Team Lead – ICARS Africa

REPORTING TO: Director of Science - ICARS

DIRECTORATE/UNIT: Programmes

PHYSICAL LOCATION: Amref Health Africa Headquarters; Nairobi Kenya

CONTRACT DURATION: Three (03) Years

ICARS Overview

The International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS) works with low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in their efforts to reduce drug-resistant partnership with LMIC ministries local research institutions and other stakeholders ICARS co-develops interventions that provide evidence for context-specific cost-effective solutions to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) suitable for sustainable scale-up. Through the provision of funding and expertise ICARS supports intervention and implementation research projects across the One Health spectrum to support countries AMR National Action Plans (NAPs). 

About ICARS Africa

The International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS) is establishing a regional presence in Africa to strengthen regional responses to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through research capacity building and collaboration. The regional presence will increase ICARS visibility and credibility in One Health AMR mitigation foster stronger ties with policymakers institutions technical stakeholders and civil society and promote context-specific solutions for National Action Plan (NAP) implementation. Funded through ICARS partnership with Wellcome the ICARS Africa hub will be hosted by Amref Health Africa in Nairobi.

JOB PURPOSE

As the Team Lead at ICARS Africa you will head the development of this new entity in ICARS both in terms of scientific and operational activities. Furthermore you will lead on the development of the partnership between ICARS and Amref Health Africa and with other institutions in Africa. You will report to the Director of Science (based in ICARS HQ in Copenhagen Denmark) and manage a small team (to begin with 23 staff members) and oversee the scientific and operational activities including project support training knowledge exchange data analysis events participation and organisation and stakeholder engagement. Working closely with the Director of Science the Director of Operations and regional partners you will ensure that ICARS Africa delivers on its strategies and commitments across the continent and thereby contributes to the delivery of the overall strategy for ICARS.

Key Responsibilities

People Leadership

• Line-manage the ICARS Africa science team (to begin with 23 staff members) handling HR matters with support from ICARS HQ HR and Amref HR (recruitment onboarding staff development performance reviews and leave management).
• Ensure effective distribution of tasks balancing workloads professional growth and team well-being.
• Supervise project delivery travel approvals budget development and follow-up and compliance with all relevant operational policies.
• Provide regular feedback to the other team members of ICARS Africa to enhance individual and team performance.

Support to Project Teams

• Provide ongoing scientific and technical support to selected project teams in ICARS-supported projects across Africa during co-development implementation and uptake.
• Guide country project teams in applying capabilities and skills to their specific AMR mitigation projects offering continuous feedback and mentoring.
• Ensure regional projects align with ICARS overall scientific workplan and contribute to evidence generation for AMR mitigation.

Training & Capacity Strengthening

• Conduct training needs assessments to identify country and regional capacity gaps in intervention and implementation research (IIR).
• Oversee the development of tailored training curricula and educational materials using best practices case studies and interactive learning approaches.
• Lead and host regional training workshops and seminars strengthening national and regional AMR capacities.

Knowledge Sharing Exchange Partnerships & Collaboration

• Facilitate knowledge exchange visits between ICARS experts African country teams and LMIC partners enabling peer learning and south-south collaboration.
• Support stakeholder mapping and engagement in collaboration with ICARS partners ensuring participation from ministries academia regional and international organisations NGOs and community organisations.
• Develop and strengthen partnerships and collaborations agreements with Amref as the host organisation and other regional organisations.
• Represent ICARS in regional and international forums scientific conferences and bilateral dialogues as advised by the Director of Science and Director of Operations.

Data Sharing & Analysis

• Collaborate with local and regional partners to collect and analyse data on antimicrobial resistance patterns antimicrobial use and healthcare-associated infections across the One Health domain.
• Ensure findings and evidence from ICARS projects are disseminated effectively to national stakeholders policymakers and the scientific community.
• Lead regional contributions to ICARS global data-sharing frameworks and evidence platforms.

Leadership & management

• Manage the budget of the ICARS Africa hub and ensure efficient resource use.
• Oversee the organisation of regional scientific events workshops and knowledge-sharing platforms.
• Contribute to ICARS advocacy and strategic development by ensuring African perspectives inform ICARS global portfolio.
• Take part in and in some instances leading on fundraising for activities in Africa.
• Support ICARS HQ in organizing major events including internal and external meetings.
• Provide regular updates and report to the Director of Science and the Director of Operations.
• Take on additional responsibilities as assigned by the Director of Science and/or the Director of Operations.

Qualifications :

To succeed in this role you should have:

• Advanced degree (Masters or PhD) in a relevant discipline (infectious diseases medicine microbiology public health pharmacology veterinary medicine environmental sciences agriculture food sciences or equivalent).
• At least 8 years of applied experience in infectious diseases and AMR mitigation using advanced methodologies. Experience in intervention and implementation research is an advantage.
• Proven leadership experience of more than three years managing teams.
• Experience in managing and coordinating scientific and project delivery processes.
• Extensive experience working in LMICs particularly across Africa with a strong understanding of AMR challenges on the African continent.
• Demonstrated expertise in capacity strengthening training baseline studies and data-driven AMR research.
• Track record of partnership-building with governments academic institutions NGOs and multilateral organisations.
• Contextual understanding with the ability to translate science into policy and practice.
• Experience in donor-funded project management (planning budgets monitoring reporting).
• Strong interpersonal and negotiation skills with the ability to represent ICARS externally with diplomacy and integrity.
• Fluency in English (written and spoken) required; proficiency in French Arabic Portuguese or other major African languages is highly desirable.

Personal Competencies

• Collaborative diplomatic and persuasive with excellent conflict management skills.
• Effective communicator able to adapt to diverse cultural and professional contexts.
• Results-oriented and proactive with the ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure.
• Confident in external representation and advocacy.

Additional Information :

The successful candidate will be offered a competitive compensation package commensurate with experience which includes benefits such as pension comprehensive medical insurance and generous leave entitlements. This position is open to candidates who are legally authorized to work in Kenya. Relocation assistance will not be provided; however support for obtaining a work permit may be considered where applicable. Please note the position will require some travels (within the region and globally).

Interested

Please submit your your CV or resume highlighting relevant skills and experience along with a cover letter detailing why you are the best fit for this position. The closing date for applications will be 11:59 PM (East Africa Time) on 10th January 2026.

Amref Health Africa does not require applicants to pay any money at whatever stage of the recruitment and selection process and has not retained any agent in connection with recruitment. Although Amref may use different job boards from time to time to further spread its reach for applicants all open vacancies are published on our website under the Vacancies page and on our official social media pages. Kindly also note that official emails from Amref Health Africa will arrive from an @ address.

Amref Health Africa is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment. Amref Health Africa is is dedicated to diversity and is an equal-opportunity employer with a non-smoking environment policy.

Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Full-time