Vacancy
Chief Scientific Officer
Deadline: Tuesday, June 27, 2023
About Science for Africa Foundation
The SFA Foundation is a pan-Africa organisation, headquartered in Nairobi that aims to support, strengthen and promote science and innovation in Africa. The goal of SFA Foundation is to support African scientists and innovators in addressing the continent’s most pressing challenges / developmental needs by generating knowledge that solves problems; making use of the knowledge/evidence to inform decision-making; and enabling scientists to collaborate effectively and nurture interdisciplinary expertise. The SFA Foundation is committed to improving the quality of lives for African people and to promoting the uptake of research & innovations in communities, industry, and private and the public sector. The Foundation is committed to strengthening the entire research ecosystem by creating major science, technology and innovation (STI) programmes implemented through well-established grant-making schemes, advocacy and promotion quality discovery, translational and implementing research, with emphasis on intra-Africa collaborations and evidence-based policymaking mechanisms. To this effect, SFA Foundation has a commitment to safeguarding people and our environment and this forms part of our background checks.
Current Strategy and Beyond
SFA Foundation has developed a new strategy (2022-2027) and incorporates bold and audacious goals over the next five years that will be anchored on four (4) strategic pillars – Partnerships & Networks, Effective Program Design & Management, Mobilisation of Funds and Operational Excellence.
This strategy is themed ‘From Science to Impact’ and is focused on catalysing science and innovation and strengthening Africa’s science ecosystem to positively impact lives. That is its lifeblood; it is the reason we exist. Secondly, we aim to be the partner of choice, the go-to-partner for our innovative approaches to transformation by governments, the private sector and science influencers on the continent and beyond. This means we are seeking to build strong and reliable partnerships with a diverse constituency not limited to donors, governments, regional & continental institutions, and grantees.
To support this journey, SFA Foundation is seeking to recruit an influential and strategic leader for the position of Chief Scientific Officer to lead, coach and continue to grow the Programmes, while maintaining broad thematic expertise in relevant science field(s) as detailed in the role profile. We are particularly seeking a science leader who will lead a highly skilled programmatic team that designs, funds and manages science priority programmes that have an impact across the continent.
The Role
The Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) provides leadership and strategic vision for all the scientific aspects of SFA Foundation while overseeing the work of the organisation’s programmes and clusters of programmes and platforms. The CSO will be leading a highly skilled and experienced programmatic team that designs, manages and funds a large portfolio of science and innovation programmes being delivered across the continent, in partnership with African and global partners.
The incumbent works closely with the Chief Executive Officer in implementing the SFA Foundation strategic pillars based on pan-African science agenda, specific programmes priorities & their strategy development, high-level relationship building and advocacy with partner organisations in order to position and build the premier position, brand and reputation of SFA Foundation in driving science, technology and innovation in Africa. Their expertise and performance must align with the overall mission and goals as outlined in the SFA Foundation strategic plan (2022-2027), whose key priorities is supporting quality discovery, translational and implementation sciences in Health R&D, Climate Sciences and Agricultural R&D priorities in Africa.
The CSO oversees SFA Foundation’s scientific functions, including funded projects, as well as the development of new innovations and/or products. Like other jobs for top executives, this management position combines discipline-specific knowledge with leadership and business skills to promote the efficiency, positioning for success and competitive position of SFA Foundation as a scientific leading organisation in Africa.