Vital Strategies is seeking a Director, Tobacco Control, Africa Region to join our team and play a critical role in advancing our global public health mission. Reporting to the Senior Vice President, Tobacco Control, this individual will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience in government relations, policymaking, and public health relations in Africa. The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in Tobacco Control and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and significant experience working within the African continent.
Role Overview
The role has a particular focus on the recently launched Tobacco Control Accelerator (TCA) Fund, which aims to advance global tobacco control progress in several low- and middle-income countries. Under this fund, Vital Strategies provides grants and technical support to governments and non-governmental organizations in countries lacking best-practice tobacco control measures or those close to implementing them. The TCA Fund operates with an annual multimillion-dollar budget and partners with organizations in 13 countries.
Duties and Responsibilities
Government Relations and Technical Assistance
- Establish and maintain strong working relationships with government representatives, civil society, academia, and international agencies to advance tobacco control policies.
- Build the portfolio of assigned countries for advocacy and partnership development.
- Guide the regional team in maintaining key partnerships and networks.
- Provide strategic and technical guidance to governments and NGOs.
- Ensure best practices and learnings are incorporated into country and regional interventions.
- Build the technical capacity of stakeholders in tobacco control.
Leadership and Strategy
- Maintain a strategic overview of tobacco control and public health issues in Africa, monitoring trends and impact assessments.
- Align tobacco control programs with Vital Strategies' overall advocacy agenda and local socio-economic scenarios.
- Advise on strategies to expose and counter tobacco industry interference.
- Lead the development of regional strategies, budgets, and annual plans.
Tobacco Control Accelerator Fund Implementation
- Provide overall leadership and management of the TCA Fund in Africa, ensuring timely implementation and effective operations.
- Lead the decision-making process for grant applications in collaboration with the Vice President.
- Review grant applications and participate in negotiations and monitoring visits.
- Manage the identification of 10-15 sub-grantees per year and coordinate technical support for active sub-grantees.
Team Management
- Lead, supervise, and mentor a regional team including four Senior Technical Advisors and five independent contractors.
- Oversee the deliverables of country-based consultants to ensure high performance.
- Manage regional budgets and complete regular reporting.
- Lead recruitment for the regional team as needed.
Relationship Building and Communication
- Foster collaborations with Bloomberg Initiative partners to advance tobacco control measures.
- Liaise with the Policy, Advocacy, and Communication (PAC) Division.
- Represent the Tobacco Control Division on conference calls and at partner meetings.
Qualifications and Experience
- Education: Master’s degree or above in public health, policy, or a related field.
- Expertise: Deep expertise in Tobacco Control and NCDs.
- Experience: Proven experience working in Africa with a wealth of knowledge in government relations and policymaking.
- Leadership: Demonstrated leadership and people management experience.
- Authorization: Must have authorization to work legally in Kenya at the time of hire.
