---
title: 'Associate Director, Centre for Health Innovation and Impact at ALU'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/associate-director-centre-for-health-innovation-and-impact-alu-rwanda-fr6d3s0qb2a0'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-09'
---

# Associate Director, Centre for Health Innovation and Impact at ALU

- **Company:** ALU
- **Location:** Rwanda
- **Posted:** 2026-10-23
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-09
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/alu/jobs/8317522

## Job description

## ABOUT ALU

ALU provides higher education for a higher purpose. Our students declare missions, not majors.They develop the real-world skills to take on the world’s most pressing challenges. And they take ownership of their learning from day one through our peer and student-led approach – because ALU believes in the power and agency of young people to start shaping the future right now. Together with a world-class faculty and staff, our students are igniting a ripple of positive impact across Africa and the world.

We are dedicated to fostering an open yet secure environment, balancing the safety of students, staff, and visitors with respect for individual rights, and safeguarding responsibilities.

## ABOUT THE ROLE

The Associate Director provides senior institutional and operational leadership for the Centre for Health Innovation and Impact, translating the Executive Director's strategic direction into effective institutional systems, programmes and capabilities. The Associate Director serves as the principal lead for CHII's internal engagement with African Leadership University and is responsible for ensuring that the Centre operates effectively within ALU's organisational, financial, people, academic and governance structures. The role enables the Executive Director to prioritise senior leadership responsibilities within the Africa Health Collaborative while retaining strategic oversight of CHII. The Associate Director is not an administrative support role. The position operates with delegated authority to lead Centre-level institutional coordination, implementation and operational decision-making, escalating matters requiring strategic or executive approval to the Director.

The African Leadership University is committed to ensuring the safety and Well-being of all students under our care. As part of this commitment , we have a comprehensive safeguarding policy in place , which outlines our Zero-tolerance approach to any violation of safeguarding.

## KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

CHII Strategy Implementation and Centre Development

- Translate CHII’s approved strategy into annual priorities, implementation plans and measurable institutional milestones..
- Coordinate the establishment of approved programmes, initiatives and institutional capabilities required to deliver CHII’s mandate.
- Monitor implementation of the Centre strategy, identifying constraints, dependencies and emerging opportunities for consideration by the Executive Director.
- Ensure effective coordination across CHII portfolios and maintain alignment between Centre priorities and ALU’s broader institutional objectives.

Institutional Operations, Governance and ALU Coordination

- Serve as CHII’s principal operational representative across relevant ALU structures and functions.
- Lead routine engagement with Finance, People, Legal, Procurement, Student Life, Academic Affairs, Communications and other institutional teams.
- Coordinate CHII’s annual planning, management reporting, internal governance and institutional accountability processes.
- Develop and maintain effective operating systems, SOPs, decision-making processes, documentation and knowledge-management practices across the Centre.
- Identify and resolve institutional and operational bottlenecks, escalating matters requiring Executive Director or executive-level intervention with clear recommendations.
- Ensure CHII activities comply with relevant ALU financial, legal, people and governance requirements.

Learning, Courses and Academic Development

- Coordinate the development and implementation of CHII short courses, workshops, learning labs and other approved non-degree learning activities.
- Work with Academic Affairs, technical leads and sector experts to translate health workforce and market needs into relevant learning offerings.
- Coordinate market validation, skills-gap assessments and needs analyses for potential future health programmes.
- Oversee the development of competency frameworks, modular course concepts and curriculum inputs for approved initiatives.
- Coordinate relevant academic review and approval processes within ALU.
- Support exploratory work on future academic pathways, including curriculum mapping, academic partnerships and accreditation requirements, for consideration by the Executive Director and appropriate ALU structures.

