Global Malaria Advisor

Background Information – UNOPS 

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development. UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management, and human resources. UNOPS is the legal and administrative host of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership (RBM), with hosting arrangements managed by the Geneva Office.

RBM Partnership to End Malaria

The past fifteen years have seen tremendous gains in reducing the burden of disease and progressing towards malaria elimination. Since 2000, global malaria deaths have been cut by more than half, saving 12.7 million lives, primarily among children less than five years of age. Expansions in financing, strong political commitments, novel diagnostic and preventative measures, and multi-sectoral co-ordination have facilitated this progress. Since 1998, RBM Partnership to End Malaria has been central to the global fight against malaria.

It has been essential to mobilizing resources and scaling up innovative interventions, putting the world onto a path towards eliminating malaria. The Partnership comprises more than 500 partners committed to end malaria, including malaria endemic countries, their bilateral and multilateral development partners, the private sector, nongovernmental and community-based organizations, foundations, and research and academic institutions.

The RBM Partnership’s Vision is of a world free from the burden of malaria. The RBM Partnership is based in Geneva and hosted by UNOPS.

Role of the Global Malaria Advisor

The Global Malaria Advisor plays a pivotal role in advancing the RBM Partnership’s strategic vision for malaria elimination, with a focus on high-burden regions and continental leadership. Operating under the direct supervision of the CEO, the Advisor will lead and coordinate the Partnership’s global, regional, and sub-regional elimination strategies in Africa, South-East Asia, and Latin America. The position is strategically located in Addis Ababa to deepen collaboration with African Union institutions, including Africa CDC, regional economic communities, and diplomatic missions.

The Advisor will drive synergetic engagement across stakeholders, support the operationalization of regional hubs, and guide the Partnership’s alignment with the Big Push Against Malaria. The post will also directly supervise the CRSPC’s workstreams and ensure alignment with RBM’s strategic, technical, and advocacy goals.

• Actively contribute to executive-level decision-making as a member of the RBM Secretariat’s senior technical leadership.
• Provide the CEO and partnership with regular updates on the progress of elimination efforts, identifying key risks and mitigation strategies.
• Support strategic planning processes and the design and implementation of RBM Strategic Plan and the Big Push Against Malaria.
• Mentor and guide technical staff in elimination-related programming

2. Lead Technical Coordination on Priority Continental Issues 

• Design and lead technical dialogues regional frameworks to address drug and insecticide resistance and malaria prevention, extreme weather events and response in complex operating settings.
• Serve as the lead technical focal point for malaria elimination regional initiatives. Guide and oversee regional strategies and support initiatives focused on elimination zones such as South-East Africa, the Sahel, the Great Lakes, Andean region, and South-East Asia.
• Act as the primary focal point for translating global commitments into regionally tailored and context-specific interventions within the framework of regional bodies.
• Lead the technical interface with continental institutions (e.g., AU, Africa CDC, NEPAD) and ensure alignment with regional priorities.
• Provide direct strategic support and technical advice to the CEO and contribute to the design of high-level interventions and positioning efforts.

3. Operational Oversight and Advisory

• Guide the work of CRSPC at global, regional, and subregional levels, ensuring coherence with the Big Push and elimination goals.
• Coordinate and monitor implementation of elimination-oriented action plans and milestones for countries close to elimination
• Provide thought leadership direction for integrated approaches to elimination, including domestic financing, surveillance, and multisectoral collaboration.
• Support the development and review of funding proposals, programmatic strategies, and elimination metrics.
• Supervise the Regional and Sub regional teams of RBM, and actively participate to strategic dialogue with the Country and Regional Support Partners Committee

4. Cultivate the Big Push Against Malaria at regional levels

• Drive the operationalization of the Big Push Against Malaria across regions by ensuring strong technical, political, and financial alignment with RBM’s elimination objectives.
• Coordinate closely with the Head of Programs, External Engagement Advisor, and Technical Coordinator to align messaging, resource mobilization, and stakeholder engagement strategies that amplify the Big Push’s visibility and country/regional traction.
• Establish and maintain high-level technical partnerships with governments, regional economic communities, continental bodies, donors, and multilateral agencies to embed Big Push priorities within regional health and development frameworks.
• Convene and steer high-impact regional and global dialogues, taskforces, and learning platforms aimed at removing policy, financing, and implementation barriers—accelerating measurable progress under the Big Push framework.
• Act as an active member of the RBM Secretariat action lead sustainable financing efforts

Impact of Results
The Advisor will drive accelerated progress toward malaria elimination by enhancing strategic coherence, regional leadership, and country/regional commitment, while strengthening coordination across stakeholders and aligning resources for greater collective impact.

The Advisor will also improve RBM’s operational agility and responsiveness, ensuring a more efficient, results-oriented Secretariat that is closely aligned with the needs of high-burden regions and the ambitions of the Big Push.

Education

• A Master’s degree in public health, business management, public administration, science, social science or another relevant field is required.
• A Bachelors degree in public health, business management, public administration, science, social science or  other relevant field  plus two additional years of experience will be considered in lieu of a Master’s degree.

Experience:

Essential

• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in the development or implementation or management of Public health projects is required. Within this prerequisite, at least 5 years at the senior management or leadership level is required.
• 5 years of experience in managing malaria projects, or malaria programs  is required
• Experience in the public health sector, in particular with malaria endemic countries is required.

Desirable

• Experience working in challenging and politically complex situations.
• Experience in multi-stakeholder partnerships management and engagement.
• Understanding and experience working in digital and information technologies projects
• Experience working with regional bodies.
• Proven ability to manage and motivate senior staff located in different geographical locations.
• Specialization, experience or demonstrated understanding of international development related to malaria is preferred.

Language 

• Fluency in English is required
• Knowledge of another UN language  particularly French is highly desirable