COUNTRY DIRECTOR

Company information

Company

HST Careers

Division

FRESH

Females Rising through Education, Support and Health

Province

KwaZulu-Natal

Job Specification Information

Title

COUNTRY DIRECTOR

Description

The Health Systems Trust (HST) wishes to appoint a highly motivated Country Director on a fixed term contract for the Ragon Institute South Africa Alliance (RISA) who is seeking a mission-driven, visionary leader to serve as Country Director for its expanding South Africa research platform. This executive role provides overall strategic, operational, scientific, and administrative leadership for a dynamic portfolio spanning clinical, translational, socio-behavioural and implementation research programmes. They will act as the principal institutional representative in South Africa, helping to lead and build a sustainable African-based research enterprise focused on advancing cutting-edge clinical and basic science research, and capacity strengthening for the greatest global health impact. The Country Director will play a pivotal role in ensuring that the strategic direction, institutional identity, and scientific priorities of RISA are directly informed by the local context and local needs. Supported by an integrated network of local South African and United States-based Ragon leadership, the Country Director will bridge global scientific resources with regional insights to foster an impactful, culturally resonant, and highly sustainable research ecosystem. The Country Director will report to the RISA Board and work closely with designated Ragon Institute leadership

Key Responsibilities

Strategic & Organisational Leadership • Help establish, operationalise, and lead the independent South African entity supporting research activities in the region. Provide leadership to an organisation of 60+ employees, including clinical trial staff, basic science researchers, community outreach workers, social workers, and administrative teams. Cultivate a unified organisational culture across highly diverse professional groups. • Develop and implement scientific strategies that support the long-term growth, sustainability, and scientific success of the South Africa platform; ensure RISA’s research infrastructure, laboratory capabilities, and cohorts are aligned with, and contributing to, the Ragon Institute’s overall scientific mission. • Represent RISA externally with collaborators, institutional partners, funders, regulatory bodies, and government stakeholders. • Foster a culture of scientific excellence, accountability, collaboration, rigour, and ethical conduct. • Support the RISA Board in carrying out its responsibilities by providing timely reports on strategy, performance, finances, and risks, and implementing Board-approved decisions. • Maintain regular communication with Ragon Institute leadership and key stakeholders. Research and Educational Programme Governance • Oversee operational execution of clinical, translational, and laboratory-based research programmes conducted through RISA and affiliated partner sites. • Work closely with principal investigators, collaborating scientists, and operational teams to ensure high-quality execution of research activities; hold a deep understanding of the clinical trial lifecycle from protocol design to good clinical practice guidelines and trial execution. • Support the development and implementation of new scientific initiatives and research collaborations aligned with Ragon’s strategic priorities. • Ensure effective coordination across clinical operations, laboratory activities, data management, biospecimen management, and research support teams. • Monitor programmatic milestones, deliverables, timelines, and reporting requirements across funded projects. • Forge strategic relationships with academic institutions, public health departments, traditional healers, and other organisations to facilitate internships, mentorships, and direct employment pathways for programme graduates. • Fosters local scientific talent by designing mentorship pipelines for South African researchers, postdocs, and clinical staff, elevating them into independent Principal Investigator roles. Institutional Governance & Fiscal Stewardship • Financial Stewardship. Provide fiduciary oversight for the entity. Establish financial sustainability strategies, sign off on major sponsor contracts, and ensure the long-term capital health of the Organisation. • Philanthropy. Cultivate and steward relationships with global and local philanthropic partners; direct impactful site visits and produce high-level scientific impact reports that demonstrate the dual return on investment in cutting-edge science and community empowerment. Regulatory, Compliance & Governance • Serves as the primary risk officer for the entity. Works with Administrative Deputy Director (ADD) and Regulatory staff to establish risk mitigation strategies for clinical trial liabilities, data privacy (POPIA/GDPR), and institutional reputation. Work closely with the Organisation’s Senior Regulatory Manager, ensuring they receive full support from staff, as they oversee compliance with local and international regulatory requirements, ethical standards, sponsor expectations, and institutional policies

Key Attributes

• Strong understanding of clinical and translational research environments, including regulatory and compliance frameworks • Demonstrated ability to manage complex stakeholder relationships across scientific, operational, and institutional environment

Education Required

Matric

Qualification Required

• Advanced degree in a relevant field (e.g., MD, PhD, MPH, or equivalent).

Experience Required

• Significant leadership experience managing complex research, clinical, or global health programmes. • Demonstrated experience overseeing multidisciplinary teams and large-scale operations (60+employees). • Experience working in South Africa and/or low- and middle-income country research settings • Excellent organisational, interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills • Demonstrated ability to manage complex stakeholder relationships across scientific, operational, and institutional environment

Remuneration

• Market-related, subject to the approved project budget and applicable funding conditions.

Other Job Details

APPLICATION AND ENQUIRIES • Interested applicants must complete their application online at: https://careers.hst.org.za/ • Applicants must ensure that their online applications are completed in full and that comprehensive CVs are uploaded with the online application to be considered. • Applicants’ CVs must be saved with filenames reflecting their names and surnames. • No applications sent via email will be considered, as all applicants must submit their applications online using the provided link. PLEASE NOTE: • All personal information collected is processed lawfully in terms of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). • Shortlisted candidates will be requested to submit certified copies of all qualifications and identity documents. • Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. • Correspondence will be limited to shortlisted candidates. • All shortlisted candidates will be subjected to reference and credential checks. • If you have not been contacted within 30 days of the closing date of this advertisement, please accept that your application has been unsuccessful. • HST reserves the right not to fill this position. CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: 19 November 2026 Health Systems Trust subscribes to the principles of diversity and inclusivity in accordance with the Employment Equity Act and the organisation’s Employment Equity Plan.