Terms of Reference for the Recruitment of Director of Partnership and Communication

Position: Director of Partnerships and Communication

Organizations: CIIC-HIN, PACT Solutions, AKIISA

Duty Station: Kigali, Rwanda

Reports to: Managing Director

Contract Type: Fixed-term (as per organizational policy)

1. Background

The Centre for Impact, Innovation, and Capacity Building for Health Information Systems and Nutrition (CIIC-HIN), the Platform for Africa Clinical Trials (PACT) Solutions, and the African Knowledge Institute for Innovation and Scientific Advancement (AKIISA) form a multi-pillar African institutional ecosystem dedicated to strengthening health systems by equipping them with the research, innovation, and capacity needed to deliver better and more equitable health outcomes.

Through these three interdependent entities, we integrate research excellence, advanced training, and clinical trial operations into one coordinated model that bridges discovery and implementation. This approach ensures that scientific evidence is not only generated, but also translated into real-world practice, policy, and measurable impact across diverse health contexts in Africa.

Together, CIIC-HIN, PACT Solutions, and AKIISA promote locally led innovation, sustainable partnerships, and the development of the next generation of African health science leadership. In this context, the Director of Partnerships and Communication will play a pivotal role in strengthening institutional visibility, advancing strategic collaborations, and supporting organizational growth through effective external engagement, communication leadership, and resource mobilization.

2. Purpose of the Role

The Director of Partnership and Communication will drive strategic growth and visibility by developing and managing partnerships, overseeing integrated communications, strengthening digital presence, and supporting business development initiatives across CIIC-HIN, PACT Solutions, and AKIISA. 

3. Scope of Work and Key Responsibilities

The Director of Partnerships and Communication will lead strategic partnership development, organizational visibility, and business growth by delivering integrated communications, strengthening external engagement, and expanding the project and funding pipeline across CIIC-HIN, PACT Solutions, and AKIISA.

A. Strategic Partnership Management

• Identify, cultivate, and manage strategic partnerships with local and international partners, including government institutions, donors, universities, private sector actors, and multilateral agencies.
• Develop and implement a Partnership Strategy and Engagement Plan aligned with organizational priorities and annual targets.
• Lead the negotiation, drafting, and finalization of MOUs, partnership agreements, and contracts, ensuring compliance with organizational policies.
• Maintain an up-to-date partnership database/CRM, including partnership status tracking, contact lists, engagement history, and follow-up actions.
• Conduct routine partnership reviews and contribute to partnership performance and impact assessments, documenting outcomes, opportunities, and lessons learned.

Key outputs: Partnership strategy; updated partnership database; signed MOUs; partnership engagement briefs.

B. Communications Strategy and Implementation

• Develop and implement an integrated communications strategy for CIIC-HIN, PACT Solutions, and AKIISA, ensuring clear positioning and visibility.
• Ensure consistent organizational messaging, branding, and tone across all products and platforms (internal and external).
• Lead the development and quality assurance of high-impact communications materials, including:
  • Press releases, organizational profiles, brochures, newsletters
  • Technical reports, briefs, annual impact summaries
  • Donor-facing pitches, capability statements, and success stories
• Coordinate internal content collection and approvals to ensure timely delivery of communication products.

Key outputs: Communications strategy; communication products package; editorial calendar; brand-consistent templates.

C. Digital Presence and Media Relations

• Oversee and continuously improve the organizations’ digital platforms, including websites and social media accounts, ensuring professionalism and relevance.
• Develop and manage a digital content calendar, ensuring consistent and high-quality content production (text, visuals, video-based storytelling).
• Strengthen and maintain relationships with journalists, editors, media houses, and communication networks to promote institutional visibility.
• Monitor analytics (reach, engagement, followers, website performance) and prepare monthly/quarterly digital performance reports, with actionable recommendations.

Key outputs: Updated website and social media pages; monthly analytics reports; media engagement log; digital visibility growth.

