Director, Institutional Partnerships and External Relations

Job Description

The Director, Institutional Partnerships & External Relations is a newly created role which will work closely with the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Leadership Team to foster critical country, regional, and global partnerships in service of malaria elimination and strengthening health systems. APLMA seeks a dynamic individual with excellent diplomatic and presentation skills to cultivate and preserve government partnerships, steward institutional relationships, and lead external relations efforts to keep malaria a visible public health priority in the Asia Pacific region.

As a seasoned global health professional, the successful candidate will:

1. Conduct health diplomacy and advocacy with senior government officials and other key partners who are part of the of the Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance.

2. Nurture, steward, and build institutional partnerships for malaria elimination at regional and global levels including with key bi- and multilateral institutions (e.g. ASEAN, Pacific Islands Forum, DFAT/Australia, Asian Development Bank, Global Fund, Presidents Malaria Initiative, Roll Back Malaria Partnership, World Bank, etc.)

3. Support the CEO in managing Donor Relations with the Indo-Pacific Center, Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT) Australia & the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).

4. Lead the execution of the Secretariat’s external relations and communications functions to support the Secretariat’s efforts to maintain visibility for malaria elimination across Asia Pacific as a political priority and a global public good.

Responsibilities:

The position will work closely with the APLMA leadership team to help identify concrete ways to build and implement an evidence-based agenda around malaria elimination that can be amplified to the highest levels of political leadership.

Institutional Partnerships

• Represent APLMA at senior levels of Government to keep malaria a visible priority.
• Develop strategy and goals for high-level outreach on malaria elimination to key Government officials including Offices of Heads of State, Ministries of Health, Finance, and Foreign Affairs in target countries and geographies.
• With guidance from the CEO, develop and execute work plans related to APLMA’s core projects, identify and articulate tactics/activities for strategy execution.
• Lead effective outreach with Embassies, Missions, and Ministries of Foreign Affairs to build partnerships in support of malaria advocacy.
• Apply creative vision to build, plan, develop, and execute high-level convenings that can leverage APLMA’s platform with Host Governments in manners that enhance regional & global visibility.
• Work with the CEO to manage current key donor partner relationships.
• Steward key relationships with international partners including WHO, Global Fund, RBM, PMI, ASEAN Secretariat, Pacific Islands Forum and other critical country, regional and global entities.
• Use APLMA’s convening power to strategically advance advocacy goals and objectives among influential actors to increase visibility of malaria elimination
• Work closely with the Secretariat’s Data Evidence Insights, Policy, Financing, and other programmes of work to develop advocacy content and to support outreach that is grounded in evidence and context.
• Monitor progress of existing grants and ensure submission of donor proposals, reports, and briefs are of the highest quality.

External Relations

• Oversee the Communications function at APLMA to ensure coherence with APLMA’s overall strategy and approach; this includes managing a small communications team which includes internal staff and external consultants.
• Identify novel ways of ensuring that malaria elimination remains a visible priority through convenings, messaging campaigns, advocacy, and public relations efforts.
• Prepare or oversee the preparation of briefs, concept notes, proposals, reports, slide presentations or other documentation as needed.
• Represent APLMA in meetings, conferences, and other fora.
• Collaborate with high-performance teams of analysts, technical experts, country liaisons, and consultant(s) for specific programmes of work.
• Manage performance expectations, facilitate goal alignment, integrate project and organizational change, give and seek feedback.
• Build and work with cross-functional and cross-disciplinary teams.

Requirements

Qualifications and Experience

· Master’s degree in public health, policy, development, or business administration

· Minimum of 12 years’ experience in policy and advocacy work in global heath & development

· Experience working with Governments and/or key bi- & multilateral agencies, preferably in the Asia Pacific region

· Experienced in leading, mentoring, and managing a team of mid-level professionals.

Knowledge and Skills

· Superb influencing skills, the ability to build trust with multiple stakeholders; experience in global health diplomacy or diplomacy in development more broadly

· An understanding of the global health architecture and landscape in Asia Pacific is a major plus

· Excellent time management skills and high dependablility as an individual contributor and a team member

Personal Attributes

· Demonstrated commitment to improving public health outcomes, particularly in underserved and marginalized populations

· Experience living and working in resource-limited settings a major plus

· Proven ability to work effectively within a multi-cultural and diverse team

· Ability to consistently work with humility, in a collaborative manner in a highly matrixed environment

· Approachable, adaptable, and possessing a good sense of humour.

· Ability to travel up to 30%

The position is a full-time role and will be based in the organization’s headquarters in Singapore. The organization offers a competitive salary and benefits package, commensurate with experience and qualifications. The initial contract will be for a period of 2 years, with the possibility of extension based on performance and availability of funding.

To apply, please send your resume and cover letter to recruitment@aplma.org by 25 February 2024. We thank you for your application and regret to inform that only candidates shortlisted for interview will be contacted

About the Organization

With less than six years left to achieving the goal of a malaria-free Asia Pacific by 2030, the fight for malaria elimination has never been more urgent. Over the past two decades, the Asia Pacific region has made tremendous progress against malaria with dramatic declines in malaria-endemic countries and several countries on the precipice of elimination. Progress, however, is now threatened as competing priorities in global health and development sector, declining domestic and international financial resources for malaria, and a host of other factors have led to increases in malaria cases in key endemic countries. Climate change also threatens to impact the malaria fight in unpredictable ways.

Sustaining the momentum to end malaria through robust advocacy, political commitment, and effective partnership is more critical than ever.

The Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance Secretariat (APLMA) supports the commitment of 18 heads of Government to end malaria by 2030 across Asia Pacific. Guided by a 10-year Strategic Framework and a four-year Programme Design (2022-2026), APLMA works to maintain visibility for the malaria fight through robust technical advocacy across the Region.