Applied Research, Knowledge and Thought Leadership

- Coordinate implementation of CHII’s approved applied research and knowledge agenda.
- Work with the Executive Director, programme leads and relevant experts to develop research initiatives aligned with CHII’s strategic priorities.
- Coordinate the production of policy briefs, case studies, sector reports and other knowledge products arising from CHII programmes and partnerships.
- Support implementation of priority initiatives such as the Health Systems Scoring Index and other approved health systems research activities.
- Establish mechanisms for translating programme evidence and implementation learning into research, policy engagement and knowledge products.
- Coordinate contributions from researchers, programme teams, partner institutions and technical experts and support dissemination through appropriate academic, policy and sector platforms.

Partnerships, Resource Mobilisation and Centre Sustainability

- Operationalise strategic partnerships initiated or approved by the Executive Director and ensure appropriate implementation, governance and resourcing arrangements are in place.
- Coordinate internal processes required to develop and activate new CHII programmes and institutional partnerships.
- Translate the Executive Director’s resource mobilisation priorities into an actionable pipeline of funding opportunities, concept notes, proposals and business cases.
- Convene technical, programme, finance and institutional contributors required for major funding submissions.
- Support development of sustainable programmes and services that strengthen and diversify CHII’s institutional base.
- Track partnership, funding and sustainability commitments and provide regular implementation updates to the Executive Director.
- Represent CHII in delegated external and institutional engagements as appropriate.

People, Performance and Organisational Learning

- Provide leadership, supervision and performance management to designated CHII staff.
- Coordinate workforce planning, recruitment, onboarding, professional development and succession planning with the Executive Director and People team.
- Strengthen accountability, collaboration and clarity of roles across CHII teams.
- Oversee Centre-level performance monitoring in collaboration with programme leads and the MELA function.
- Consolidate performance information across CHII portfolios and identify implementation gaps requiring corrective action.
- Ensure learning from CHII programmes informs programme improvement, institutional development and future implementation.
- Provide the Executive Director with regular analysis of Centre performance, risks and issues requiring strategic attention.

## RELATIONSHIP WITH THE AFRICA HEALTH COLLABORATIVE

The Associate Director supports the effective institutional delivery of ALU's AHC commitments but does not replace the Health Collaborative Program Manager's responsibility for programme implementation or the Executive Director's responsibility for senior AHC leadership.

The Associate Director's AHC-related responsibilities focus primarily on:

- Internal ALU coordination required for AHC delivery.
- Institutional approvals, systems and cross-functional dependencies.
- Centre-level workforce, operational and organisational requirements.
- Internal grant portfolio and institutional accountability processes.
- Resolution of institutional bottlenecks affecting programme implementation.

The Health Collaborative Program Manager remains responsible for operational AHC programme delivery, implementation planning, programme budgets, programme-level partnerships and grant deliverables.

## SCOPE OF DECISION-MAKING

The Associate Director has delegated authority to:

- Represent CHII in routine internal institutional engagements.
- Lead Centre operating planning and implementation.
- Coordinate institutional resources within approved plans and budgets.
- Establish Centre management processes and internal operating mechanisms.
- Implement approved institutional partnerships and initiatives.
- Resolve routine cross-functional and operational matters affecting CHII.
- Make recommendations regarding staffing, systems, resource allocation and institutional priorities.

The Associate Director refers to the Executive Director:

- Major changes to CHII strategy or institutional direction.
- Significant new funding or partnership commitments.
- Major organisational restructuring or senior staffing decisions.
- Significant unbudgeted financial commitments.
- Matters presenting substantial institutional, donor or reputational risk.

## MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

- Master's degree in Public Health, Global Health, Healthcare Management, Business Administration, Programme Management or a related field.
- At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in programme, institutional or organisational leadership.
- Demonstrated experience working in complex organisations with significant cross-functional coordination requirements.
- Experience translating strategy into implementation plans, systems and organisational capabilities.
- Experience managing teams, budgets, programmes and institutional stakeholders.
- Experience in healthcare, higher education, development or innovation ecosystems strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated experience supporting resource mobilisation, partnership development and organisational growth.

