Are you passionate about creating meaningful opportunities for young people, empowering communities, and driving lasting change in health and development across Africa? Do you believe that the future of Africa lies in its youth, and that their active engagement is vital to building sustainable solutions? If so, Amref Health Africa invites you to apply for the position of Regional Youth Engagement Advisor, a key leadership role within our multi-country health workforce programme.
This is a unique opportunity to be part of one of Africa’s most respected and impactful health development organisations, and to play a central role in shaping strategies that empower young people across the continent. The role is based in Nairobi, Kenya, and offers the chance to work with diverse stakeholders, drive youth advocacy, and contribute to building stronger primary health care systems for millions of people.
About Amref Health Africa
Founded in 1957, Amref Health Africa has grown from a small medical air service in East Africa to the continent’s largest Africa-based international health development organisation. Today, Amref implements over 180 programmes across 35 African countries, reaching more than 40 million people every year. With a staff complement of over 2,000 employees and offices in Africa, Europe, and North America, Amref continues to pioneer community-led health development solutions.
Our vision is clear: “Lasting health change in Africa.”
Our mission is equally powerful: “To catalyze and drive community-led and people-centred health systems while addressing social determinants of health.”
Amref believes the power to transform Africa’s health lies within its communities. We work tirelessly to strengthen health systems while ensuring communities are equipped and empowered to hold those systems accountable. Our focus is not only on delivering health services but also on building capacity, advocating for policy changes, and creating sustainable opportunities for Africa’s rapidly growing youth population.
The Programme: Learning for Life (L4L)
The Regional Youth Engagement Advisor role is anchored within the Learning for Life (L4L): Building a Resilient and Responsive Health Workforce in Africa programme.
This ambitious four-year initiative, implemented in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, aims to address Africa’s acute shortage of health workers. With only 11.2 health workers per 10,000 people—far below the WHO recommended ratio of 44.5—the continent faces a critical gap. This shortage is expected to rise from 12 million to 18 million globally by 2030, with Africa carrying the greatest burden.
At the same time, Africa’s youth population is the fastest growing in the world, presenting both challenges and opportunities. The L4L programme seeks to harness this demographic advantage by creating sustainable jobs within the primary health care sector, while ensuring youth voices are central to shaping health and development priorities.
Phase one of the programme is being implemented in Kenya, Senegal, and Zambia, with a long-term vision of building a resilient, responsive, and community-centred health workforce across Africa.
About the Role: Regional Youth Engagement Advisor
Under the leadership of the Programme Director – Implementation, the Regional Youth Engagement Advisor will lead the design and rollout of a youth engagement and empowerment strategy. This includes ensuring youth voices are meaningfully integrated into programme decision-making, advocacy campaigns, and opportunities in the health workforce.
The role requires strategic leadership, strong technical expertise in youth engagement, and the ability to cultivate partnerships across government, civil society, and the private sector. The Advisor will also work closely with Amref’s Youth in Action Programme Director to ensure alignment with Amref’s broader youth strategy.
This is an exciting and demanding position for someone who thrives on collaboration, innovation, and measurable impact.
Key Responsibilities
1. Technical Leadership
- Lead and coordinate the development of the programme’s youth engagement, participation, and empowerment strategy, including guidelines, tools, and SOPs.
- Provide technical guidance to partners to ensure meaningful youth engagement across all programme components.
- Oversee youth civic engagement activities such as coalition formation, advocacy campaigns, and programme participation.
- Design strategies to strengthen youth engagement with key stakeholders—government, local organisations, and youth networks—at local, regional, and national levels.
- Advocate for youth inclusion in national policy formulation, especially policies supporting job creation in primary health care.
- Mainstream youth engagement across all programme thematic areas with robust reporting and accountability mechanisms.
- Strengthen the capacity of staff, youth-serving organisations, and governments to support youth participation.
2. Driving the Programme’s Youth Strategy
- Develop, manage, and oversee the youth engagement and accountability strategy.
- Build alliances with youth movement-building organisations and advocacy initiatives across the region.
- Identify opportunities for cross-learning across countries and document lessons learned.
- Support partners in designing digital campaigns to reach diverse youth audiences.
- Foster communities of practice and connect networks to amplify advocacy regionally and nationally.
3. Partnership, Networking, and Collaboration
- Establish strategic partnerships and alliances with youth movements and networks.
- Strengthen youth coordination platforms in programme countries and link them to regional initiatives.
- Build and maintain relationships with government ministries, civil society, the private sector, and community-based organisations.
- Represent the programme in multi-stakeholder forums including ministries of health, UN agencies, NGOs, and corporate partners.
About You
You are:
- Collaborative and people-centred – skilled at working with colleagues, partners, and stakeholders across multiple countries.
- Passionate about youth empowerment – ensuring young people are central actors in development.
- Strategic and innovative – connecting dots, identifying opportunities, and communicating effectively to diverse audiences.
- A problem-solver – turning challenges into opportunities for innovation.
- Highly organised – resilient under pressure, detail-oriented, and capable of prioritising effectively.
- An inspiring leader – able to motivate teams and influence stakeholders at all levels.
You are driven, pragmatic, and passionate about delivering measurable impact for Africa’s youth.
Education, Experience, and Skills
- Master’s degree in communications, social sciences, public health, public policy, international development, or related field.
- Minimum of 5 years’ experience in youth development (economic empowerment, education, or health).
- Strong background in youth mobilisation and meaningful engagement, with knowledge of civic, economic, and health issues.
- Proven record of working with governments, youth networks, and private sector actors.
- Experience working in consortiums and providing technical assistance to partners.
- Excellent presentation, reporting, and communication skills.
- Fluency in English; French is an added advantage.
- Willingness to travel up to 40% of the time.
- Applicants must currently reside in Kenya.
Additional Information
- Application deadline: Friday, 3rd October 2025.
- Applicants should submit a cover letter outlining suitability for the role, along with a detailed CV.
- Amref does not charge any fees at any stage of recruitment.
- All official communication will come from an @amref.org email address.
- Amref is committed to safeguarding children, young people, and vulnerable adults, and expects all staff to uphold this standard.
- Amref is an equal opportunity employer, committed to diversity, inclusion, and a non-smoking workplace.
How to Apply
If you are excited by this opportunity and meet the requirements, we encourage you to take the next step. Submit your CV and cover letter today and join Amref Health Africa in driving lasting change for youth and health systems across the continent.
