Africa Regional Advocacy Associate Director
Apply NowCompany: Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
Location: Washington, DC 20011
Description:
The Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) supports civil society organizations and advocacy movements around the world to pass lifesaving policies on a range of critical issues to save lives, reduce death and disease, increase investments in public health and create healthier, more equitable futures for all. GHAI is an initiative of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. For more information, visit www.advocacyincubator.org.
GHAI draws on lessons learned from tobacco control and its growing experience on other public health issues to support advocacy campaigns around the globe. To date, that work includes food policy and cardiovascular health (CVH), road safety, immunization, drowning prevention, preventing epidemics, and vital statistics.
Through its Food and Nutrition work, GHAI advocates for the reduction in consumption of ultra-processed products to decrease non-communicable diseases. GHAI supports civil society organizations to pass and implement key policies to develop healthier food environments, including: taxes on unhealthy food and beverage products; mandatory front-of-package nutrition warning labels; restrictions on marketing of unhealthy food and beverage products to children; regulating the supply of unhealthy products in public sector environments, particularly schools; regulating industrially produced trans-fatty acids (iTFA) in the food supply; and sodium reduction policies.
Position Overview
The Africa Regional Advocacy Associate Director (AD) for the cardiovascular health program will join a dynamic and growing team to support non-governmental organization (NGO) partners working to improve critical public health policies related to nutrition to prevent cardiovascular diseases in select low-and middle- income countries in Africa. At GHAI, the CVH Program along with the Food Policy Program are a part of the Food and Nutrition Team, which the AD will interact with.
As part of the CVH Program AD will oversee efforts focusing on policy and regulatory change aimed at reducing the death and disease burden from unhealthy food consumption across select African countries. More specifically, the AD will support the passage of national/regional food policies to improve diet quality in Africa (i.e., eliminating iTFA from the food supply, reducing sodium intake in processed foods through salt targets and food labeling, marketing restrictions). S/he will provide strategic advocacy guidance, oversight to in-country-coordinators through advocacy capacity building, technical support, and collaboration with civil society and multilateral organizations.
This position is based in Washington, DC and is open to U.S. citizens and other applicants who already possess U.S. work authorization. GHAI will be operating under a hybrid (partial remote and partial in- person/in-office) work environment. Full vaccination (including booster shots) against Covid-19 is required.
WHAT YOU'LL ACCOMPLISH:
As part of overseeing the advocacy campaigns in Africa, the AD will be responsible for facilitating a variety of activities (i.e., supervising the: in-country coordinators; mapping the political landscape; defining political strategies; identifying allies, champions and adversaries; mobilizing public support; building coalitions; leveraging media and social media coverage; journalism training; other core strategies necessary for a successful policy change campaign). This role will report to the Director of Cardiovascular Health Program, and will also occasionally collaborate with the Food and Nutrition team's global partners and funders.
Key areas of focus for the position include:
Develop, implement, and support advocacy strategies.
Facilitate country team meetings to develop country strategies and assist local partners in executing policy change campaigns.
Track progress in each country to prepare regular updates to share internally and externally.
Support the development of key materials and talking points (for organizational and donor reports, and other critical materials).
Represent GHAI in various external meetings with global and in-country partners, donors, and other relevant campaign stakeholders.
Liaise between headquarter team in DC and in country coordinator and partners, and ensure that relevant team members are engaged and aware of the needs on the ground.
Collaborate with the Director of the CVH Program to manage relevant grants and contracts negotiation process in a timely fashion; oversee progress grants and contracts to ensure compliance, working closely with the relevant Program Grants and Contracts Financial Compliance Officer(s).
SKILLS YOU'LL BRING TO THE ROLE:
Bachelor's degree in public policy, communications, public health or other relevant field.
Five-seven years of demonstrated experience in working on policy issues in global health, preferably in non-communicable diseases and food and nutrition policies. .
Experience working on African issues, (e.g., policy advocacy, public health).
Strong experience working with civil society and government stakeholders.
Impeccable project management skills and the ability to work collaboratively with interdisciplinary teams.
Ability to meet timely and detailed project goals that support larger advocacy campaign strategies.
Proven track record of working on multi-faceted and complex projects related to policy change in global health, including ability to anticipate issues, develop pro-active solutions, and follow-up and meet deadlines and deliverables.
Understanding of the tools and practices needed to influence public health policy in middle- and low- income countries, and experience working with in-country organizations to use these tools in effective policy change campaigns.
Proven ability to coordinate across multiple stakeholders with sensitivity to the political and policy dynamics, and familiarity with multilateral partners in global health.
Experience working at the international level and in cross-cultural settings, and the ability to travel internationally.
Supervisory experience of teams located remotely is an asset.
Strong written and oral communications skills, including the ability to write reports.
Strong communication skills including writing and speaking; fluency in English required, French highly desirable.
Consultative and collaborative approach; comfort working across a large and complex international NGO on multi-dimensional policy issues.
WHY JOIN THE CAMPAIGN FOR TOBACCO FREE KIDS?
A comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plan for employees and dependents.
Paid parental leave benefits in addition to the federal and local leave provisions.
