Oversee daily operations and ensure all tasks are completed efficiently and accurately. Manage a team of professionals, providing guidance and support to enhance productivity and performance. Develop and implement strategic plans to achieve organizational goals and objectives. Monitor progress and assess results to identify areas for improvement. Maintain strong communication with stakeholders to keep them informed and engaged. Ensure compliance with company policies, industry regulations, and safety standards. Handle customer inquiries and resolve issues promptly to maintain high levels of satisfaction. Collaborate with other departments to foster teamwork and streamline processes.
The Senior Director will spearhead CHAI’s Private Sector Engagement and Private Finance initiatives, overseeing strategic planning, partnership development, implementation, and team cultivation, in close collaboration with CHAI country teams, Health Systems Strengthening leadership, and external stakeholders such as governments, donors, development finance institutions (Dais), multilateral development banks (MDBs), commercial banks, impact investors, private equity firms, venture capital groups, and healthcare companies.
Set strategic direction and develop a deal-centric platform to drive business growth and maximize transactional opportunities.
To gain a comprehensive, on-the-ground perspective of the health investment landscape in key markets, map critical stakeholders spanning capital providers, health enterprises, regulatory bodies, and intermediaries. This analysis will uncover systemic inefficiencies and pinpoint strategic opportunities where CHAI’s unique contributions can yield the greatest impact.
Co-create CHAI’s strategic approach to engaging the private sector and mobilizing private financing for health throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, encompassing the identification of key geographic priorities, high-impact subsectors—such as primary care, wholesale distribution systems, retail pharmacy, diagnostics, oncology, oxygen, supply chains, energy, and digital health—and delineating CHAI’s strategic role within the broader health ecosystem.
Develop comprehensive operating models, impact assessment frameworks, and strategic work plans, and establish the necessary operational infrastructure to enable a fully functional deal platform. This includes designing systems for deal scouting, deal flow development, pipeline management, due diligence, institutional deal memory, repeatable playbooks, and impact measurement methodologies.
Treat the strategy as a dynamic document by integrating periodic review milestones to evaluate progress and enable decisive actions—either intensifying efforts or adjusting course based on empirical evidence.
Mobilize financial resources and cultivate strategic connections across the full range of the capital market ecosystem.
Develop and oversee strategic partnerships with senior-level representatives from multilateral development banks, development finance institutions, philanthropic foundations, impact-focused debt and equity funds, private equity and venture capital firms, local commercial banks, and microfinance institutions.
Explore strategic avenues to align CHAI’s health priorities with capital providers, forging practical partnerships and co-investment frameworks that yield tangible results.
Explore strategic collaborations with global enterprises—such as those in medical equipment, digital health, or supply chain technology—where applicable, to bolster African health service delivery platforms, ensuring alignment with donor priorities focused on integrating trade and aid.
Represent CHAI proactively at high-impact forums, focusing on engagements that directly facilitate deal origination or enhance strategic positioning. The emphasis is on meaningful interactions that yield tangible outcomes, rather than mere participation in conference circuits.
Develop and implement innovative financing strategies and transactions to achieve organizational objectives.
Develop and execute blended finance and risk-sharing mechanisms—including first-loss facilities, portfolio guarantees, subordinated capital, and results-linked incentives—to facilitate access to competitively priced financing for health SMEs and service providers. Establish actionable execution plans that define partner responsibilities and ensure practical feasibility.
Drive transactions from their inception to finalization, ensuring seamless collaboration with partners, negotiating term sheets, structuring deals, managing documentation, and maintaining rigorous oversight throughout the process. Expertly navigate the multifaceted challenges of local currency financing, tenor selection, foreign exchange risk mitigation, and compliance with diverse regulatory frameworks across African markets.
Facilitate the integration of mechanisms with quantifiable health outcomes and financial performance by implementing robust monitoring and reporting systems.
Collaborate closely with leading health-focused organizations to drive expansion and achieve scalable growth.
Provide strategic guidance and practical assistance to health sector businesses, including tailored commercial and financial advisory services, enhancing governance frameworks, clarifying unit economics, and developing investment-ready materials. Evaluate funding requirements and facilitate connections between companies and suitable capital providers.
Develop a structured methodology for managing deal origination and pipeline development, transitioning from isolated opportunities to scalable, repeatable frameworks.
Collaborate in the development and implementation of scale pathways, which involve establishing contracts with governmental entities and key strategic purchasers.
Develop and lead a dynamic, high-performing team while serving as a key representative of CHAI in external engagements.
