Job Description

Manager, Innovation, Strategy and Operations – GL E - Defined Duration until December 2028

Reporting to the Head of Health Finance, the Manager, Innovation, Strategy and Operations plays a pivotal role in the evolution of the Global Fund’s health financing agenda, driving efforts to integrate innovation and performance improvements into health finance operations to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of regional and national responses to fight HIV, TB, and malaria and strengthen systems for health (including community systems). As the global funding landscape evolves and countries progress toward universal health coverage (UHC), less dependence on external financing, and greater integration of HIV, TB, and Malaria responses into health systems, the Manager, Innovation, Strategy and Operations manages overall efforts to strengthen innovation, value delivery, and improved implementation of strategic priorities for the Health Finance Department and leads strategic planning and operations of the Department. The role combines strategic thinking, technical expertise, project and change management, and implementation efficiency to drive innovation and improved implementation of strategic priorities that support advancement of the health finance agenda and effectively respond to the rapidly evolving external health financing environment in which the Global Fund is operating.

At the core of this role is working effectively across the Department and the Secretariat to further accelerate the use of innovative approaches that achieve financial sustainability and effective transition objectives, drive performance improvement in the implementation of HFD priorities, and coordinate / oversee HFD operations. The Manager, Innovation, Strategy and Operations collaborates closely with teams within the Health Finance Department and across the Global Fund Secretariat to develop, test, implement, document, and scale the use of health finance solutions and initiatives that support improved domestic health financing, financial sustainability, transition from external financing, and the effective, equitable, efficient use of available resources. This includes supporting development and expansion of new, alternative, innovative financing modalities, coordinating efforts to strengthen value for money in the use of Global Fund and domestic resources, and overseeing continuous use and improvement of health finance data to support strategic objectives. The role also drives and oversees strategic planning, operations, change management, financial management, and internal / external reporting. This role demands a consistent ability to support operational and technical enhancements, drive innovation, collaborate effectively with a wide variety of technical stakeholders (including those managing health financing efforts focused at the country level), and to drive change, process improvements, and implementation across multiple teams and thematic areas.

In addition, the Manager, Strategy, Innovation, and Operations play a key people management and culture-building role, directly leading a cross-cutting team supporting key thematic areas critical to the Health Finance Department efforts. The role is expected to foster a high-performance environment rooted in psychological safety, inclusion, and trust, where technical excellence, integrity, and collaboration thrive. Through ongoing mentorship, technical coaching, and capacity-building, the Manager ensures that the team is not only operationally effective but also forward-looking, adaptive, and ready to evolve with the dynamic evolution of the Global Health Financing landscape and the Global Fund’s strategic needs.

Key Responsibilities

In strong collaboration with relevant technical teams across the Global Fund Secretariat, Senior Managers, Health Finance, the Manager, Advocacy, Health Finance and relevant teams within F&A, the Manager, Innovation, Strategy and Operations have the following core responsibilities:

Innovation and Value-Delivery:

Drive innovation, value delivery, and improved implementation of strategic priorities for HFD. This includes further developing, documenting, and promoting the tools, innovations, and strategies that can be used to achieve the Department’s objectives of improved financial sustainability, effective transition from external financing, enhanced value for money, and stronger domestic financing of health systems and national HTM responses. For example, plays a key role coordinating development of transition pathways and financial sustainability and transition roadmaps across the Global Fund portfolio to ensure consistency, document best practices, and support lesson learning, in strong collaboration with Senior Managers, Health Finance and relevant Secretariat teams.
Manage coordination, implementation, and scale up of the Secretariat’s efforts to apply blended, alternative, and/or catalytic financing instruments (e.g., blended finance, Debt2Health, impact investing, PPPs, RBF, etc.), as part of a cross-functional effort to strengthen financial sustainability, optimize investments, improve alignment with other development financiers, and support effective transitions from external financing. This includes developing, scoping and delivering strategies for the effective use of new, additional financing modalities not currently / regularly used by the Global Fund.
Develop and drive implementation of relevant value for money priorities and initiatives, in strong coordination with Senior Managers, Health Finance, Grant Financial Management, and other Secretariat technical teams. This includes driving internal alignment and implementation of value for money priorities agreed with Head, Health Finance, CFO, and the Management Executive Committee (MEC).

