Head of Policy, Advocacy, and Communications (PAC)
- Company
Clinton Health Access Initiative
- Location
United States
- Employment Type
Full-Time
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Functional Category
Policy & Advocacy
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Experience
15 - 16 years
- Date Posted
06-Nov-2025
About Clinton Health Access Initiative
CHAI's mission is to save lives and improve health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries by enabling the government and private sector to strengthen and sustain quality health systems. Today, CHAI operates in 36 countries across the world and more than 80 countries have access to CHAI-negotiated price reductions, vaccines, medical devices, and diagnostics. Current programs at CHAI include HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis, Maternal, Newborn and Reproductive Health, Diarrhea and Pneumonia, Nutrition, Vaccines, Health Financing, Health Workforce, and Cancer. CHAI also has a number of experts working across the organization to help shape global markets, to negotiate lower prices for drugs and health tools, provide clinical support and knowledge, and utilize the latest and best data and analytics to shape decision-making.
Overview of the Role
CHAI is seeking an experienced, visionary senior leader to serve as Head of Policy, Advocacy, and Communications (PAC), establishing and leading a new function to drive impact through sector influence across CHAI’s portfolio of 20+ global programs in 35+ countries. The Head of PAC will work closely with senior leadership, country teams, and global program teams to develop and execute comprehensive policy, advocacy, and communications strategies for CHAI. They will work closely with the Chief Executive Officer and senior leadership and will oversee the existing Global Communications team while being responsible for establishing and growing a new Policy and Advocacy team. This individual will be a strategic thinker and persuasive advocate with experience navigating complex global health or humanitarian policy environments. They will have proven networks and the ability to engage senior policymakers and leaders across the international development sector, present data-driven and evidence-based recommendations, and strengthen the organization’s positioning on the global stage. They will also be responsible for building and managing a high-performing team, including hiring additional staff as the PAC function grows, managing departmental budgets, and contributing to organizational decision-making processes. As part of CHAI Leadership, the Head of PAC will play a critical role in shaping organizational strategy and positioning CHAI for the future. They will grow a high-performing team anchored by a comprehensive PAC strategy. The Head of PAC, like all CHAI leaders, will represent CHAI externally and elevate CHAI’s evidence, innovations, and implementation experience, enabling partnership with governments, foundations, and multilateral institutions to drive system-wide change and achieve impact at scale. This is a fully remote position, with candidates expected to be based in one of CHAI’s operational countries, including the United States. The position will involve approximately 20 percent international travel.
Job Description
Policy, Advocacy, and Communications Leadership (40%)
• Work closely with the CEO and senior CHAI leadership, with direct responsibility for both establishing a new Policy & Advocacy function and overseeing CHAI’s existing central Global Communications team.
• Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive PAC strategy that leverages CHAI’s expertise to shape health priorities globally, regionally, and nationally.
• Establish CHAI as a leading voice on critical health policy issues through strategic relationship building and thought leadership.
• Identify and forecast emerging trends in global health and synthesize them into actionable insights, building trusted relationships with decision-makers and proactively shaping policy debates on critical issues.
• Partner with program teams to translate programmatic insights into actionable policy recommendations and communications plans.
• Amplify CHAI’s programmatic impact and sectoral influence by developing and executing targeted policy, advocacy, and communications strategies.
• Oversee CHAI’s central communications portfolio, ensuring consistency of messaging and brand across the organization. Approximately 75% of the role will focus on policy and advocacy, and 25% on organizational communications.
• Manage the Global Communications team, a team of ~2-4 staff that work remotely, with responsibility for recruitment, professional development, and performance management.
• Establish and grow the new Policy and Advocacy team (size to be determined over time) responsible for executing CHAI’s policy and advocacy strategy.
• Develop and manage departmental budgets, and contribute to organizational fundraising and strategic decision-making as part of CHAI’s senior leadership.
• Lead risk management and crisis communications initiatives.
External Engagement and Advocacy (30%)
• Lead engagements with government officials, UN agencies, multilateral institutions, bilateral donors, and other key stakeholders to advance CHAI’s priorities.
• Represent CHAI as senior spokesperson across policy forums, committees, external audiences, and meetings with donors and policymakers globally.
• Cultivate relationships with journalists and media outlets, proactively pitching stories and securing coverage to advance CHAI’s policy, advocacy, and communications goals.
• Develop and execute advocacy strategies for priority policy issues, including power mapping, stakeholder analysis, and targeted initiatives.
• Identify, cultivate, and engage champions and influencers — including government leaders, civil society, and other high-profile voices — to amplify CHAI’s priorities and drive durable policy change.
• Build strategic partnerships and coalitions to advance shared objectives.
Plan and leverage experts from across CHAI to lead engagement for impactful engagement events, including webinars, press conferences, and other relevant convenings.
Research & Content Development (30%)
• Analyze and forecast key shifts and moments of opportunity in CHAI’s core domains, and design PAC strategies to maximize influence and impact.
• Create frameworks to assess policy impact and feasibility across different country contexts.
• Amplify CHAI’s thought leadership by spearheading the development, writing, and editing of materials such as annual reports, leadership documents, talking points, press releases, white papers, and technical recommendations.
• Oversee CHAI’s digital communications channels, including website updates, blogs, and social media content, ensuring they reflect organizational priorities and amplify CHAI’s policy, advocacy, and communications goals.
• Provide strategic communications support to CHAI leadership, including briefing memos, speeches, presentations, or op-eds.
Required & Preferred Qualifications
Skill
• Deep experience and network working with governments, multilateral institutions, and nonprofit partners on health or development policy.
• Demonstrated track record of developing and executing successful policy-shaping that achieved measurable impact.
• Strong understanding of the global health landscape and key technical areas.
• Excellent analytical and strategic thinking skills, with ability to translate complex issues into actionable recommendations.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking, media engagement, and briefing senior officials.
• A demonstrated ability to generate high-quality media coverage.
• Ability to navigate a fast-paced environment while balancing multiple priorities, serving diverse internal stakeholders, and effectively prioritizing across several functions.
• Ability to work across cultures and in resource-constrained settings.
• Political acumen and relationship-building skills at senior levels of government and international organizations.
Education
Advanced degree required (Master’s, JD, or equivalent), preferably in public policy, international relations, public health, or related field.
Experience
15+ years of progressive experience in policy development, advocacy, and communications, with at least 5 years in senior leadership roles. Experience managing and building high-performing teams.