WHO Foundation is looking for a Chief of Staff

About Us

The WHO Foundation (WHOF), launched in May 2020 and headquartered in Geneva, was created as an independent Swiss foundation affiliated with but independent of WHO. Its mission is to mobilize greater private capital and partnership to advance the mission of the World Health Organization (WHO), enabling catalytic impact on the people whose lives rely on WHO’s work, and facilitating innovation to maximize the impact of the resources we invest.

WHO plays a singular role in leading the global health ecosystem, acting as a first-responder to health crises — including cross border conflicts and outbreaks in underserved communities and geographies; producing technical guidelines and tools to prevent and treat disease; and acting as a country-level convener with an unparalleled level of trust. The crises of the 21st century, including COVID-19, have made clear both the inequity of access to effective and affordable healthcare and the indispensable role of WHO. Yet WHO lacks sufficient resources to fulfill its mandate. And its vision cannot be achieved by the funding from the public sector alone.

The WHO Foundation was therefore created as an independent Swiss foundation affiliated with but independent of WHO to marshal new resources from philanthropists, foundations, businesses, and individuals to support its mission: promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable, while protecting the neutrality and independence of WHO as the world’s leading health authority. WHOF is a nexus for unique opportunities in global health, facilitating game-changing opportunities between the private sector and WHO. Our focus is on mobilizing grant income, shared value partnerships, and investment to power WHO’s work.

Purpose

The Chief of Staff will be a “right hand” to the CEO, supporting the range of his internal and external activities. In this role, the Chief of Staff will be expected to represent and extend the capacity of the CEO and to serve as an adviser to him. The Chief of Staff will also be integral to supporting the Executive Management Team (EMT)’s engagement with WHO and its ecosystem of partners.

Though the Chief of Staff will have no or limited line management responsibilities, they must have a track record of being a dynamic leader, able to build trust across teams and different organizational cultures, e.g., speaking the “language” of WHO as well as the WHO Foundation’s corporate and philanthropic partners. The Chief of Staff will also need to maintain trust internally at the WHO Foundation to work effectively with colleagues in all teams and functions.

Given the small size of the WHO Foundation (50-60 staff), the Chief of Staff will be tasked regularly with special projects that are time limited, of critical importance, and require engagement across the organization. This will require of the Chief of Staff strong project management skills and performance ethic, as well as the ability to “roll up their sleeves” for adept quantitative analyses, preparations of presentations and written documents.

The Chief of Staff will help the CEO and EMT allocate capacity to the most important needs of the organization even as daily management must focus on the most urgent activities. This will include, at all times, ensuring effective engagement with WHO at various levels, including with its Geneva and regional leadership. This will require strong knowledge of WHO and capable relationship management.

The Chief of Staff will champion a strong justice and equity lens across all functions, including accountability for the departmental operational plans and metrics as well as acting as a positive leader inspiring teams across the Foundation.

Reports To

The Chief of Staff will report directly to the CEO of the WHO Foundation and will also collaborate closely with internal and external stakeholders on different subject matters.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Planning & Execution

• Develop and oversee robust plans to implement the Foundation’s strategic vision in collaboration with the leadership team.
• Prioritize competing initiatives and help the CEO focus on what will deliver the greatest impact.
• Ensure strategies are clearly communicated and successfully operationalized across the organization.
• Support the CEO’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) vision, working with the Chief People Officer to embed accountability and measure progress.
• Monitor progress toward strategic goals, identify risks and opportunities, and provide timely updates and recommendations to the CEO.
• Lead change management efforts to ensure smooth adoption of new strategies, processes, and ways of working across the Foundation.

Communication & Liaison

• Act as the CEO’s primary point of contact with all key stakeholders.
• Serve as the bridge between the WHO Foundation and WHO stakeholders, ensuring strong alignment and partnership on shared priorities.
• Facilitate effective communication across teams and with key partners.
• Represent the CEO by receiving visitors, attending meetings, and coordinating events as required.
• Prepare and oversee correspondence, briefing materials, talking points, and reports for the CEO’s review and signature.

Decision Support

• Gather, synthesize, and analyze data to provide actionable insights for strategic decision-making.
• Partner with the CEO to make well-informed, risk-aware, and mission-aligned decisions.
• Anticipate challenges and apply creative problem-solving to drive organizational impact.
• Support the CEO in stakeholder management by mapping key relationships, tracking engagement, and ensuring follow-through on commitments.

Project Management

• Lead and coordinate special projects and cross-functional initiatives on behalf of the CEO.
• Ensure timely execution, clear accountability, and measurable outcomes.

Leadership & Coordination

• Provide strategic leadership support to the executive team, ensuring alignment with Foundation priorities.
• Coordinate executive activities, drive collaboration, and promote proactive, adaptive decision-making.

Board Relations

• Support CEO’s relationships with the Board of Directors.
• Oversee preparation of board materials, agendas, and reports, ensuring clear and timely communication.
• Support effective governance and follow-up on board decisions.

External Relations

• Cultivate and maintain relationships with external stakeholders, including donors, partners, and global health leaders.
• Represent the Foundation at high-level events, forums, and engagements to advance its mission and visibility.

Profile

• Experience or a minimum of 10 years in a leadership role required
• Significant experience in strategy, analysis, project management, and execution.
• Preferred knowledge of and past exposure to the Global Health sector
• Strong problem solver decision-making skills
• Expertise in managing and evolving multiple stakeholder partnerships.
• High impact communicator - communicate in a focused and compelling way that captures and holds others’ attention and stimulates others’ thinking and actions.
• Strong judgment and comfortable serving as a strategic advisor and influencer.
• Experience working in politically complex situations.
• Capacity to build relationships with a diverse set of individuals and organizations.
• Demonstrated expertise in strategic planning, partnerships, and external relations.
• A demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion with proven leadership experience in a multicultural and collaborative environment.
• Outstanding communication and negotiating abilities, with the capacity to interact with a wide range of stakeholders.

What We Offer

• Rewarding work in a dynamic non-profit environment
• A collaborative workplace within a multicultural team
• An agile and flexible environment

Additional Information

• Type of contract: Permanent contract
• Location: Geneva
• Working rate: 100%

This is a rolling process; applications will be revised as they arrive. Final deadline for application is 20.11.2025

The WHO Foundation puts equity at the center of all its work and is committed to building, fostering, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Employment and advancement opportunities are based upon individual qualifications, regardless of gender, color, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, nationality, cultural & religious background, beliefs, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and marital status. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

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