About Market Access Africa

Market Access Africa (MAA) is a mission-driven healthcare organization that works with the public, private, and third sectors to design and deliver transformational healthcare solutions for Africa. We envision an Africa where world-class healthcare is the standard, and where deep-rooted inequities are a thing of the past. To solve complex problems on the ground, we curate and advance bold ideas that accelerate access to the best innovations and appropriate solutions for Africa’s health systems. We are daring to raise the level of ambition for what is possible in African healthcare. We do this by partnering with organizations across the healthcare ecosystem to develop bespoke solutions that recognize and leverage the uniqueness and dynamism of the different African countries where we work

Project Overview

HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), and other infectious diseases continue to affect millions of lives across Africa, despite the progress made in recent years. Sub-Saharan Africa remains at the heart of the global HIV epidemic, with millions still living with the virus. TB, often linked to HIV, adds to the struggle, particularly with the rise of drug-resistant forms. Emerging threats like antimicrobial resistance and outbreaks of zoonotic diseases further complicate these challenges

While treatments like antiretroviral therapy (ART) and improved diagnostics have saved countless lives, many people, especially in rural areas, still face barriers to accessing care. The need for fresh ideas and breakthroughs has never been greater – such as longer-lasting treatments, better vaccines, and faster, more affordable diagnostic tools. The pipeline of products for these infectious diseases is more promising than ever, offering hope for breakthroughs that could transform healthcare outcomes in Africa. However, the innovators and suppliers of these innovations must be nurtured through robust advice and supportive activities to ensure they move along the product value chain, from development to deployment.

Where Will You Will Fit In?

MAA’s Life Science Practice seeks to support Ministries of Health and their partners to rapidly introduce and scale up underutilized and new healthcare products into the public and private sector market, by addressing supply and demand-side issues limiting the overall utility of these products on the continent.

We are looking for a Program Manager, Product Commercialization, to lead several initiatives that seek to address the market barriers preventing Africans from accessing breakthrough prevention, diagnostic, and treatment modalities for HIV, HIV-related opportunistic infections, Tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases relevant to the continent, such as Lassa Fever. The Program Manager will oversee the formulation of product commercialization strategies, support global and continental market access activities, and contribute to fundraising and partnership cultivation.

The ideal individual will have:

• Commercial experience across a range of healthcare products in sub-Saharan Africa, whether it be therapeutics, diagnostics, and/or adjacent products. We define “commercial experience” as having worked in a pharmaceutical / biotech company, or distribution business, in a role leading or supporting commercial activities, such as sales, marketing, distribution, partnerships, business development etc.
• Experience driving the design and implementation of public health programmes, with a demonstratable experience working on multi-country projects particularly focusing on new product introduction.

Additionally, the ideal candidate should be a strategic thinker with robust technical and strategic acuity, an analytical thinker, who is resourceful, with excellent communication and relationship management skills.

What Will You Do?

Strategy and program management

• Drive and oversee the development, initiation, execution, growth and monitoring of projects
• Serve as a trusted advisor to clients, the Ministry of Health, and their partners on product commercialization and broader market-shaping subject-matters
• Drive the development, synthesis and review of presentations, reports, and briefings for clients
• Lead day-to-day project management, including setting and monitoring of deliverables and risks. Work with Partners to set direction and goals, defining targets and measuring performance across multiple funding streams, while establishing aggressive operational milestones and achieving program objectives

Technical Assistance

• Across the key disease priorities, cultivate and demonstrate deep understanding of the product innovation landscape, product-specific issues, and broader ecosystem dynamics including supply and demand-side dynamics, partner landscapes, government and donor priorities etc
• Serve as a domain expert on relevant topics, such as market shaping and/or product introduction, etc
• Build credibility as a respected and trusted thought leader within the global and regional market-shaping community

Relationship Management

• Develop and foster relationships with key external stakeholders working on supply and demand side issues, including global procurers, implementing partners, innovators, and donors
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with MOH and regional and global stakeholders
• Maintain strong alignment and communication with the partners, particularly regarding the overall direction of the work

Program Development and Growth

• Lead the development of new initiatives, including grant writing, application follow-up, and the startup of new projects or programs, in collaboration with the Partners.
• Identify and pursue opportunities to expand programs in the region and build the MAA brand.

What Are We Looking For?

• Bachelor's degree (Masters-level or above preferred) in a relevant field such as life sciences, public health, and business administration
• At least 8 years of prior experience in health product commercialization in sub-Saharan Africa, in a fast-paced results-oriented environment. The preferred candidate should have worked on a range of products targeting one or more of the diseases of interest
• An understanding of the product commercialization value chain in Africa and the key stakeholders involved
• Demonstrated experience synthesizing and communicating large amounts of information in a succinct manner
• Proven ability to lead complex projects through all phases (planning, execution, and closure) while managing resources effectively in a matrixed organization
• An exceptional work ethic
• Demonstrated written and verbal communication skills, able to concisely communicate complex ideas in a manner that builds buy-in among diverse stakeholders
• High proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint, and Word for strategic analyses and presentations is required.
• Experience working remotely with a decentralized team

Interested?

The Program Manager, Product Commercialization can work remotely but will ideally be located within a few hours of GMT to better align with the time zones of the rest of the team. Please apply to careers@marketaccess.africa with the subject line: Program Manager, Product Commercialization. Application closing Jan 3, 2025