403b plan participation (with 9% company contribution)
10 paid company holidays, 15 vacation days, 10 sick days, 5 personal days (on an accrual basis each calendar year); and an anniversary day to celebrate annual milestones
A hybrid work schedule (3 days in office; 2 days remote)
GHAI draws on lessons learned from tobacco control and its growing experience on other public health issues to support advocacy campaigns around the globe. To date, that work includes food policy and cardiovascular health (CVH), road safety, immunization, drowning prevention, preventing epidemics, and vital statistics.
Through its Food and Nutrition work, GHAI advocates for the reduction in consumption of ultra-processed products to decrease non-communicable diseases. GHAI supports civil society organizations to pass and implement key policies to develop healthier food environments, including: taxes on unhealthy food and beverage products; mandatory front-of-package nutrition warning labels; restrictions on marketing of unhealthy food and beverage products to children; regulating the supply of unhealthy products in public sector environments, particularly schools; regulating industrially produced trans-fatty acids (iTFA) in the food supply; and sodium reduction policies.
Position Overview
The Africa Regional Advocacy Associate Director (AD) for the cardiovascular health program will join a dynamic and growing team to support non-governmental organization (NGO) partners working to improve critical public health policies related to nutrition to prevent cardiovascular diseases in select low-and middle- income countries in Africa. At GHAI, the CVH Program along with the Food Policy Program are a part of the Food and Nutrition Team, which the AD will interact with.
As part of the CVH Program AD will oversee efforts focusing on policy and regulatory change aimed at reducing the death and disease burden from unhealthy food consumption across select African countries. More specifically, the AD will support the passage of national/regional food policies to improve diet quality in Africa (i.e., eliminating iTFA from the food supply, reducing sodium intake in processed foods through salt targets and food labeling, marketing restrictions). S/he will provide strategic advocacy guidance, oversight to in-country-coordinators through advocacy capacity building, technical support, and collaboration with civil society and multilateral organizations.
This position is based in Washington, DC and is open to U.S. citizens and other applicants who already possess U.S. work authorization. GHAI will be operating under a hybrid (partial remote and partial in- person/in-office) work environment. Full vaccination (including booster shots) against Covid-19 is required.
WHAT YOU'LL ACCOMPLISH:
As part of overseeing the advocacy campaigns in Africa, the AD will be responsible for facilitating a variety of activities (i.e., supervising the: in-country coordinators; mapping the political landscape; defining political strategies; identifying allies, champions and adversaries; mobilizing public support; building coalitions; leveraging media and social media coverage; journalism training; other core strategies necessary for a successful policy change campaign). This role will report to the Director of Cardiovascular Health Program, and will also occasionally collaborate with the Food and Nutrition team's global partners and funders.
Key areas of focus for the position include:
Develop, implement, and support advocacy strategies.
Facilitate country team meetings to develop country strategies and assist local partners in executing policy change campaigns.
Track progress in each country to prepare regular updates to share internally and externally.
Support the development of key materials and talking points (for organizational and donor reports, and other critical materials).
Represent GHAI in various external meetings with global and in-country partners, donors, and other relevant campaign stakeholders.
Liaise between headquarter team in DC and in country coordinator and partners, and ensure that relevant team members are engaged and aware of the needs on the ground.
Collaborate with the Director of the CVH Program to manage relevant grants and contracts negotiation process in a timely fashion; oversee progress grants and contracts to ensure compliance, working closely with the relevant Program Grants and Contracts Financial Compliance Officer(s).
SKILLS YOU'LL BRING TO THE ROLE:
Bachelor's degree in public policy, communications, public health or other relevant field.
Five-seven years of demonstrated experience in working on policy issues in global health, preferably in non-communicable diseases and food and nutrition policies. .
Experience working on African issues, (e.g., policy advocacy, public health).
Strong experience working with civil society and government stakeholders.
Impeccable project management skills and the ability to work collaboratively with interdisciplinary teams.
Ability to meet timely and detailed project goals that support larger advocacy campaign strategies.
Proven track record of working on multi-faceted and complex projects related to policy change in global health, including ability to anticipate issues, develop pro-active solutions, and follow-up and meet deadlines and deliverables.
Understanding of the tools and practices needed to influence public health policy in middle- and low- income countries, and experience working with in-country organizations to use these tools in effective policy change campaigns.
Proven ability to coordinate across multiple stakeholders with sensitivity to the political and policy dynamics, and familiarity with multilateral partners in global health.
Experience working at the international level and in cross-cultural settings, and the ability to travel internationally.
Supervisory experience of teams located remotely is an asset.
Strong written and oral communications skills, including the ability to write reports.
Strong communication skills including writing and speaking; fluency in English required, French highly desirable.
Consultative and collaborative approach; comfort working across a large and complex international NGO on multi-dimensional policy issues.
WHY JOIN THE CAMPAIGN FOR TOBACCO FREE KIDS?
A comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plan for employees and dependents.
Paid parental leave benefits in addition to the federal and local leave provisions.
403b plan participation (with 9% company contribution)
10 paid company holidays, 15 vacation days, 10 sick days, 5 personal days (on an accrual basis each calendar year); and an anniversary day to celebrate annual milestones
A hybrid work schedule (3 days in office; 2 days remote)