RAFT Research Programme Consortium Chief Executive Officer

The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is one of the world’s leading public health universities. Our mission is to improve health and health equity in the UK and worldwide; working in partnership to achieve excellence in public and global health research, education and translation of knowledge into policy and practice.

The LSHTM is searching for a CEO to help in the management of the ‘Resilience Against Future Threats’ (RAFT) Research Programme Consortium (RPC). RAFT is funded by FCDO, and its mission is research that will be of practical benefit to national programmes for the control of vector-borne diseases especially malaria. The Consortium partners are the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the Centre for Research into Infectious Disease Cameroon, the Institut Pierre Richet in Côte d'Ivoire, the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) in Tanzania, the Faculty of Tropical Medicine of Mahidol University in Thailand, and the Malaria Consortium. One strand of our work concerns the arms race against insecticide resistance in African malaria vector mosquitoes, and in particular the process of choosing the most cost-effective insecticidal interventions in the face of complex geographic variation in resistance and a limited amount of epidemiological trial evidence. The other strand is addressing the more strategic and longer-term threats facing vector control, including the rise of Aedes-borne viruses in Africa, and the effects of anthropogenic changes in the environments in which we live.      

We are looking for a CEO who will join the leadership team based in the LSHTM. This is a senior role with operational responsibility across all of RAFTs activities, including its research, its governance structures and workings as a partnership, its relationship with FCDO and the intended users of the knowledge outputs. You will work closely with RAFT’s two Principal Investigators/Research Directors and provide support to all other Principal Investigators/Directors from partners in the Consortium. The CEO will manage the relationship with the donor (UK Government Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, FCDO) and be the primary point of contact. You will provide strategic Management of RPC governance structures; and actively participate in RPC management meetings with Management Group and running of the Consortium Advisory Group (CAG). You will work closely with the Programme Manager to ensure best practice in budget management, financial probity, forecasting expenditure, and financial reporting to donors, Management Group and CAG.

The CEO will oversee and report on detailed progress against the agreed workplans and logframe, including on risks to programme success and make changes and recommendations as required. You will lead on Lead on active engagement with RAFT’s primary external stakeholders (i.e. the main intended users of its knowledge outputs), including National Malaria Control Programmes (NMCPs) in countries with high burden of mosquito-borne disease, World Health Organisation (WHO), UK Government FCDO etc, so as to understand their research and technical priorities and to coordinate RAFT’s role and contribution. Finally, the CEO will also oversee the development and implementation of the RAFT Communications Strategy and together with the Research Uptake Manager, oversee all RPC communications, data management procedures and engagement of users and policymakers with the research outputs, representing the RPC in public debate and other media.

Candidates must have a higher education to degree level, or equivalent, or substantial relevant experience, experience of managing and reporting on programme grants from funders such as FCDO, EU etc, significant proven experience of financial planning and management including creating and monitoring budgets

The post is part-time 3 days per week, 0.6 FTE and fixed-term until 30 April 2026. The post is funded by the UK Government Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and is available immediately.

The salary will be on the Professional Services salary scale, Grade 7 in the range £51,299 - £58,723 (SP 38-43) per annum pro rata (inclusive of London Weighting). The post will be subject to the LSHTM terms and conditions of service. Annual leave entitlement is 30 working days per year, pro rata for part time staff. In addition to this there are discretionary “Wellbeing Days”. Membership of the Pension Scheme is available. The post is hybrid in the UK at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, or alternatively in an appropriate location in Africa.

Applications should be made on-line by clicking the 'Apply' button above. Online applications will be accepted by the automated system until 10pm of the closing date. Any queries regarding the application process may be addressed to jobs@lshtm.ac.uk. Please quote reference ITD-DCD-2024-06.

The supporting statement section should set out how your qualifications, experience and training meet each of the selection criteria. Please provide one or more paragraphs addressing each criterion. The supporting statement is an essential part of the selection process and thus a failure to provide this information will mean that the application will not be considered. An answer to any of the criteria such as "Please see attached CV" will not be considered acceptable. 

Please note that if you are shortlisted and are unable to attend on the interview date it may not be possible to offer you an alternative date.

Further details:   Job Description