Head of Global Health Ecosystem

Contract type: Permanent

Salary: £84,640 - £105,800 per annum

Closing date: 23 June 2026

About Wellcome

Wellcome is a global charitable foundation that improves health for everyone by funding science, leading policy and advocacy campaigns and building partnerships. We plan to spend £16bn over the next ten years, funding new discoveries in life, health and wellbeing and tackling three global health challenges: mental health, infectious disease, and climate and health.

Working Location

You will join the Global Health Policy team, which sits within the wider Policy and Partnerships department. This new role will collaborate with Heads of Policy in Climate & Health, Infectious Disease, and Mental Health.

Role Overview

This role leads the development and delivery of Wellcome’s long‑term strategy to support and drive progress towards a more effective and equitable global health ecosystem, including the meaningful implementation of the Lusaka Agenda. The role will motivate a team drawing on Policy, Government Relations, Strategic Partnerships, and Corporate Affairs to ensure Wellcome plays an important role in reforming the global health system.

Responsibilities

• Lead the ongoing development and delivery of Wellcome’s long‑term strategy for its programme of work on global health ecosystem; ensure it is clear‑sighted on how Wellcome can be most impactful on this issue.
• Lead and motivate a high‑performing team, ensuring their skills and capabilities are maximised and work is always produced to a high standard, on time, and on budget.
• Support and enable internal efforts to ensure Wellcome aligns with the Lusaka Agenda, acting as an exemplar organisation and sharing learning and best practice with others.
• Lead regular meetings and workshops internally to share expertise and updates, building organisational capacity and understanding on this issue and creating opportunities for collaboration.
• Act as a thought‑leader, senior spokesperson, and adviser for Wellcome on this issue, sharing your expertise generously and using your well‑established external network to ensure we are connected to key developments and discussions in this area.
• Play an important role as a member of the Global Health Policy management team, ensuring we create an environment in which team members can do their best work.

Ideal Candidate

You have deep expertise and experience in the global health ecosystem, are well‑connected and respected in the sector, and combine ambition, pragmatism, and opportunism to make progress. You recognise the importance of exemplary leadership and investing in your team, collaborate easily, and have superb communication skills to bring people together internally and externally. Above all, you are motivated by the opportunity for impact in this role and can see how Wellcome can make the most impactful contribution.

Qualifications

• Deep experience and expertise in the global health ecosystem, spanning governance, financial, policy, political, and technical dimensions, and including recent developments on reform.
• Deep and well‑established networks related to the global health ecosystem, with an ability to quickly build trusted relationships with different stakeholders, both internally and externally.
• Significant experience developing and delivering ambitious strategies, balancing a long‑term approach with opportunism and responsiveness.
• Significant experience managing matrix teams, with a track record of working in a fast‑paced environment while building and sustaining collaborative relationships.

Working Arrangements

We work three days per week (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) from our Euston Road offices and the remaining two days working either remotely or in the office.

Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and Inclusion is a priority at Wellcome. We are committed to a fair and inclusive environment, where everyone can be themselves and thrive. Flexible working options are available for all roles. We work to ensure our recruitment processes are inclusive and can make adjustments for people with a disability or long‑term condition. For more information on adjustments and accessibility, please visit our website or contact us at jobs@wellcome.org.