VACANCY - PROJECT COORDINATOR

Job Title and Organisation

The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) is a premier research-to-policy institution, generating evidence, strengthening research and related capacity in the African research and development ecosystem, and engaging policy to inform action on health and development. The Center is Africa-based and African-led, with its headquarters (HQ) in Nairobi, Kenya, and a West Africa Regional Office (WARO), in Dakar, Senegal. APHRC seeks to drive change by developing strong African research leadership and promoting evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM) across sub-Saharan Africa.

APHRC is implementing the Cross-border Evidence and Policy Sovereignty (CACEPS) project through the African Union African Think Tank Platform (ATTP). This project aims to strengthen African think tanks and policy institutions in producing high-quality evidence, shaping policy discourse, facilitating cross-boundary learning, and advancing Africa's development priorities.

APHRC seeks to recruit a Project Coordinator with a proven track record of working with major donors including foundations and bilateral agencies. The Coordinator will design, coordinate, and execute research, project management and policy engagement, and provide operational assistance for the CACEPS project to ensure effective implementation, strong partner collaboration, timely output delivery, and compliance with APHRC and donor standards.

The position will be based at APHRC in Nairobi and will require frequent regional travel to consortium partners, the African Union Commission (AUC), and the World Bank.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate closely with researchers across the consortium to ensure that targeted work is delivered as expected.
• Partner with Communications and Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) teams to distill complex research into clear insights for enhancing the visibility and branding of project work.
• Coordinate with relevant work package teams and Information Technology (IT) teams to support data-related initiatives including data systems, digital platforms, repositories, dashboards, and knowledge hubs.
• Facilitate interdisciplinary research efforts that link data, policy translation, and communication.
• Manage work plans, timelines, and deliverables across thematic areas: Climate Change & Food Security, Human Capital Development, and Economic Transformation & Governance.
• Support the operationalization of the CACEPS platform by collaborating with internal and external partners within the consortium.
• Ensure alignment between research outputs, policy engagement, visibility, and the strategic use of the platform to inform policies and decisions.
• Ensure that the targets set by consortium partners in the Partners Performance Agreements (PPAs) are monitored, followed up on, and achieved in a timely manner.
• Coordinate internal APHRC project meetings and engagements, as well as consortium-wide meetings and convenings, to ensure partners receive the necessary support for the efficient and effective delivery of their work packages.
• Serve as the primary contact for consortium partners throughout project implementation.
• Collaborate closely with the Policy Engagement and Communications (PEC) team to translate technical research into policy briefs and other relevant communications products.
• Work with the Consortium Coordinator, work package leads, and partner institution coordinators to facilitate engagement with AUDA-NEPAD, the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), national governments, regional bodies (EAC, ECOWAS, SADC, and IGAD), and development partners.
• Collaborate with the PEC team to identify policy opportunities and align the platform to influence decision-making cycles.
• Work with the PEC team, work package leads, and consortium partners to coordinate the production and dissemination of CACEPS knowledge products.
• Coordinate with the PEC team to enhance visibility through events, media, and stakeholder engagement related to the consortium's outputs and activities.
• Support capacity-building initiatives in collaboration with other think tanks within the ATTP consortia.
• Coordinate with the MEL team to contribute to adaptive project design, track project outputs outcomes, and the overall impact of the project, and document lessons learnt.
• Work closely with the Program Officer to coordinate logistics for high-level convenings and workshops.
• Monitor program budgets and expenditures, maintain documentation and reporting systems.
• Ensure that project coordination processes adhere to APHRC institutional policies and donor requirements, including standards for ethics, safeguarding, inclusion, and accountability.
• Support the Consortia Coordinator in ensuring timely follow-up on contractual, administrative, and compliance obligations throughout the program.

Required Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• PhD or Master's degree in Economics (e.g., Development Economics, Agricultural Economics, International Trade and Trade Policy), Public Policy, International Development, Data Science and Analytics, Development Studies, Political Science, or a related field.
• At least 2 years of relevant post-doctoral experience, or a minimum of 10 years of relevant post-Master's experience.
• Demonstrated success in fundraising and donor engagement.
• Experience collaborating with African policy institutions, continental bodies (such as AUC, AUDA-NEPAD, and ACBF), governments, the private sector, and civil society organizations.
• Proven experience coordinating multi-country or multi-partner programs for a World Bank-funded project.
• Up to date with current discussions on topics affecting Africa's research, development, and science, and their linkages to policy.
• Experience with African data initiatives or knowledge platforms.
• Familiarity with open data, data governance, and digital ecosystems in Africa.
• Fluency in English is required; proficiency in French, Swahili, Arabic, or Portuguese is a plus.
• Excellent research, policy, analytical, and problem-solving abilities.
• Proficient in policy engagement and diplomacy, tactful with strong negotiation and persuasion skills.
• Sensitivity to multicultural and multi-institutional working environments.

How to Apply

Interested candidates are encouraged to submit their application letter and detailed CV in one PDF document through this LINK by April 27, 2026. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and will be required to submit a Police Clearance Certificate at a certain stage of the recruitment process.