## CORE COMPETENCIES

- Strategy execution
- Organisational leadership
- Institutional navigation
- Operational management
- Cross-functional coordination
- Financial and resource management
- Partnership implementation
- People leadership
- Risk management
- Decision-making and problem-solving
- Executive communication
- Change management

## About ALU

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: ALU is a pan-African university that provides undergraduate and graduate programs focused on developing ethical, entrepreneurial leaders through experiential learning, real-world internships, and a mission-driven curriculum.
- **Entity Type**: Private (higher education institution; not publicly traded)
- **Headquarters**: Kigali, Rwanda (with a campus in Mauritius and learning hubs across Africa)
- **Founded**: Not publicly available in provided sources
- **Founders**: Not publicly available in provided sources

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Higher Education / EdTech
- **Target customers**: B2C – African and global students seeking undergraduate degrees (BSc) and postgraduate degrees (Executive MBA); also works with employers through internships and partnerships.
- **Mission**: “To develop a new generation of ethical and entrepreneurial leaders who will shape Africa’s future” [alueducation.com](https://www.alueducation.com/).

## Products & Services
- **BSc (Hons) Entrepreneurial Leadership (BEL)**: A 3-year degree centered on entrepreneurship, leadership, and complex problem-solving. Modules include Research Methods, Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, Business Strategy, Policy and Advocacy, and Planetary Health.
- **BSc (Hons) Software Engineering (BSE)**: A job-ready degree with specializations in Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality, Low-Level Programming, Full-Stack Development, and Machine Learning. Emphasizes skill-based learning and internships.
- **BSc (Hons) International Business & Trade (IBT)**: A holistic business education covering Business Analytics, International Trade Laws, Trade Policy Analysis, and International Diplomacy.
- **Executive MBA (ALUSB)**: A part-time, affordable EMBA designed for working professionals, delivered across Africa with a focus on Pan-African networks and practical impact.
- **Learning Hubs & Digital Library Services**: 7 learning hubs in addition to the two campuses; a digital library and scholarship ecosystem that curates OER, offers research support, and promotes digital literacy.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly available
- **Key Metric**:
  - 73% of graduates are employed or have started their own businesses within 6 months of graduation [alueducation.com](https://www.alueducation.com/)
  - 246 students have launched successful ventures [alueducation.com](https://www.alueducation.com/)
  - Welcomed over 240 students in the May 2026 cohort [alueducation.com](https://www.alueducation.com/)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Not disclosed in provided sources
- **Growth Signals**:
  - ALU Rwanda achieved its first-ever Top Employers Institute certification in 2026, signaling strong HR practices [alueducation.com](https://www.alueducation.com/)
  - Expanding degree programs and learning hubs; applications open for 2026 intakes
  - Active hiring across multiple functions (finance, engineering, student services, academic coaching) – 34+ jobs listed on Greenhouse [job-boards.greenhouse.io/alu](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/alu)
  - Published a 2024 Impact Report, indicating ongoing institutional reporting and growth

## Competitive Advantages
- **Experiential Learning Model**: “Learn by Doing” – real-world internships and self-directed projects are core to the curriculum, making graduates job-ready.
- **Pan-African Network**: Students and alumni span across Africa, with campuses in Rwanda and Mauritius and learning hubs in multiple countries.
- **Affordability & Accessibility**: Designed to put excellent higher education within reach of passionate and driven students across the continent.
- **Entrepreneurial Focus**: Every program is built around ethical leadership and entrepreneurship, with tangible venture creation outcomes.
- **First-Principles Innovation**: Described as a “fast-paced innovative startup” that approaches education from first principles, empowering staff to design and test new ideas [job-boards.greenhouse.io/alu/jobs/7962576](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/alu/jobs/7962576).

