestically and internationally. The hiring process will include a background check, and the organization is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible hiring experience for all candidates. Accommodations for candidates with disabilities or medical conditions are available upon request. The foundation values diversity, equity, and inclusion in its workforce and strives to create a workplace that reflects these principles.