Project Director

Management Sciences for Health; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 500 000 - 600 000; Full time

Job summary

A global health organization is seeking a Project Director to lead an initiative focused on the resilience of health products to climate change. The role entails overseeing project implementation, engaging with a variety of stakeholders, and ensuring timely completion of deliverables. Candidates should have at least 8-10 years of experience in global health programs, strong leadership skills, and experience in low- and middle-income countries. Strong communication skills and an advanced degree are essential for this position.

Qualifications

• 8-10+ years of experience in project management within global health.
• Experience working with major global health donors like Unitaid.
• Fluency in English and advantage for other languages.

Responsibilities

• Lead overall activity implementation and manage project deliverables.
• Engage with stakeholders to align on priorities and report progress.
• Mobilize consortium partners and guide in-country teams.

Skills

Leadership in large-scale health programs

Stakeholder engagement

Monitoring and evaluation skills

Communication and negotiation skills

Experience in LMICs

Education

Advanced degree in a relevant field

Job description

MSH Is Recruiting a Project Director For a Potential Upcoming Unitaid Global Activity. Unitaid Is Seeking Proposals To Investigate The Heat Stability Of Critical Health Products Under Climate Change Scenarios With Three Key Objectives

• Strengthen the evidence base of real-world conditions and worst-case scenarios (both current and future – aligning with agreed-upon climate scenarios from theIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) that products are exposed to, globally, across their lifecycle. Utilize this evidence to assess the vulnerabilities and possible impact on key products and product classes, making direct linkages to the impact on the health of communities, where possible;
• Guided by the evidence from the objective above, map the solution and opportunity space for improving heat resilience of health products; and
• If appropriate and aligned with evidence, advance solutions in an opportunistic manner, including lighthouse projects that could demonstrate proof-of-concept for priority innovations to mitigate heat vulnerability.

This work aims to assess the resilience of a range of health products and supply chains within Unitaid’s programmatic portfolio, while exploring high-impact, scalable adaptations to improve heat stability, with a particular focus on product access for climate-vulnerable populations.

Role

The Project Director will lead the overall activity implementation and be responsible for the timely completion of project outputs/deliverables. They will regularly engage with Unitaid to align on priorities, report on progress made, and correct course or pivot if needed. They will be responsible and accountable for mobilizing the consortium partners, team, and consultants on a short-term basis in each of the prioritized countries, and along with the technical advisors on the team, guide, coach, and mentor them and adopt a hands‑on approach to jointly implement activities and contribute to the set deliverables.

In addition, the Project Director will serve as the Stakeholder Engagement Lead and hence engage with governments, communities, donors, implementing partners, and existing service providers, and facilitate regular coordination meetings to align activity strategies with broader public health goals.

This position is subject to project award and funding.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership in large-scale, multi-country health programs with at least 8-10+ years of progressive experience in project management and implementation within global health or development sectors.
• Track record of managing complex consortia and coordinating diverse stakeholders, including governments, donors, implementing partners, and community organizations.
• Demonstrated experience in stakeholder engagement and diplomacy, particularly in aligning project strategies with national health priorities and global public health goals.
• Hands‑on experience in program delivery in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), especially Sub‑Saharan Africa, including mobilizing short‑term technical assistance and guiding in‑country teams.
• Strong background in monitoring, evaluation, and adaptive management, with ability to pivot strategies based on evidence and evolving priorities.
• Experience working with major global health donors (e.g., Unitaid, Global Fund, USAID, WHO) and familiarity with their reporting and compliance requirements.
• Proven ability to mentor and coach technical teams, fostering collaboration and capacity building.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills, with experience facilitating high‑level coordination meetings and building consensus among diverse actors.
• Experience in pharmaceutical systems/supply chain strengthening and management across multiple geographies an advantage.
• Experience implementing activities at the nexus of climate and health a plus.
• Advanced degree in a relevant field is required.
• Fluent in English; fluency in French and/or other languages is advantageous.
• Preference will be given to candidates based in Sub‑Saharan Africa and must have experience in the region.

MSH is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected category under applicable federal, state, and local laws. MSH complies with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, Section 4212 of the Vietnam Era Readjustment Assistance Act, as amended, and all related applicable regulations.