2. Strategic Planning, Reporting, and Governance:

Oversee and coordinate HFD governance engagement and HFD reporting, internally and externally. This includes developing and managing Department KPIs and performance metrics, centrally tracking and monitoring performance on co-financing implementation, and developing Department analytics, presentations, and strategies required by the MEC, governance bodies, donors, partners, and other relevant entities. It also includes overseeing performance reporting, and overseeing HFD inputs into routine, annual or cyclical Secretariat processes, and / or external reports / publications (including the Results Report and Global Fund Investment Case).
Oversee strategic planning, operations and continuous performance improvement for the Health Finance Department, including the development and approval of Department priorities and objectives, evaluation of and monitoring of Department performance, and development and oversight of annual work-plans. This includes working effectively across the HF Department, F&A and the Secretariat to identify gaps, ensure effective implementation and timely delivery of Health Finance Department strategic work-plans, and coordinating efforts to effectively prioritize department initiatives on a routine, ongoing basis, including by working effectively across the HF Department, F&A and the Secretariat.
Coordinate efforts (including liaising with relevant stakeholders across F&A) to secure additional extra-budgetary resources for health finance department priorities and oversee the use and implementation of available financial resources. This includes oversight of available extra-budgetary resources, including relevant strategic initiatives, to ensure they strategically support Department priorities and are implemented efficiently, effectively, and in line with Secretariat and F&A operational processes and standards.
Oversee management and continuous improvement in the analysis of and use of health finance data, in strong collaboration with Senior Managers, Health Finance and centralized functions across the Secretariat working on the management and use of data, including within Finance, Grant Management, and the Strategy and Policy Hub. Ensures consistent improvements in the governance and use of health financing related data to support evidence-based decision making on financial sustainability, value for money, and effective transitions.
Oversee centralized analytics for the Department to support effective prioritization, reporting, and decision-making.

3. Coordination, Project Management and Delivery, and Advisory:

Support engagement with key technical partners and other development financiers (primarily at the global level) to further develop agreed strategies, approaches, initiatives, and partnerships to advance Health Finance Department objectives and implement high-value collaborations.
Identify, prioritize, develop, and monitor delivery of strategic projects and initiatives relevant to achieving the Department’s objectives, in collaboration with other relevant teams in Health Finance, F&A and the Secretariat. This includes project-managing these initiatives from ideation to completion, as aligned and agreed with the Head, Health Finance.
Oversee and coordinate HFD inputs into cross-cutting Secretariat initiatives and processes, including Access to Funding processes, strategy development, annual budget development, the identification of technical and strategic priorities across Secretariat teams, etc.
Provide strategic advisory and thought leadership to support implementation of Department priorities and continuous improvement in Department operations. This includes serving as a key advisor for the Head, Health Finance, contributing to thought leadership on financial sustainability, value for money, policy innovation, and effective transitions from external financing alongside other senior members of the Health Finance Department and F&A
Represent the Department internally and externally, as needed, including representing the Head, Health Finance Department in internal and external forums.

4. People Leadership, Mentorship, and Culture Building

Lead and manage a technically focused team of cross-cutting thematic and operational experts driven by operational excellence, strategic thinking, and collaboration.
Proactively foster a culture of psychological safety, encouraging open dialogue, continuous learning, and accountability.
Provide regular mentoring, performance feedback, and career development guidance aligned with future capability needs.
Model inclusive, ethical, and adaptive leadership that strengthens the team and the wider department’s resilience and engagement.

Subject to change by the Executive Director at any time at their sole discretion.

Qualifications

Essential:

Advanced university degree within the area of business administration, health economics, economics, health policy and planning / financing, management, health, or other relevant fields.

Desirable:

Professional certifications in Project and/or Change Management
Business process improvement or organizational change qualifications

Experience

Essential:

Strong experience working with and/or implementing initiatives in the development financing, health financing, health economics space, and/or relevant, similar areas.
Experience in advising, consulting, strategy implementation, and /or project management, preferably with a major multilateral organization, business, or international organization
Extensive professional experience in project and change management, including experience driving innovation and value-delivery in a crosscutting, matrix role
Strong professional experience in project management and/or management consulting or similar, relevant experience which involves the implementation of strategic projects / initiatives from ideation to completion
Track record of providing strategic analysis and advice to senior leaders, as well as developing strategic, high-quality content and analytics to support decision-making
Demonstrated experience and track record in leading and delivering high value, complex projects requiring the collaboration and buy in of diverse stakeholders
Experience leading and shaping teams to deliver high performance within large and complex organizations
Strong managerial skills and proven ability to lead and collaborate effectively in complex, multi-disciplinary and diverse environments
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to deliver high quality presentations to both internal and external senior stakeholders
Impeccable ability to collaborate across a wide variety of stakeholders, including within and across teams
A track record of working in diverse organizations, demonstrating inclusive leadership
A strong track record of leading a highly effective team, people management and culture building

Desirable:

A minimum of at least 10 years of demonstrated professional experience in a relevant field and role, including health financing, health economics, development finance, public health, relevant management consulting, and/or other comparable professional experience, including demonstrated experience working directly at the country level.
At least 4-6 years in project management roles, management consulting or similar experience
A minimum of 4 years of demonstrated experience managing and leading diverse, high-performing teams in a complex, fast paced environment
Experience working with the Global Fund or a comparable development finance institution
Direct professional experience on health financing, health economics, health policy and or development finance
Experience working with and supporting the use of alternative / innovative financial modalities in the development space

Competencies

Languages:

An excellent knowledge of English. Knowledge of other languages would be an asset.

Functional Competencies: