Operations Business Partner

Are you interested in helping lead an entrepreneurial effort aimed at changing paradigms in international development and in true partnerships with governments to reduce donor dependency and increase financial sustainability? Would you be excited to leverage your private sector background to help finance health systems? Do you get energy from working with different stakeholders – ranging from Wall Street banking institutions to ministries of health and finance to UN agencies? Are you looking to join a team of partners that are committed, experienced, and fun to work with? Then you should explore this exciting role with the Financing Alliance for Health.

FINANCING ALLIANCE FOR HEALTH OVERVIEW

The Financing Alliance for Health (FAH) is an Africa-based, African-led, and Africa-focused entity that convenes governments, funders, philanthropy, private-sector, and communities to address systemic financing challenges to scaling primary and community health systems for delivery of integrated primary healthcare services through country, regional and global partnerships.

As trusted strategic and technical advisors, FAH acts as a bridge between the world of health and finance through long-term partnering with the Ministries of Health and Ministries of Finance teams to develop different and changing financing sources. This approach will empower/ enable them to be the lead stewards in their local health systems to reach the scale and sustainability that is needed and ultimately achieve universal health coverage.

Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, FAH has successfully supported 18 governments at the national and sub-national levels, across 13 countries (Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Haiti, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Liberia, South Africa, Malawi, Senegal, Kenya, and Togo).

FAH works with governments in their journey of designing, scaling, and financing of primary and community health programs, with a view to strengthening national and regional health systems through embedding teams, evidence generation, designing financing solutions, and advocacy. Our longer goal is to scale up and strengthen Primary and Community Health Systems to increase access and utilization of reproductive, maternal newborn, child & adolescent child services at primary facilities and community levels. We act as a bridge between the worlds of health and finance.

Our work areas include:

• Country government support: Long-term  onsite  technical  and  financing  support  on primary and community health.
• Analytical toolkits: Develop and offer toolkits to support country costings, investment cases, and financing pathways.
• Financing products/ modalities: Working with donors & financing industry to design, develop, and deploy new/modified financial products.
• Awareness and education: Develop investment cases, build thought leadership, and share capacity-building material.

POSITION SUMMARY

Role Overview: The Operations Business Partner will provide strategic leadership and day- to-day oversight of procurement, logistics, travel management, operational systems, and facilities administration at the Financing Alliance for Health (FAH). As a key member of the operations team, this role will serve as a strategic advisor and cross-functional enabler, driving operational excellence, ensuring compliance with donor and internal policies, and fostering an efficient, scalable, and secure working environment.

The ideal candidate is a seasoned operations professional with a strong background in team leadership, systems implementation, and comprehensive operations management. Experience working in international development or the NGO sector is highly desirable.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Operations & Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop the operations team to ensure accountability, performance, and professional growth.
• Design and implement operational policies, systems, and processes that improve organizational effectiveness across procurement, logistics, and travel.

• Serve as  a  strategic  partner  to  senior  leadership,  contributing  to  organizational planning and decision-making.
• Lead the adoption, training, and optimization of digital tools and systems that support operations (e.g., Odoo, ERP systems).
• Identify, assess, and mitigate operational risks while ensuring compliance with internal controls and donor requirements.

• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and operational agility.

2. Procurement & Vendor Management

• Lead all procurement activities, ensuring alignment with donor regulations and internal procurement policies.
• Manage the full procurement cycle, including needs assessment, vendor selection, contract negotiation, and performance monitoring.
• Lead the annual vendor prequalification and due diligence process, ensuring a pool of vetted, cost-effective, and compliant vendors.
• Maintain accurate records and reporting for all procurement transactions, audits, and donor reviews.

• Strengthen procurement planning in coordination with program and finance teams.
• Continuously evaluate and enhance procurement systems and tools for efficiency and transparency.

3. Travel & Logistics Management

• Coordinate and lead all domestic and international travel arrangements for staff, consultants, and partners.
• Ensure all travel aligns with organizational policies, safety protocols, visa and health requirements, and budget considerations.
• Lead logistical  planning  for  high-level  meetings,  events,  and  training  sessions, ensuring seamless execution.
• Serve  as  the  focal  point  for  travel-related  inquiries  and  support,  ensuring  clear communication and timely approvals.

• Implement and manage digital travel management systems for planning, approval, and expense tracking.

4. Office Administration, Security & Facilities Management

• Oversee administrative  and  operational  support  for  remote  and  physical  offices, ensuring safe, efficient, and compliant environments.
• Develop  and  implement  policies  related  to  safety,  physical  security,  IT  asset management, and incident response protocols.

• Liaise with building management and external service providers for any facility-related services, including utilities, equipment maintenance, and space planning.
• Support remote work infrastructure, asset distribution, and onboarding/offboarding operations for staff.

• Manage office supplies, asset inventories, and compliance with internal administrative standards.
• Conduct periodic safety audits and risk assessments for office and travel security.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Operations, Project Management, or a related field. Master’s degree is an added advantage.
• Minimum 6 years of progressive experience in operations, procurement, logistics, or facilities management, preferably in an international NGO or donor-funded setting.

• Demonstrated  experience   in   leading   teams   and   managing   cross-functional operations.
• Proficiency with ERP systems and digital tools for operations (e.g., Odoo, SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics).
• In-depth understanding of donor compliance, procurement policies, and best practices (e.g., USAID, EU, UN).

• Strong planning, budgeting, and financial management skills in an operations context.
• Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, and communication skills.
• Fluency in English required; proficiency in French is an advantage.
• Ability to work independently in a remote, multicultural, and fast-paced environment.

Compensation:

This position offers a competitive compensation package linked to the background and experience of the candidate.

Timing

Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis.

We expect the recruitment process to take about 6 weeks, with some steps running concurrently:

1. Panel interview, including a presentation to the panel
2. 2nd Interview with head of Workstream
3. Background/reference checks
4. Final Logistics conversation
5. Job offer and contracting

Application Requirements

Please submit a resume through the link:  htt ps://shorturl.at/c2Iop  . The application deadline is 11th May 2025

We receive many applications for each vacant position, as a result only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you do not hear from our recruitment team within 6 weeks of application, please consider your application unsuccessful.

FAH values the diversity of the people it hires and serves within the community. Our diversity is committed to fostering a work environment where individuals’ strengths and uniqueness are recognized, appreciated, respected and responded to in ways that fully develop their potential.

FAH has a zero-tolerance approach to any harm to, or exploitation of, a vulnerable child or adult by any of our staff, partners or representatives. We are committed to preventing all undesirable behavior at work. This includes, child abuse and exploitation, sexual harassment and abuse.