PROGRAM COORDINATOR

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.

The Center is setting up the African Policy Impact Lab (APiL),

within the Policy Engagement and Communications (PEC) Program, to work in

partnership with national, regional and continental stakeholders to design,

implement and evaluate evidence-informed and impactful public policy. Drawing

on APHRC’s research leadership, the APiL will harness our continental footprint

and reputation as a trusted knowledge partner to collaboratively deliver

solutions to some of the continent’s critical health and development challenges.

APHRC is seeking a Program Coordinator to spearhead the establishment and

operationalization of APiL in line with the Center’s strategy. This new

exciting leadership role will oversee the setup, including developing its

short-term strategy, resourcing and management of the APiL, a multidisciplinary

team focused on strengthening evidence use by government at different levels,

fast tracking uptake of programmatic and policy innovations and supporting

APHRC program teams and external stakeholders to deliver innovative,

high-impact programs.

The APiL Program Coordinator will be responsible for

shaping and overseeing a high-impact and commercially successful portfolio of

policy advisory projects. He/she will play a key role in business development,

identifying strategic opportunities and leading the development of highly

competitive bids.

**Key

Responsibilities**

**Strategic

leadership and Portfolio Management**

●

Work with the Head of PEC to set and communicate a strategic

vision for the APiL aligned with the Center’s overall strategy.

●

Lead the development, review, implementation and monitoring of the

APiL Strategy, business plan, operational plan and budget.

●

Refine the institutional design of the APiL to align people,

processes and structures.

●

Drive, deliver and contribute to further

expansion and sustainability of APHRC’s work across the continent.

●

Determine the policy and technical assistance strategic direction

and long-term opportunities to best meet clients’ evolving needs in a changing

market.

●

Draw on information from political economy analysis to adapt

strategy to market shifts, clients’ priorities, and emerging challenges.

●

Hold final accountability for the quality, timeliness, and scope

alignment of deliverables.

●

Provide expert analysis and shape policy positions and thought

leadership, often conducting political economy analysis to guide decisions.

Team Leadership and Delivery

●

Lead the hiring, growth and development of a high-performing team

with support from the APHRC People & Culture team.

●

Support professional development of individual team members and

foster team cohesion.

●

Mentor staff, drive capacity strengthening, and foster a

“community of practice” to enhance professional development.

●

Shape and embody a positive culture that drives ambition,

innovation, and delivery.

●

Ensure outputs are technically robust, politically informed, and

context-relevant.

Business Development and Stakeholder Relations

●

Strengthen market position and build strong pipelines through

partnerships and collaboration.

●

Secure mandates with multiple key stakeholders, keeping financial

sustainability and social impact at the core.

●

Build and maintain effective and trusted relationships with

clients and partners.

●

Represent and promote the Center’s work at high-level industry

events.

●

Mobilize delivery partners and lead competitive bid preparation.

●

Develop and implement relevant systems and processes to effectively manage client relationships.

Operational Accountability and Risk Management

●

Hold accountability of operational plans, ensuring compliance with

APHRC policies and procedures.

●

Ensure expenditure is utilized in line with the budget, and legal

contractual requirements are met during the execution of mandates.

●

Ensure that operations are safe, compliant, and cost-effective,

mitigating risk and upholding legal, corporate and client standards.

●

Support implementation of the strategic initiatives at the Center.

Qualifications Experience and Skills

●

Masters in Public Policy, International Development, Political

Science, Economics, or any Social Sciences or MBA in a related field.

●

Over ten (10) years of relevant post-qualification experience working with an

international development organization, research institution or a consultancy

environment with a proven track record in government advisory, management

consulting or other organizational leadership.

●

Experience in Design Science is desirable.

●

Significant experience (7+ years) in policy formulation or

evaluation, institutional reforms or complex programming in relevant sectors

(e.g. Health, Human Capital, Climate) at a national, regional, or international

level.

●

Proven ability to successfully win competitive funding proposals

/bids, including initiating and nurturing strong donor and client

relationships, leading the development of successful bids, and securing

contracts.

●

A track record of building a strong pipeline, leading quality

delivery of a portfolio of complex projects while improving commercial

performance and operational efficiency.

●

Demonstrable experience of operating effectively within matrix

structure, managing cross-functional teams and diverse stakeholder engagements.

●

Outstanding leadership and management skills and proven ability to

build and inspire teams to achieve