Principal Business Analyst

Job Summary

The Principal Business Analyst is responsible for leading strategic, economic, and market analysis to support the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism (APPM). The role provides evidence-based recommendations that guide procurement strategies, market-shaping interventions, financing mechanisms, and policy decisions. The incumbent serves as a principal analytical advisor to APPM leadership and the African Market Shaping Council while supporting sustainable access to affordable, quality-assured health products across Africa.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead strategic, economic, and market analysis supporting the APPM business model.
• Provide senior-level analytical advice on procurement strategies and innovative financing mechanisms.
• Generate market intelligence reports with actionable recommendations for decision-making.
• Design and evaluate market-shaping interventions, including target pricing, volume commitments, subsidies, and innovative financing models.
• Develop procurement and financing models that improve the sustainability and effectiveness of APPM.
• Analyze the operational, financial, and management structures of APPM to assess business viability and sustainability.
• Utilize market intelligence data on vaccines, diagnostics, therapeutics, and essential health commodities to support strategic decisions.
• Identify market barriers, including pricing challenges, financing gaps, supply concentration, and regulatory constraints.
• Produce forward-looking market intelligence to support long-term planning.
• Model demand aggregation, supplier diversification, volume guarantees, advance purchase agreements, and procurement strategies.
• Assess the impact of procurement interventions on product pricing, market access, and supply security.
• Evaluate innovative financing mechanisms, including blended financing, advance financing, commercial financing, and volume guarantees.
• Serve as the principal analytical advisor to the African Market Shaping Council.
• Prepare policy briefs, options papers, scenario analyses, and decision support documents.
• Translate Council recommendations into analytical workplans and implementation strategies.
• Develop and maintain analytical models, dashboards, methodologies, and datasets.
• Ensure analytical outputs are accurate, transparent, and support evidence-based decision-making.
• Engage AU Member States, development finance institutions, donors, and technical partners to validate market assumptions and analytical findings.
• Represent APPM in technical discussions on procurement economics, financing, and market shaping.
• Provide analytical support for resource mobilization and financing initiatives.

Flagship Deliverables

• African Market Shaping Briefs.
• Product-specific market analyses for vaccines, diagnostics, PPE, and essential health commodities.
• Pricing Structure Frameworks for African manufacturers.
• Volume Guarantee and Advance Purchase Models.
• Access and Affordability Dashboards.
• Market Readiness and Risk Assessment Reports.
• Strategic briefing papers and decision notes for the African Market Shaping Council.

Academic Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Economics, Business Administration, Public Policy, Global Health, Finance, or a related field with a minimum of ten (10) years of relevant professional experience.
• OR
• Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, Business Administration, Public Policy, Global Health, Finance, or a related field with a minimum of twelve (12) years of relevant professional experience.

Experience

• Minimum of ten (10) years of relevant experience with a Master's Degree or twelve (12) years with a Bachelor's Degree in market analysis, economic analysis, or strategic advisory roles related to health commodities, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, or regulated markets.
• At least six (6) years of experience at expert level.
• Minimum of three (3) years of supervisory or leadership experience.
• Demonstrated expertise in market design, pricing models, product cost structures, and health product market dynamics.
• Experience preparing briefing notes and strategic recommendations for senior-level decision makers within multilateral or public-sector organizations.

Required Skills

• Advanced analytical, quantitative, and economic modeling skills.
• Strong understanding of procurement economics, market dynamics, pricing strategies, and market-shaping interventions.
• Comprehensive knowledge of product cost structures, including Cost of Goods Sold (COGS).
• Ability to translate complex operational, financial, and institutional analysis into practical strategic recommendations.
• Excellent report writing, presentation, and policy communication skills.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and advisory capabilities.
• Excellent strategic thinking, problem-solving, and decision-support skills.

Attention !!!Beware that using the African Union CV template that is present on the African Union website is MANDATORY.

Skills Required:

• Sales / Marketing / Business / Management