## Strategic Focus
- Scale impact by increasing student enrollment and expanding learning hubs (“The World is your Campus”)
- Deepen digital literacy and library services, including integration of AI tools and open-access resources
- Raise ethical leaders by 2036, as stated in the vision “We are committed to raising ethical leaders by 2036” [alueducation.com](https://www.alueducation.com/)
- Continue building a Top Employer workplace culture, as evidenced by the recent certification

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Described as a “fast-paced innovative startup where collaboration and push boundaries” are the norm [alueducation.com/recommend-a-friend](https://www.alueducation.com/recommend-a-friend/). Staff are “deeply passionate about our students and excited by the challenge of building something entirely new” [job-boards.greenhouse.io/alu/jobs/7962576](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/alu/jobs/7962576).
- **Work Flexibility**: Many roles are remote or hybrid (e.g., “Remote” listed for Financial Analyst, Travel Support Agent, Lead Salesforce Platform Engineer) [job-boards.greenhouse.io/alu](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/alu). Positions are based in Rwanda, Mauritius, or remote.
- **Top Employer Certification**: Recognized by the Top Employers Institute in 2026, indicating strong employee experience and ethical employment practices [alueducation.com](https://www.alueducation.com/).
- **Impact**: Work directly contributes to developing Africa’s future leaders. Staff are empowered to “design, test, and implement creative new ideas” in a mission-driven environment.
- **Safeguarding & Security**: Committed to a zero-tolerance approach to safeguarding, balancing safety with individual rights [job-boards.greenhouse.io/alu/jobs/7962576](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/alu/jobs/7962576).

## Sources
1. [job-boards.greenhouse.io/alu](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/alu) – Jobs at ALU (Greenhouse)
2. [alueducation.com](https://www.alueducation.com/) – ALU main website (programs, impact metrics, news)
3. [theorg.com](https://theorg.com/org/alueducation) – ALU Education org chart and team structure
4. [alueducation.com/recommend-a-friend](https://www.alueducation.com/recommend-a-friend/) – Culture description for job referrals
5. [job-boards.greenhouse.io/alu/jobs/7962576](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/alu/jobs/7962576) – Job application page for Lead, Library Services & Digital Scholarship (detailed culture and responsibilities)

## Other roles at ALU

- [Student Life Senior Associate](https://feeny.ai/job/student-life-senior-associate-alu-mauritius-n0cj1e6vgtzq) — Mauritius
- [Health Collaborative Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/health-collaborative-manager-alu-rwanda-dx868hgm3kcq) — Rwanda
- [Adjunct Software Engineering Specialisation Coach (Machine Learning)](https://feeny.ai/job/adjunct-software-engineering-specialisation-coach-machine-learning-alu-rwanda-09ac7jb3xh0n) — Rwanda
- [Senior IT Operations Associate](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-it-operations-associate-alu-rwanda-vesr1j0v4h64) — Rwanda
- [Employer Partnerships and Placement Senior Associate](https://feeny.ai/job/employer-partnerships-and-placement-senior-associate-alu-rwanda-af6gqx7w4dzq) — Rwanda
- [Adjunct Curriculum Consultant[Software Engineering]](https://feeny.ai/job/adjunct-curriculum-consultant-software-engineering-alu-rwanda-mauritius-8122yzzbgmdh) — Rwanda / Mauritius
- [Enrollment Operations & Process Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/enrollment-operations-process-lead-alu-remote-30ddq3d1h2y4)
- [Foundation Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/foundation-lead-alu-rwanda-y7xzyjh4eddj) — Rwanda
- [Adjunct Leadership, Public Policy & Sustainable Development Expert](https://feeny.ai/job/adjunct-leadership-public-policy-sustainable-development-expert-alu-rwanda-4z8sqrkesg7q) — Rwanda / Mauritius
- [Adjunct Entrepreneurship, AI and Future of Work Expert](https://feeny.ai/job/adjunct-entrepreneurship-ai-and-future-of-work-expert-alu-pamplemousses-2rgk7d68kj78) — Pamplemousses, Mauritius