Develop a top-tier team that cultivates an environment where financial discipline is paired with a genuine appreciation for local contexts and perspectives.
Represent CHAI in high-level discussions with government officials, donor organizations, investors, and private sector executives. Craft polished external communications and shape strategic perspectives on sustainable health financing within CHAI’s broader initiatives.
Seeking a skilled professional with a minimum of 5 years of experience in a relevant field, capable of demonstrating expertise through a proven track record. The ideal candidate should hold a degree in a related discipline and possess strong analytical abilities, excellent communication skills, and proficiency in industry-standard software. Responsibilities include leading project teams, developing strategic initiatives, and ensuring adherence to compliance standards while delivering measurable results. The role demands meticulous attention to detail, adaptability to evolving challenges, and a commitment to fostering collaborative work environments.
A bachelor’s degree is mandatory; an advanced degree in Finance, Business (MBA), Economics, or a related discipline is highly desirable.
With a minimum of ten years of steadily advancing expertise in impact investing, blended finance, development finance, venture capital, private equity, investment banking, or structured finance, you must have a proven track record of shepherding transactions from initial concept through to full implementation.
Proven capability to devise and implement strategy within intricate, uncertain settings—converting overarching objectives into clear, executable initiatives, determining optimal opportunities across a diverse and dispersed landscape, and adapting direction in response to shifting circumstances.
Proven expertise in capital allocation strategies spanning various company growth phases and evaluating investment preparedness. Skilled in designing risk-sharing mechanisms, including guarantees, first-loss positions, and subordinated capital arrangements, with extensive collaboration alongside Dais, MDBs, and commercial financial institutions.
With significant professional expertise and a deep comprehension of the health sector landscape in sub-Saharan Africa, a well-established professional network spans healthcare, finance, and development domains. Proven experience collaborating with or supporting health subject-matter experts and enterprises operating in frontier or emerging markets, coupled with practical insights into delivering services at accessible price points.
Demonstrated ability to assemble and guide high-performing teams by recruiting top-tier talent, defining strategic direction, and fostering an innovative culture alongside robust operational frameworks.
Fluency in English, both written and verbal, is essential, with strong preference given to candidates who also possess proficiency in French or Portuguese, considering CHAI’s operational scope.
Demonstrates flexibility to travel extensively, accounting for approximately 25–35% of the role’s responsibilities.
Attributes:
Energized by building something entirely new within an unstructured setting, you thrive in a dynamic, execution-driven environment where tangible results take precedence over rigid frameworks. With a builder’s mindset, you prioritize completing deals and achieving outcomes over perfecting theoretical models, demonstrating a strong bias for action and tangible progress.
Commercially astute and deeply committed to our mission, you will effectively engage with both DFI investment committees and rural healthcare entrepreneurs, seamlessly bridging the gap between financial returns and health impact.
Culturally agile and operationally modest, this individual excels in navigating the dynamics of an NGO environment, honoring CHAI’s collaborative ethos while infusing the efficiency and discipline characteristic of the private sector. The ideal candidate is deeply committed to advancing the organization’s mission-driven objectives, viewing this role as a purposeful pursuit rather than a secondary option.
Strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence are essential, enabling trust-building across various stakeholders—government officials, NGO colleagues, investors, and founders—while fostering seamless collaboration without unnecessary conflict.
Intellectual curiosity and a capacity to thrive amid ambiguity are essential for this position, as it involves formulating strategy within a dynamic and evolving landscape. Explicitly acknowledging these traits would facilitate better candidate self-assessment and alignment with the role’s demands.
Driven by a meaningful mission to enhance access to affordable, high-quality healthcare, we seek individuals who share our commitment to making a positive impact in the community.
What constitutes success during the initial 12 to 18 months?
A well-defined strategy and operational framework have been established, outlining priority countries and subsectors for focused execution.
A cohesive core team has been assembled and is fully operational, supported by well-defined workflows and robust pipeline management systems.
A well-developed network spanning key capital providers, coupled with a carefully selected pipeline of high-impact healthcare enterprises, strengthens our position in the market.
We are seeking candidates with experience in developing or initiating two to three financing mechanisms, executed in collaboration with aligned partners and supported by a viable strategy for the initial capital deployment.
Comprehensive support was provided to an initial group of companies, resulting in measurable advancements in their preparedness for investment or in the amount of capital secured.
Systemic challenges within healthcare investment in Sub-Saharan Africa have been identified, documented, and integrated into strategic decision-making processes.
Qualifications
BA/BSc/HND , MBA/MSc/MA
Experience Required
10 years
