The Foundation

We are the largest nonprofit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. Founded on a simple premise: people everywhere, regardless of identity or circumstances, should have the chance to live healthy, productive lives. We believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve. We provide an exceptional benefits package to employees and their families which include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums, generous paid time off, paid family leave, foundation-paid retirement contribution, regional holidays, and opportunities to engage in several employee communities. As a workplace, we’re committed to creating an environment for you to thrive both personally and professionally.

The Team

The Africa team works to enable the foundation’s ambitious goals of scaling evidence-based interventions that target a range of diseases and socio-economic conditions which are endemic across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The team drives its responsibility through direct country engagement to deploy interventions and delivery models, and by building the partner architecture to replicate successful interventions and models across multiple countries.

Application deadline – 28th February 2025

Your Role

The Gates Foundation seeks a strategic and experienced Director, Policy, Government Relations and Partnerships, Africa to lead government relations, technical advocacy and policy across East, Southern, and West/Central Africa. The Director will cultivate and maintain programmatic partnerships with foundation grantees and private sector partners, and manage our public sector relationships, ensuring strong alignment between the foundation’s goals and the priorities of our government partners. This role will oversee programmatic policy and communication efforts across key focus areas—including health (e.g. Health Systems Strengthening, Maternal Newborn and Child Health, Malaria, HIV/TB, etc.) and economic opportunity (e.g. Agricultural Development, Digital Public Infrastructure, etc.) — while working closely with teams of experts from across the foundation to drive alignment with government and regional stakeholders, advance policy goals, and mobilize resources for impact. While advocacy and government relations for the Foundation’s work in Nigeria and Ethiopia are managed directly by the respective country offices, this role will work with GR/advocacy leaders in those offices to coordinate activities in regions where the foundation has a presence, ensuring aligned messaging and prioritization of foundation advocacy objectives across the continent. The role will also oversee, in collaboration with the Africa Director, work with global foundation teams on issues related to development policy and finance, and partnerships with philanthropic organizations and high-net-worth individuals and investors across Africa, fostering collaboration to achieve shared goals of mobilizing resources, increasing impact, and advancing development across the continent.

The Director will manage three Deputy Directors (DDs) focusing on regional government relations across East, Southern, and West/Central Africa (excluding Ethiopia and Nigeria). The Director will also manage two Deputy Directors focusing on health and economic opportunity-related advocacy, respectively, and supported by Senior Program Officers (SPOs) from the Policy and Communications (PAC) team. Together, they will manage the foundation’s policy and advocacy portfolio in Africa, ensuring alignment with Deputy Directors for government relations.

This role sits on the Global Policy and Advocacy Leadership Team, the Global Development Leadership Team, and the Africa Director’s Forum, and collaborates with foundation divisions to integrate and drive regional strategies that support sustainable impact and systems change. This position reports directly to the Director, Africa, with a dotted reporting line to the President of Global Policy and Advocacy. The role is based in Nairobi, Kenya.

What You’ll Do

This position will lead all policy, advocacy, and government relations activities in Africa, in close partnership with the Global Policy & Advocacy division, and programmatic health/development and geographic leadership on the Africa team. You will be one of the key foundation leaders on the continent, bringing practical advocacy experience on complex issues, and deep relationships across the continent to further the foundation’s goals on global health and development.

Key Responsibilities:

Policy, Advocacy Strategy and Implementation

• Lead development and oversee execution of actionable advocacy strategies for priority countries) across East, Southern, and West/Central Africa, and closely collaborate with GR/advocacy leads in Nigeria and Ethiopia to ensure coordination of advocacy objectives across the continent.
• Coordinate closely with the Deputy Directors to align health and economic opportunity advocacy with the foundation’s regional objectives.

Government Relations and Regional Management

• Lead high-level government relations and foster partnerships with national and regional stakeholders to drive policy and financing alignment with foundation goals.
• Oversee technical advocacy efforts, leveraging expertise to influence public policy and support regional priorities.

Team Leadership and Capacity Building

• Supervise Deputy Directors and collaborate with SPOs, guiding them in managing programmatic portfolios and ensuring integrated advocacy approaches across the continent.
• Foster a high-performing team culture aligned with the foundation’s mission, values, and goals.

