Global Advisor Health and Nutrition at Aga Khan Foundation

The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), alongside its sister AKDN agencies, has implemented innovative, community-driven solutions to development challenges for over 50 years. AKF brings together human, financial and technical resources to address some of the challenges faced by the poorest and most marginalised communities in the world. AKF’s Global Programme Team provides strategic, operational, and collaborative leadership for AKF’s global programme portfolio across the areas of: Agriculture and Food Security; Economic Inclusion; Education; Early Childhood Development; Health and Nutrition; and Civil Society.

Role Description

AKF is now recruiting a Global Advisor Health and Nutrition who will work in close collaboration with AKF’s Health and Nutrition Global Lead, alongside other members of AKF’s Global Programme Team, to support the promotion and implementation of AKF’s health and nutrition strategy. They will provide ongoing support to field-based teams, lead programme design, support resource mobilisation, nurture and sustain partnerships within AKDN and with other key institutions globally.

The ideal candidate will have a deep technical understanding of issues and trends relating to health and nutrition; significant field experience in developing countries, particularly in Africa; exceptional communication skills in English, and ideally proficiency in one or more languages spoken in AKDN programme countries; an ability to constructively and creatively engage, convene and influence at various levels, e.g., leadership, technical staff.

Location: The location is flexible, but ideally based in Africa, with regular international travel to AKDN programme countries across Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique, Madagascar, and Egypt.

Person Specification

The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate evidence of the following skills, capabilities and experience:

Qualifications, Knowledge and Experience

• Master’s degree in Public Health;
• significant experience working on global health initiatives;
• familiarity and professional experience on issues related to health, including community health, nutrition, health systems strengthening and water and sanitation;
• significant field experience in developing countries, particularly in Africa;
• solid understanding of trends in health, global health actors and key global health issues. This includes a strong grasp of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Core Competencies

• ability to engage and share confidently, constructively, ethically, openly and honestly with stakeholders from many different cultures and professional backgrounds;
• strong strategic thinking and analytical skills, and a pragmatic and flexible problem-solving ability;
• effective communicator of ideas – written and verbal, in English. Ability to communicate in other languages spoken in AKDN programme countries is an asset;
• adept at building teams – working collaboratively across countries, not only with AKF health staff but also with other thematic areas, AKDN agencies and partner institutions.