Ecosystem Partner - African Genomics Program at Roche

Requisition ID: 202110-128146
Job Level: Individual contributor

Overview

• African people are underrepresented in research and development, including genetic studies, and if not prioritized, global inequities in health will continue to grow.
• As an innovative health care company, Roche is channeling the company’s expertise, experience and collaborative mindset to address this challenge. 
• Through the African Genomics Program, Roche and its partners are working to correct the dramatic imbalance in global genomic data and catalyze the creation of an open databank of meaningful genomic data for all Africans.
• By revolutionizing how data is collected and shared at scale, we can address disease burdens in historically overlooked populations and prepare African health systems to take advantage of current and future health care innovations.

The Position

• We are seeking an AGP Ecosystem Partner - African Genomics Program (AGP) to be based in one of the following locations: Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Tunisia or Morocco.
• The role forms part of a cross-functional, self-managed team working to advance the Program’s goals.
• In this role you will develop a partnership and stakeholder engagement strategy for a country or a group of countries in collaboration with the AGP Global Partnerships Lead and facilitate and manage relationships with a diverse set of external stakeholders.
• You should have a strong command of key issues related to the biopharmaceutical industry in your ecosystems including the business environment, data and health policy landscape, and the ability to establish and maintain strategic partnership relations with stakeholders including government authorities, business partners, NGOs, academia etc.
• You will be a part of the African Genomics Program Partnerships Team, with an administrative reporting line to the AGP Global Partnerships Lead and working alongside an enabling team, subject matter experts and others who manage AGP program strategy, communications and data infrastructure.

Responsibilities
Your main responsibilities will be to:

• Act as the primary, but not only, point of contact between Roche and the ecosystems that we work in.
• Develop a partnering and stakeholder engagement strategy for the African Genomics Program in a country or group of countries, collaborating with AGP workstream leads and subject matter experts.
• Work closely and develop meaningful partnerships with traditional and non-traditional (e.g influencers, tech companies, other biopharmaceutical companies etc.) stakeholders directly touching the genomics ecosystem.
• Engage and manage relationships with cross-sector stakeholders who are involved in efforts to address disparities in genomic data across the breadth of data, policy, infrastructure, capacity and scientific issues required for solutions at scale.
• Conduct and maintain ecosystem mapping to understand policy and stakeholder environment surrounding key issues.
• Support AGP Partnership workstream in engaging with external stakeholders in a country or group of countries to form meaningful partnerships and foster productive collaboration.
• Navigation of landscapes related to real world data, evidence generation, data infrastructure and policies related to genomics. 

Furthermore, you will also be expected to demonstrate:

• The Roche Values of Integrity, Courage & Passion.
• A proven track record of building strong and sustainable relationships with internal and external partners and stakeholders.
• A proven ability to work independently, managing multiple work streams and effectively lead and enable change.

Who you are

• You’re someone who is passionate about global health and innovation, and inspired by making big, bold ideas a reality.
• You’re looking for a company where you have the opportunity to pursue your interests across functions and geographies.
• Where a job title is not considered the final definition of who you are, but the starting point.
• Visionary: defining and embedding the strategy around creating improved patient value and health systems impact
• Mindset:
  • Strong entrepreneurial mindset with outstanding partnering capabilities (coaching, consulting, ability to deeply listen, question and understand).
  • Growth mindset, able to learn and unlearn quickly, take risks and experiment, and contribute to the learning cycle by sharing knowledge with others inside and outside Roche.
  • Self managed and self directed - altruistic in supporting the global network.
  • Display of integrity in everything (i.e. open, honest, ethical and genuine).
  • Enabler mindset leveraging the internal and external networks to create value, sharing back and scaling.
  • Boldly acts on key decisions and opportunities and boldly stops any activity that is not adding value. Ability to say “No” to stakeholders when the value is not predictable/foreseen.

Capabilities
You are a strong leader, strategic thinker and influencer, who is able to:

• Broad scientific understanding of the genomics landscape.
• Collaborate and build alliances and partnerships across diverse settings, both within and beyond Roche .
• Understand political decision making and complex networks of influence. 
• Thrive in our rapidly changing political and stakeholder environment, charting a successful course for Roche.
• Challenge assumptions at every level.

Experience:

• Corporate affairs or alliance management experience preferably in the biotech/pharmaceutical sector.
• Experience leading on above country, multi-stakeholder engagement & advocacy.
• Cross-functional project management, including managing external agencies and budgets.
• Proven leadership experience in non-hierarchical environment.

The Small Print:

• Bachelor's Degree, preferably in Human Science, International Relations, Politics or other relevant field.
• 7 - 10 years of experience in the biotech and/or pharmaceutical industry.
• Strong English (written and verbal) is essential.
• Travel required (in future and as COVID protocols allow).