Director, Strategy and Operations at Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI)

About The Role

• The Director, Strategy and Operations will work very closely with the Country Director, and senior management team, both as a strategic thought partner and in driving the execution of the organization’s strategic direction, lead the strategy, development, and execution of the Organization in Nigeria as a whole. He/She will have the challenging and exciting responsibility of maintaining a big-picture view of the entire organization and its long-term impact, while also having attention to detail and energy to drive forward execution.
• Reporting to the Country Director, the Director will have a wide-ranging set of expectations, including undertaking key strategic analyses, supporting new initiatives, developing high-priority board and donor content, and driving execution and coordination of top organizational priorities as set by the management team. This is a role for someone who is able and excited to switch seamlessly between getting their hands dirty to get things done across many workstreams while also being able to step back to provide thought partnership on setting big picture organizational strategy, pursuing new opportunities, and troubleshooting challenges. A strong work ethic will be important to succeed in this role

Strategic Support and Thought Partnership

• Prepare the Country Director and program leaders for high-impact meetings with donors, government officials, and strategic partners, crafting briefings and tracking follow-ups to support relationship-building excellence
• Drive coordination across CHAI for certain donor engagement opportunities, managing submissions and timelines to secure funding that propels CHAI’s mission
• Establish new relationships and foster existing relationships with key development partners, government officials, and professional networks to enhance CHAI Nigeria’s reputation
• Support, build and maintain strong relationships with donors and host country government representatives This could include representing CHAI at meetings, conferences and workshops, networking with other NGOs, and working with Country Directors and their teams
• Develop compelling donor-facing materials, including proposals and pitch decks, showcasing CHAI’s vision and measurable impact
• Produce regular reports for senior management on business development performance analysis
• Maintain and provide donor intelligence and identify new funding opportunities
• Advise on donor priorities and identify specific opportunities. Identify, pursue and successfully capitalise on funding opportunities among major funders, particularly bilateral and multilateral donors in Nigeria and globally
• Track donor funding trends and priorities within the African region and communicate these to the Program Directors, Director of Programs and Country Director
• Research, analyse and maintain regular register of donor calls for funding applications including tenders, expressions of interest and requests for proposals.
• Advise on potential partnerships with other organisations and agencies and identify specific opportunities Identify and pursue funding opportunities for CHAI Nigeria - either as a lead agency or subcontractor - among major international agencies operating within the Africa region
• Conduct partner and competitor analysis, negotiate teaming agreements, and lead or participate directly in large value bids developed by consortia.
• Collaborate with CHAI Global teams to communicate, and strategise on new business opportunities and approaches in line with CHAI’s global strategy
• Research and produce internal briefs on topics and issues related to new business development (e.g. donor profiles, partner organisation profiles, briefings for meetings and conferences)
• Ensure relevant internal approval processes at different levels are followed on making the decision whether or not to pursue a business opportunity
• Support Program teams in the development of communication materials, including presentations, briefing notes and updates to internal and external stakeholders
• Business Development and External Engagement
• Prepare the Country Director and program leaders for high-impact meetings with donors, government officials, and strategic partners, crafting briefings and tracking follow-ups to support relationship-building excellence
• Drive coordination across CHAI for certain donor engagement opportunities, managing submissions and timelines to secure funding that propels CHAI’s mission
• Establish new relationships and foster existing relationships with key development partners, government officials, and professional networks to enhance CHAI Nigeria’s reputation
• Support, build and maintain strong relationships with donors and host country government representatives This could include representing CHAI at meetings, conferences and workshops, networking with other NGOs, and working with Country Directors and their teams
• Develop compelling donor-facing materials, including proposals and pitch decks, showcasing CHAI’s vision and measurable impact
• Produce regular reports for senior management on business development performance analysis
• Maintain and provide donor intelligence and identify new funding opportunities
• Advise on donor priorities and identify specific opportunities. Identify, pursue and successfully capitalise on funding opportunities among major funders, particularly bilateral and multilateral donors in Nigeria and globally
• Track donor funding trends and priorities within the African region and communicate these to the Program Directors, Director of Programs and Country Director
• Research, analyse and maintain regular register of donor calls for funding applications including tenders, expressions of interest and requests for proposals
• Advise on potential partnerships with other organisations and agencies and identify specific opportunities Identify and pursue funding opportunities for CHAI Nigeria - either as a lead agency or subcontractor - among major international agencies operating within the Africa region
• Conduct partner and competitor analysis, negotiate teaming agreements, and lead or participate directly in large value bids developed by consortia
• Collaborate with CHAI Global teams to communicate, and strategise on new business opportunities and approaches in line with CHAI’s global strategy
• Research and produce internal briefs on topics and issues related to new business development (e.g. donor profiles, partner organisation profiles, briefings for meetings and conferences)
• Ensure relevant internal approval processes at different levels are followed on making the decision whether or not to pursue a business opportunity
• Support Program teams in the development of communication materials, including presentations, briefing notes and updates to internal and external stakeholder

Program Performance Management

• Support the implementation and evaluation of the CHAI’s programs and initiatives in Nigeria
• Review and update the CHAI Nigeria program performance management framework and drive the quarterly review process
• Create tools and processes for goal setting, progress-tracking, resource allocation, etc.
• Identify key Transformational Goals for targeted organizational support and resourcing.
• Coordinate the provision of support to relevant teams for achieving prioritized goals.
• Assist teams in aligning their goals with program strategies, including, but not limited to, tracking the progress of identified ‘Transformational Goals’.
• Evaluate CHAI’s overall programmatic performance. Advise senior leadership on progress towards achieving targets set in the new strategy.
• Map roles and responsibilities across teams to ensure shared accountability.
• Monitor program performance and make necessary adjustments.
• Collaborate with program teams to achieve program goals.
• Supporting the development of knowledge management platforms and dashboards to host PPM-related tools, guidance, and data

Talent Management

• Contribute to staff recruitment and relevant HR processes for building the team for the CHAI Nigeria
• Oversee the creation and implementation of training programs to enhance staff skills, leadership capabilities, and overall professional growth with emphasis on a structured program to build a pipeline of highly skilled entry level staff for CHAI Nigeria
• Develop and manage performance management processes that align with organizational goals
• Design initiatives that improve employee morale and strengthen organizational culture
• Special Projects and Other Responsibilities
• Lead key cross-cutting initiatives, addressing organizational gaps and driving high-impact projects forward.
• Enhance internal communications and employee engagement, partnering with the Country Director to deliver engaging updates and host impactful all-hands calls.
• Any other responsibility assigned by the Country Director

Education

• Master’s degree (MBA, MPP, MPA, or MA in International Development or equivalent)

Experience

• Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience, including at least 4 years in strategy/management consulting
• Experience in a fast-paced, results-oriented work environment
• Must have international experience or strong understanding of challenges facing the international development sector; Experience working in or supporting low- and middle-income countries is preferred
• Demonstrated experience gained in international development, preferably for a multi-country international organisation. This could include managing, implementing and/or supporting international development programmes.
• Successful track record of securing multiple high-value projects/contracts from bilateral and multilateral donors, trusts and foundations. Specific experience securing significant funding from donors such as USAID, the Global Fund, GAVI, EU, FCDO, GAC, BMGF, CIFF and other new donors.
• Significant expertise in all areas of new business development including strategy, forging partnerships including negotiating teaming agreements, project design, logframe development, proposal writing, budget development, managing donor and other partner (e.g. NGOs) relationships and project reporting. This includes developing complex technical/narrative and cost proposals.
• Experience developing proposals and pitches (e.g., in a fundraising or development function in the social impact space; in business development in consulting; raising capital in a startup) is an advantage

Skills

• Must have international experience or strong understanding of challenges facing the international development sector
• Must possess the ability to review and analyze data, and ask the right questions
• Exceptional at producing content in Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Demonstrated work planning and project management experience
• Fluent in Excel or PowerBI to cut financial or impact data sets in compelling ways; conduct quantitative analyses that support program reviews, organizational strategy evaluations, and inform decision making
• Great at storytelling to build strategic narratives or to present options sets for executive decision.
• Intellectual curiosity, passion for the mission, and excitement to do this role.
• Exceptional research, writing and strategic analysis skills. Able to synthesize learnings from diverse sources ranging from academic literature to conversations with internal and external experts to one’s own experience in order to arrive at recommendations and plans on special initiatives
• Proven ability to work efficiently and independently in a fast-paced environment. Comfort managing many ongoing, complex workstreams to completion at any given time with minimal supervision
• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal abilities.
• Ability to manage sensitive information and communications with discretion
• Proficient in project management and cross-functional collaboration.
• High emotional intelligence and the ability to manage teams in high-pressure situations.