Senior Strategist, Data & AI (Remote - US, UK, Nigeria, Ethiopia, India or Rwanda)

Position Purpose:

The Senior Strategist, Data & AI strengthens the capacity of RTSL and its government partners to use data, digital systems, and artificial intelligence to improve public health programs and decision-making. Working across RTSL's program portfolio, the role brings together public health strategy, data architecture, digital transformation, and AI governance to identify high-value opportunities and help translate them into practical, sustainable approaches.

The Senior Strategist advises program and country teams on data architecture, interoperability, data governance, and AI readiness; shapes and prioritizes data- and AI-enabled initiatives; and builds RTSL's capacity to use emerging technologies responsibly and effectively. Externally, the role works with governments, technical partners, and the broader global health ecosystem to advance country-owned approaches to stronger data systems and responsible AI.

Success in the role means that RTSL and its partners are making better-informed decisions about where and how to invest in data and AI, with stronger underlying data systems, clearer standards and safeguards, and practical applications that deliver measurable public health value.

Core Duties and Responsibilities:

Data Strategy and Architecture

• Advise RTSL program and country teams and government partners on strengthening the data foundations needed for effective public health programs, including data architecture, quality, interoperability, metadata, governance, accessibility, and appropriate data use.
• Ensure teams understand how data flows across systems and identify fragmentation, duplication, quality issues, and other barriers to effective program management and decision-making.
• Support governments and partners in developing practical, sustainable approaches to data architecture and interoperability that strengthen existing systems and promote country ownership.
• Translate public health and program needs into clear data requirements and help bridge communication among public health, epidemiology, product, data, and technology teams.
• Ensure high standards for data quality, usability, interoperability, governance, privacy, and sustainability in collaboration with IT, Legal, and relevant technical teams.
• Track developments in health information architecture, interoperability standards, digital public goods, analytics, and related fields and assess their implications for RTSL's programs and country partnerships.

Applied AI, Innovation, and Responsible Use

• Shape RTSL's approach to the responsible programmatic use of AI and advanced analytics, ensuring that investments are driven by public health problems and measurable value rather than technology alone.
• Identify and prioritize high-value opportunities where AI could improve planning, implementation, clinical or public health decision support, analysis, monitoring, or learning -- in close collaboration with program, country, and digital teams.
• Guide structured assessment of proposed AI use cases, considering the problem to be solved, user and workflow needs, data readiness, feasibility, public health value, equity, privacy, safety, sustainability, and country context.
• Advise teams on whether to build, buy, adapt, or partner for data- and AI-enabled solutions, emphasizing reuse, interoperability, sustainability, and fit for purpose.
• Partner with organizational leadership, IT, and Legal to translate RTSL's AI policies and principles into practical guidance and appropriate review processes for programmatic applications.
• Promote responsible AI practices, including appropriate human oversight, transparency, accountability, privacy, equity, and mechanisms for identifying and responding to risks.
• Lead responsible experimentation and learning, helping RTSL distinguish promising innovations from approaches that are not sufficiently useful, feasible, or sustainable to pursue.

Program Advisory and Organizational Capability

• Serve as a senior resource to RTSL's program and country teams, helping them integrate data and AI considerations into program design, implementation, monitoring, and scale.
• Develop practical frameworks, decision aids, guidance, and tools that enable teams to assess data and AI opportunities consistently and rigorously.
• Build organizational capability in AI and advanced tools through training, coaching, communities of practice, and practical learning opportunities.
• Help teams develop sufficient AI and data literacy to engage effectively with technical experts, vendors, government counterparts, and partners and make informed decisions.
• Provide strategic input to digital product and innovation initiatives where broader questions of data architecture, interoperability, AI, or cross-program applicability are relevant, while leaving product ownership and delivery with the responsible technology teams.
• Capture and share learning from data, digital, and AI initiatives across programs and countries, ensuring that evidence, successes, and failures inform future strategy, investment, and implementation.

