Senior Creative Writer

Job Title: Senior Creative Writer

Reports to: Chief of Staff, UGHE, with a dotted reporting line to Cluster Lead of Evidence to Practice at LEAP center.

Department: Marketing and Communications, Office of the Vice Chancellor

Location: Kigali, Rwanda; occasional international travel required (20-30%)

Position overview

The Senior Creative Writer will play a key role in producing original, authored content that advances the external-facing communications and knowledge dissemination mission of the LEAP Centre, a new interdisciplinary center at the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE). The LEAP Centre aims to bridge academia and care delivery to advance global health equity through the demonstration of health systems innovations, capacity strengthening through training and collaboration, and the generation and dissemination of insights to inform policy and scale effective solutions. The Senior Creative Writer will serve as a skilled, self-directed author who can translate complex technical content into compelling written narratives for diverse audiences, who is experienced travelling independently to gather first-hand stories from program participants. S/he will develop and maintain a consistent editorial voice for the Centre, shaping the tone, style, and language through which LEAP communicates its work and impact in writing.

In addition to supporting LEAP-specific priorities, the Writer will be a member of the broader UGHE Marketing and Communications team.

Responsibilities

Case Study Writing and Site-based Story Telling (Lead Responsibility)

• Independently plan and conduct site visits across Paul Fund project sites to gather documentation and material for case studies, including leading interviews with clinicians, patients, program staff, and community members.
• Lead the full case study development cycle from research to final publication: identifying compelling stories, securing access and consent, conducting on-the-ground reporting, and writing polished, publication-ready narratives.
• Build and maintain a growing portfolio of case studies that document health systems innovations and frontline impact, serving as LEAP’s primary evidentiary storytelling asset for funders, policymakers, and partners.
• Travel to remote or under-resourced sites as needed, adapting reporting approach to local context and constraints.

Editorial Voice and Written Communications

• Own the development and implementation of LEAP's engagement and communications strategy, working closely with LEAP Leadership and the LEAP Program Manager.
• Define and uphold LEAP's editorial voice, the tone, style, and written language through which the Centre communicates its work, values, and impact, ensuring consistency across all written materials and channels.
• Develop engaging internal- and external-facing written communications materials that articulate LEAP's mission, activities, and impact for diverse audiences, including the OnePIH community, potential external collaborators, funders, and donors. Written products include newsletters, annual reports, briefs, op-eds, white papers, and other promotional or informational materials in addition to case studies.
• Manage and update written content across the LEAP Centre's web presence (including the LEAP landing page) and social media channels, ensuring consistency with PIH, UGHE and LEAP editorial standards.

Translating Technical Content into Accessible Narrative

• Serve as the primary bridge between LEAP's technical and programmatic work and its public-facing communications, translating complex implementation findings, health systems data, and frontline insights into clear, compelling written narratives.
• Work closely with researchers, program leads, and implementing partners to extract key insights and develop written products that are accessible to non-specialist audiences, including policymakers, funders, and the broader global health community.

Knowledge Product Writing and Packaging

• Lead writing and editorial support for LEAP knowledge products, including case studies, white papers, technical reports, op-eds, and learning briefs, ensuring content is authoritative, accessible, and written to a high standard.
• Provide communications and layout support for knowledge products, ensuring materials are visually consistent with LEAP and UGHE branding.

Audiovisual Content: Scripting and Story Development

• Develop scripts, voice-over copy, and story treatments for LEAP video and multimedia productions, often drawing directly on material gathered during independent field visits, ensuring the narrative and messaging reflect LEAP's editorial voice and communications goals.
• Collaborate with LEAP leadership, the UGHE Marketing and Communications team, and site-based communications teams to develop content strategies for audiovisual storytelling.

Events Planning, Communication, and Promotion

• Support planning, promotion, and communications for LEAP-hosted in-person and virtual events, including webinars, workshops, convenings, and launches, including travel to represent LEAP at sites as needed.
• Develop event-related written communications materials and coordinate with internal stakeholders to ensure timely dissemination and follow-up.

Qualifications & Experience

Education

• A degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Health, International Development, or a related field is required. A master's degree in Global Health Communications, Public Health, or a writing-intensive discipline is strongly preferred.
• A strong portfolio of published or distributed written work is required, including at least one or two long-form pieces (report, white paper, case study, or feature article).

Experience

• Minimum of 5–10 years of demonstrated professional writing experience, with substantial experience in a global health, academic, or research-adjacent environment.
• Demonstrated track record of leading case study or long-form narrative projects independently, including field research, source identification, and interviewing, from concept through publication.
• Proven ability to work autonomously and manage complex writing projects with minimal supervision.
• Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality long-form and short-form written content, including reports, case studies, op-eds, and narrative briefs, for diverse audiences.
• Experience translating technical or scientific content into accessible, compelling narratives for non-specialist audiences.
• Demonstrated comfort and competence traveling frequently and independently, including to remote or resource-limited settings.
• Familiarity with global health, health systems strengthening, or international development contexts.

Additional Assets

• Experience with web content management or social media writing.
• Experience scripting videos or developing story treatments for multimedia content.

Benefits of Working at UGHE

At the University of Global Health Equity, we invest in your well-being and professional growth from day one. Below is a range of our benefits;

• Medical Insurance (employee and legal dependents)
• Life Insurance (employee only)
• 13th Month pay cheque
• 23 vacation days
• Communications allowance including home internet
• Employee wellness program (Gym membership for employee only)
• Subsidised meal plan while in Butaro
• Shared housing while in Butaro
• Relocation allowance for employee and their legal dependents (where applicable)
• Work permit fees and processing (employee and dependents)
• Leave flights back home for employee and legal dependents (where applicable)
• Professional development opportunities to help you advance your career

Choose UGHE for a benefits package designed to empower you—personally and professionally—so you can focus on what matters most: making a global impact in health equity.

At UGHE, you will collaborate with a diverse team sourced from different corners of the world—gaining fresh perspectives, expanding your professional network, and accelerating both your personal and career growth through cross-cultural learning and diverse expertise.

How to Apply

Applicants should provide: (1) a resume, (2) a cover letter, (3) names and contact information of three professional references who can attest to work experience, and (4) copies of all degrees earned. Please upload your cover letter and copies of degrees as a single PDF file under "Additional Files" on the application page.

University of Global Health Equity is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Organizational Profile

UGHE is a new kind of university focused on training the next generation of global leaders in health care delivery. The university launched in Rwanda in September 2015. Through an academic experience uniquely rooted in the values of equity, students are empowered to both ease suffering at the bedside and drive transformational, systemic changes to the health system.

UGHE is an initiative of Partners In Health (PIH), an internationally recognized non-profit organization whose mission is to provide a preferential option for the poor in health care.

Members of the UGHE community are tenacious and resolute in our drive to attain social justice, make common cause with those in need, listen to and learn from others, and operate with honesty and humility as we uphold academic integrity and intellectual curiosity. The University of Global Health Equity seeks individuals committed to these values to join the team.

Commitment to Safeguarding and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Sexual Harassment:

At UGHE, we are committed to ensuring that those who benefit from our work—including community members—as well as our students, contractors, staff, and visitors to our campus are treated with dignity and respect and protected from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment and any form of systemic abuse, whilst reducing risk and vulnerabilities. A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with UGHE’s policy.

UGHE will request information from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of fraud, harassment, sexual harassment and any form of systemic abuse or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By applying, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.