Stakeholder Engagement and Partnership Development

• Cultivate relationships with government, funders, regional organizations (including development organizations, private sector and policy research), and other key influencers to align resources and policies with foundation objectives.
• Engage proactively with grantees and partners, providing coordination and support to achieve advocacy outcomes.
• Support foundation leadership on regional visits, facilitating stakeholder engagements and strategic insights.

Internal Collaboration and Coordination

• Lead partnership with the Global Policy and Advocacy (GPA) division as a member of the GPA Leadership team, and collaborate with other foundation divisions, including Global Health, Global Development, Gender Equality, and Global Growth & Opportunity, to ensure regional strategies reflect programmatic priorities.
• Provide context and insights for global program investments, shaping advocacy and grant strategies in alignment with local realities.

Grant and Investment Management

• Oversee policy, advocacy-related grants and investments, working with DDs and SPOs to ensure robust portfolios that drive scalable impact and align with regional priorities.

Representation and Influence

• Represent the foundation in key forums, highlighting foundation priorities and helping inform regional and global agendas.
• Lead Africa development policy and financing efforts, supporting Global Policy and Advocacy initiatives, including risk and reputation management.
• Actively contribute to the Global Policy and Advocacy Leadership Team to ensure regional priorities are represented in global advocacy strategies.

Finance and Resource Mobilization

• In partnership with the Donor Policy and Finance team, lead efforts to understand and influence the macroeconomic issues impacting the foundation’s work in Africa, especially in priority countries, ensuring a clear view of global finance architecture, domestic resource mobilization, and the evolving bi- and multilateral funding ecosystem, in the context of a dynamic geopolitical environment.

Philanthropic Partnership Management

• In partnership with the foundation’s Philanthropic Partnerships Team, lead efforts to build and sustain strategic philanthropic partnerships including institutional, corporate and family offices across Africa that drive measurable impact aligned with the foundation’s mission. Identify and engage with key philanthropic organizations, foundations, and high-net-worth individuals to mobilize resources and foster collaborative initiatives. Develop and manage co-funding opportunities and strategic alliances that amplify the foundation’s programmatic reach and effectiveness. Ensure partnerships are culturally relevant and responsive to regional priorities in health, economic opportunity, and sustainable development, while building mutually beneficial relationships that support long-term success across the continent.

Your Experience

Educational Qualifications

An advanced degree (Master’s or higher) in Public Policy, International Relations, Political Science, Development Studies, Economics, Business Administration, or a related field is required.

Professional Experience

• Minimum of 15 years of professional experience in advocacy, government relations, or public policy, with significant experience in the international development or philanthropic sectors. A robust background working within Africa, with a deep understanding of the continent’s political, economic, and social dynamics, is essential.
• People Management Expertise: Proven experience as a skilled people manager with a history of building, developing, and inspiring multi-functional teams. Ability to mentor senior staff, foster a culture of collaboration and accountability, and manage talent across geographically diverse teams to achieve high-impact results. Ability to support foundation DEI initiatives, and integrate these practices and principles in day-to-day team management.
• Strategic and Operational Leadership: Extensive background in designing and implementing advocacy strategies that align with organizational priorities. Skilled in managing complex, multi-stakeholder partnerships and high-level government relationships, including experience engaging with multilateral organizations, NGOs, and private sector partners.
• Program and Portfolio Management: Strong experience overseeing a diverse portfolio of programs or initiatives, balancing strategic vision with operational execution to achieve measurable results. Adept at managing resource allocation and coordinating with various teams to ensure alignment with regional and organizational goals.

Other Attributes

• Stakeholder Engagement and Political Acumen: Demonstrated expertise in navigating politically sensitive environments, building consensus, and fostering alignment among diverse stakeholders. Candidates with an established network across African governments, regional organizations, and the development sector are highly preferred.
• Language Proficiency: Fluency in both English and French is required to facilitate effective engagement in francophone regions across Africa.
• Willingness to travel up to 40% domestically and internationally for oversight, engagement, and partnership-building activities.

#LI-RT1 ​

Hiring Requirements

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Candidate Accommodations

If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request here.

Inclusion Statement

We are dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We strive for a global and cultural workplace that supports ever greater diversity, equity, and inclusion — of voices, ideas, and approaches — and we support this diversity through all our employment practices.

All applicants and employees who are drawn to serve our mission will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to race, color, age, religion, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and prior protected activity.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements