Join The Defeat-NCD Partnership as Director of Programmes

Are you a results-driven leader with exceptional writing skills, passionate about expanding global health initiatives and ensuring their sustainability? Do you have the vision and expertise to scale non-communicable disease (NCD) programming across multiple countries, including in humanitarian contexts, while building and empowering local teams? If so, this opportunity is for you!

About The Defeat-NCD Partnership

Launched at the United Nations General Assembly in 2018, with the support of the World Health Organization, The Defeat-NCD Partnership is a public-private-people initiative aimed at addressing the global challenge of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Our mission is to ensure universal health coverage for NCDs through:

• Building national capacity for NCD prevention and care,
• Scaling up community-level services for NCD management,
• Ensuring affordability and access to essential NCD supplies,
• Facilitating sustainable financing for country-level NCD programmes.

Headquartered in Geneva, we collaborate with governments, multilateral agencies, civil society, academia, philanthropies, and the private sector. Our efforts align with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.4: reducing premature mortality from NCDs by one-third by 2030. We are committed to promoting equity and ensuring that no one is left behind, including in humanitarian contexts where populations are most vulnerable.

The Opportunity: Director of Programmes

As Director of Programmes, you will lead the expansion of our NCD programming across 20 countries in 2025, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Djibouti, Ecuador, Gambia, Grenada, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Myanmar, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe. You will drive efforts to secure additional fundraising and joint programming, ensuring that these countries receive the support needed to scale and sustain their NCD programmes, including in humanitarian contexts.

A core part of your role will involve identifying and recruiting local talent in these programme countries to run in-country operations. You will manage their performance and establish local entities to ensure that our programmes are sustainable in the long term.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership: Lead the design and execution of country-specific programmes that align with Defeat-NCD’s strategic goals, while ensuring the sustainability of these efforts through the creation of local entities.
• Local Talent Recruitment & Management: Identify, recruit, and manage local talent in programme countries to lead in-country efforts, ensuring they meet performance goals and contribute to the sustainability of local programmes.
• Fundraising and Partnership Development: Secure additional funding and develop joint programming initiatives to support the current 20 countries, with a focus on expanding these efforts annually while maintaining long-term sustainability.
• Sustainability & Results-Oriented Programme Development: Implement scalable solutions that ensure long-term sustainability of NCD programmes in low-resource and humanitarian settings, focusing on measurable outcomes and the establishment of local capacities.
• Strong Writing & Communication: Draft high-quality proposals, reports, and strategic documents to engage donors, stakeholders, and partners, ensuring clarity and effectiveness in communicating the Partnership’s objectives and successes.
• Resource Management: Oversee the financial and human resources needed to implement impactful programmes, setting up and managing local entities in programme countries to sustain NCD efforts beyond the initial funding period.

What We Offer:

• Global Impact: Play a critical role in scaling NCD prevention and treatment programmes across multiple countries, directly influencing health outcomes in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions.
• Leadership Role: Lead the expansion and sustainability of our programming across 20 countries in 2025, including building local teams and establishing local entities for long-term success.
• Dynamic Environment: Collaborate with international experts and partners, contributing to a cause of global significance, with the opportunity to engage in humanitarian contexts.

Who We Are Looking For:

We are seeking a dynamic, results-oriented leader with exceptional communication and writing skills, capable of driving our programme efforts forward while ensuring long-term sustainability.

Key Competencies:

• Leadership & Innovation: Proven ability to lead and expand programmes in challenging environments, including humanitarian settings, with a focus on building local capacity and sustaining results.
• Collaboration & Partnership: Strong networking and partnership-building skills, with a track record of securing funding and establishing local entities to ensure sustainability in new geographies.
• Results-Oriented: Focused on achieving tangible, measurable results, particularly in expanding and sustaining programming across 20 countries and beyond.
• Strong Writing & Communication: Exceptional writing skills to draft proposals, reports, and communications that engage stakeholders and partners.
• Cultural Competence: Experience working in diverse, low-resource environments with an understanding of local needs and challenges.

Qualifications:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Medicine, Public Health, or related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in strategic leadership, public health, programme management, or executive management.
• Experience working with governments, especially in low-resource countries and humanitarian contexts.
• Fluency in English is required; knowledge of French is desirable.
• Eligible to work in Switzerland.

Why Join Us?

At Defeat-NCD Partnership, you will be part of a dynamic and driven team committed to tackling one of the most pressing global health challenges. You will play a crucial role in building sustainable, in-country NCD programmes, expanding our impact to 20 countries in 2025, and establishing local entities to ensure the long-term success of our initiatives.

How to Apply:

If you are ready to lead this exciting initiative and make a global impact, we encourage you to apply! Please send your CV and a motivation letter to secretariat@defeat-ncd.org by 11 November 2024. Early applications are encouraged as we review applications on a rolling basis.