Head of Pandemic Research Partnerships

About the role

The Head of Pandemic Research Partnerships will lead PANTHER’s efforts to build and coordinate strategic collaborations with public‑health institutions across Africa. This senior role supports preparedness, response and inter‑crisis activities, fostering an environment where clinical research centres can rapidly address epidemic and pandemic threats.

Key responsibilities

• Lead mapping of national pandemic preparedness and response (PPR) ecosystems, identifying gaps in networks of CROs, research centres and sponsors.
• Convene and facilitate expert meetings, working groups and training programmes with local partners.
• Develop disease‑agnostic tools, legal, financial and procurement frameworks to accelerate response.
• Organise reviews and audits to ensure alignment among networks.
• Design, implement and manage partnerships and consortia, including project scoping, funding proposals, reporting and M&E.
• Support the General Delegate in managing external relationships with partners and manufacturers.
• Monitor milestones, critical success factors and KPIs for collaborative projects.
• Contribute to PANTHER’s strategic planning, budget development and resource optimisation.
• Represent PANTHER at meetings, congresses and board sessions, and lead specific projects as required.

Required profile

• Senior professional with extensive experience in pandemic preparedness research and partnership coordination.
• Proven ability to work with public‑health institutions such as Africa CDC, ministries of health, NPHIs, WHO and NGOs.
• Strong background in mapping health ecosystems, designing consortia and managing multi‑stakeholder projects.
• Experience in budgeting, project planning and performance monitoring.

Required skills