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 p