External Advisory, Partnerships, and Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Advise government and public health partners on data architecture, interoperability, governance, organizational readiness, and responsible AI adoption in primary health care, epidemic preparedness, and other areas relevant to RTSL's mission.
• Build relationships with organizations shaping global health data standards, digital public goods, responsible AI, and related technical approaches.
• Represent RTSL in relevant technical forums and partnerships with governments, funders, multilaterals, academic institutions, technology partners, and peer organizations.
• Bring external developments and country experience back into RTSL to inform organizational strategy and program design.
• Work closely with the VP, IT to align programmatic data and AI needs with enterprise technology, cybersecurity, data protection, and infrastructure requirements.
• Collaborate with Legal and Shared Services on governance, procurement, compliance, contracting, budgeting, and risk management associated with data and AI initiatives.
• Partner with Development and Communications to support proposals, donor engagement, external communications, and clear articulation of RTSL's approach and learning in public health data and AI.

Qualifications: 

Experience

• At least 12 years of progressively responsible experience spanning data, digital health, health information systems, analytics, applied AI, or related areas.
• Experience working in global public health and with Ministries of Health, national public health institutes, or other government health institutions, preferably across multiple countries.
• Demonstrated experience working on data architecture and systems, including areas such as interoperability, data standards, metadata, governance, information flows, or data quality.
• Experience translating complex public health problems into practical data, digital, analytics, or AI approaches.
• Demonstrated experience operating at the intersection of strategy and implementation and working effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience assessing digital or AI initiatives for feasibility, value, risk, sustainability, and organizational readiness.
• Experience working with digital products, health information systems, digital public goods, technology vendors, or implementation partners.
• Experience building organizational capability or supporting adoption of new technologies and ways of working.
• Experience advising senior government, organizational, or partner stakeholders is strongly preferred.

 Skills & abilities

• Strong public health and systems thinking, with the ability to understand how technology, data, people, workflows, institutions, and policy interact to affect program outcomes.
• Strong understanding of data architecture, interoperability, data governance, data quality, and the foundations required for effective analytics and AI.
• Strong working knowledge of responsible AI principles, including privacy, equity, transparency, safety, human oversight, and accountability.
• Enough technical fluency to engage credibly with data scientists, engineers, architects, and vendors while translating technical issues for public health and organizational leaders.
• Strong analytical and strategic judgment, including the ability to distinguish promising opportunities from technology-driven solutions without sufficient public health value.
• Ability to structure ambiguous problems, identify underlying needs, and translate them into practical recommendations and next steps.
• Excellent facilitation, influencing, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to work across organizational boundaries and build alignment without direct authority.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex data and technology concepts clearly to government officials, program leaders, donors, and non-technical audiences.
• Strong cultural awareness and ability to work effectively with partners in diverse and resource-constrained settings.
• Pragmatic, curious, collaborative, and comfortable working in areas where technology and evidence are evolving rapidly.

Education

• Master's degree or equivalent advanced training in public health, health informatics, digital health, data science, epidemiology, health policy, computer science, information systems, or a related field.

 Other

• Ability to work effectively in a remote, globally distributed organization.
• Ability and willingness to travel internationally for country engagement, technical consultations, and organizational meetings as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in primary health care, cardiovascular health, epidemic preparedness, surveillance, or health systems strengthening.
• Familiarity with relevant health data and interoperability approaches such as FHIR/HL7, WHO SMART Guidelines and Digital Adaptation Kits, DHIS2, OpenMRS/OpenHIE, and digital public goods.
• Experience applying AI or advanced analytics to real-world public health or health system problems.
• Experience working in multilingual and resource-constrained implementation environments.
• Proficiency in languages in addition to English.

Compensation and Benefits:

Resolve to Save Lives prides itself on cultivating a supportive, connected remote team doing work that matters. We do everything possible to ensure our employees are connected and set up for success.  

The starting salary range for this position in the US is $165,000 to $195,000 annually. The exact offer will be determined by various factors, such as the candidate's skills and experience relative to the requirements of the role. For applicants based outside the US, salaries are set according to national labor rates for the international NGO sector.

In addition to a competitive salary, Resolve to Save Lives provides a generous package of benefits, including:   

• Health insurance for you and your dependents  
• Contributions toward retirement   
• Paid annual leave and sick leave, in addition to public holidays  
• Two paid, week-long organization-wide breaks at mid-year and end-of-year   
• Professional development and home office setup benefits  
• Up-to-date computer equipment