Policy Advisor

Specific responsibilities include:

• Work with and coordinate policy, regulatory, research, and implementing stakeholders to support the NMEP in creating concrete plans to introduce and scale-up best clinical practice of P. vivax radical cure including G6PD testing and new radical cure drugs.
• Contribute to conducting qualitative and quantitative research and analysis for global health products (specifically those related to G6PD testing and optimized radical cure for P. vivax malaria) to understand the public and private market dynamics for these products.
• Coordinate partners and NMEP to consolidate national evidence base to generate policy brief and for policy review by identifying national policy options and delivery models for introduction and scale-up, development of national investment case, development of national introduction & scale up strategy and lead validation workshops to ensure optimized radical cure adoption.
• Analyze and develop evidence packages and communication materials to inform decisions of governments, donors and other stakeholders.
• Establish and maintain a communication and informational platform for regional partners, NMPs and researchers to keep up to date, exchange experiences and work together towards adoption of optimized radical cure for P. vivax.
• Provide technical assistance to NMPs and MOHs to ensure appropriate engagement on implementation of cost-effectiveness and feasibility study and to translate evidence from outputs, and support optimizing pharmacovigilance systems and supply chain to enable the roll-out of radical cure tools.
• Develop and implement advocacy strategies and corresponding activities to advance specific policy change in support of optimized radical cure.
• Liaise with country implementing partners and the procurement agent(s) on supply chain and procurement planning and engage with key regional stakeholders (i.e. WHO AFRO and EMRO, Global Fund, President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), and regional development financing organizations) to support development of best and sustainable procurement financing.
• Support national government partners to develop sustainability plans for ongoing funding of P. vivax commodities.
• Contribute to overarching project goals of data sharing and disseminating learnings nationally and across PAVE project countries globally including the development of regular stakeholders’ national meetings/workshop as required and an annual regional meeting to bring together key stakeholders across the region.
• Contribute to ongoing global PAVE activities in coordination with global project team. This may include supporting the development of advocacy materials, contributing to impact modeling and global data analysis, or other global workstreams as appropriate.
• Assist the global support and country project teams (finance, external relations, and access) in developing monthly internal reports, bi-annual reports to the donor, including progress against project targets, as well as ad hoc programmatic reporting as necessary.

Required Skills and Experience: 

• Master’s degree in health policy and management, Business Administration, Economics, Public Health, or related equivalent advanced degree.
• Five to ten years in policy, market analysis, healthcare, management consulting or other relevant private and public sector experience.
• Proven experience working with policy change in disease control programs, building successful relationships with high-level government stakeholders and ministries of health, and advancing adoption and/or market entry of health products.
• Experience liaising with high-level government officials, developing, and strengthening relationships with targeted policy makers and government staff, as well as key opinion leaders to promote prioritized policy changes.
• Experience leading consensus-building workshops with diverse groups, leading to tangible and actionable outcomes.
• Proven experience in project planning/management, evidence generation/interpretation/use and balancing multiple projects and priorities.
• Experience working with an international project team.
• Experience engaging with both public and private sector partners preferred.
• Knowledge of both malaria epidemiology and product markets for drugs and diagnostics a plus.
• Fluency in English, both verbal and written is required. Fluency or ability to communicate in regionally relevant languages (Amharic, Arabic) a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain close and effective relationships with partnering organizations at state, national, and international levels.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills, including experience presenting to external audiences such as donors or government officials.
• Ability to work independently, develop and drive scopes of work, multi-task and thrive in fast-paced, high-pressure situations while collaborating with a global project team.