D. Project Initiation and Management

• Identify emerging opportunities and propose new projects aligned with organizational strategy, national priorities, and donor trends.
• Support proposal development by coordinating technical inputs, drafting narrative content, and ensuring completeness of donor submission packages.
• Develop project communication plans (visibility, stakeholder engagement, dissemination) and support implementation teams in executing them.
• Promote structured cross-team coordination, ensuring institutional knowledge sharing, documentation, and alignment across CIIC-HIN, PACT Solutions, and AKIISA.

Key outputs: Concept notes; proposal packages; project communication plans; documented project pipeline.

E. Business Development

• Represent the organizations in strategic platforms, events, and engagements to generate partnerships, collaborations, and funding opportunities.
• Coordinate the development of new business opportunities, including consultancies, competitive bids, and donor grants.
• Maintain and update a pipeline tracker for potential opportunities (status, probability, deadlines, requirements, roles).
• Collaborate with finance and leadership teams to support forecasting, opportunity prioritization, and revenue projections linked to the pipeline.

Key outputs: Business development pipeline tracker; funding opportunity briefs; bid submissions; partnership leads.

F. External Relations and Visibility

• Represent the organizations at high-level meetings, workshops, conferences, and stakeholder engagements.
• Prepare and deliver professional presentations, institutional profiles, and strategic pitches to partners and donors.
• Lead the organization of events, campaigns, and strategic communication moments (launches, dissemination workshops, donor engagement events).
• Strengthen organizational credibility through consistent external engagement and visibility of results and impact.

Key outputs: External engagement plan; event concept notes; presentations; campaign materials; visibility reports.

4. Required Qualifications and Competencies

A. Academic Qualifications

• Master’s degree in communications, Public Relations, International Development, Business Administration, or related field.
• A Master of Public Health (MPH) with demonstrated experience in health-sector communications and partnership development.

B. Professional Experience

• Minimum of 3–5 years of progressive experience in partnership development, communications, resource mobilization, or business development, preferably within the health, research, education, or development sectors.
• Proven track record of building and managing partnerships with donors, government institutions, UN agencies, private sector partners, and international organizations.
• Demonstrated experience in proposal development, grant writing, and supporting donor submissions (including concept notes, full proposals, and budget coordination).
• Experience leading organizational visibility and branding initiatives, including development of communication products (e.g., reports, briefs, press releases, pitch decks).

C. Core Competencies

• Strong strategic thinking and ability to translate organizational priorities into actionable partnership and communication plans.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement, negotiation, and relationship management skills.
• Strong writing, editing, and presentation skills, with the ability to produce high-quality professional content for diverse audiences.
• Solid understanding of digital communications, including content planning, social media management, and website oversight.
• Ability to use communication and analytics tools (e.g., social media insights, Google Analytics, design/content tools) to monitor performance and improve engagement.
• Strong leadership, coordination, and teamwork skills, with the ability to work across multi-disciplinary teams.

D. Language Requirements

• Excellent written and spoken English is required.
• Working knowledge of French is an added advantage.
• Knowledge of Kinyarwanda is an added advantage.

5. Duration of Assignment

The position is offered on a fixed-term basis, renewable subject to performance and organizational needs.

HOW TO APPLY:

Interested candidates should scan and compile all application documents into a single file and submit the following:

• A cover letter outlining relevant experience and motivation.
• A detailed CV with at least three professional references.
• Copies of professional certificates (where applicable)
• Copies of academic certificates.

Subject line: Application – Director of Partnerships and Communication.

If you meet the above requirements and are interested in learning more about the role and applying, please visit https://ciichin.org/careers/ and send your application to: administration@ciichin.org copying info@ciichin.org for reference. 

The application deadline is Friday, 30th January 2026. 

Incomplete files or late applications will not be considered.

Dr. Felix Kitema RUBUGA

Managing Director

CIIC-HIN