Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL) is a global health organization that partners locally and globally to create and scale solutions to the world’s deadliest health threats. Millions of people die from preventable health threats. We collaborate to close the gap between proven, life-saving solutions and the people who need them. Since 2017, we’ve worked with governments and other partners in more than 60 countries to save millions of lives. We work toward a future where people live longer, healthier lives, communities flourish, and economies thrive. This is an ambitious vision, and it inspires us and our partners to make progress every day.
Position Purpose:
Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL) seeks a Senior Advisor, Health Tax Policy and Implementation to provide strategic, technical, and operational leadership for our global health taxes portfolio, with a focus on taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and unhealthy food. The selected individual will shape and oversee RTSL’s work on health taxes across current geographies and explore support for additional countries. In the first year, the Senior Advisor will prioritize strengthening implementation in Zambia, elevating lessons learned on tax administration, and supporting targeted fundraising and positioning efforts. Success will be measured by the implementation of stronger health tax policies that raise revenue, reduce consumption of harmful products, and withstand industry pressure.
This position will serve as the organization’s primary technical authority on health taxation, and should have significant experience in tax policy, administration, and enforcement in low- or middle-income country contexts. The role combines deep technical expertise, strategy, external engagement, team management, and cross-team collaboration. This is a senior, organization-wide role that will drive technical direction and country strategy for health taxes. It is ideal for a seasoned candidate with strong experience in tax policy and administration, global health or development policy, and working in politically complex environments, including engagement with and opposition from industry actors.
Length of Employment
This is a 12-month fixed-term employment position with potential for renewal subject to funding and mutual interest.
Core Duties and Responsibilities:
Technical Leadership & Oversight
- Provide overall technical direction and quality assurance for RTSL’s health tax work, including oversight of ongoing country engagements (currently Zambia).
- Within the agreed organizational strategy and under the CEO's guidance, ensure technical quality and provide strategic direction for health tax work, ensuring rigor and feasibility.
- Advise on the practical implementation of evidence-based health tax policies, including excise tax structures, rate setting, indexation, and product definitions.
- Lead RTSL’s work on tax administration and enforcement, including:
- Strengthening regulatory and revenue authority capacity, including for the regulation of alcohol
- Tax stamp and track-and-trace systems
- Closing legal and administrative loopholes
- Improving compliance, monitoring, and enforcement mechanisms
- Review and provide technical input on draft laws, regulations, and administrative, enforcement, and monitoring instruments related to health taxes, in collaboration with legal and government counterparts.
- Ensure alignment of RTSL’s health tax work with global best practices and emerging evidence.
Evidence Generation & Communication
- Oversee and participate in economic modeling and analytical work to inform rate setting, policy sequencing, and political decision-making. These may include analyses that demonstrate:
- Return on investment (ROI) of health taxes
- Health and economic benefits of best-practice tax policies
- Health system and population health impacts of earmarking revenues for primary health care, disease prevention, and treatment programs
- Work closely with economists, analysts, and external partners to define analytical questions, ensure methodological rigor, and review outputs for technical accuracy.
- Synthesize analytical findings into clear, compelling messages and materials for policymakers, donors, media, and other external audiences.
Fundraising, Positioning & External Engagement
- Contribute to RTSL’s fundraising efforts related to health taxes, including:
- Helping to identify potential funding sources
- Providing technical input to concept notes, proposals, and donor discussions
- Supporting donor reporting and learning agendas
- Represent RTSL externally on health taxes with governments, donors, multilateral organizations, civil society, and technical partners.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with key global and country-level stakeholders.
- Support RTSL’s positioning and thought leadership on health taxes.
Country Expansion & Program Development
- Lead or support country scoping, political economy analysis, and engagement strategies.
- Oversee the design and launch of new country engagements, as funding allows.
Team Leadership & Management
- Provide technical supervision and day-to-day guidance to consultants, with potential to supervise additional staff as the portfolio grows and funding allows.
- Set priorities, review deliverables for quality and accuracy, and ensure alignment with RTSL’s strategic objectives.
- Foster collaboration with RTSL colleagues across policy, public health, legal, program, and country teams.
- Ensure lessons learned and best practices are systematically captured and translated into reusable tools, guidance, and internal knowledge products.
Qualifications
Experience
- At least 10+ years of relevant professional experience, with demonstrated progression and technical expertise in tax policy, public finance, health policy, or a related field.
- Substantial experience with tax design and implementation, including a strong focus on tax administration and enforcement.
- Demonstrated experience overseeing or reviewing economic analysis or modeling related to taxation, public finance, or health policy, including the ability to assess quality, interpret findings, and translate results for non-technical audiences.
- Proven experience working on or closely with one or more of the following health taxes is strongly preferred: tobacco, alcohol, sugar-sweetened beverages, unhealthy or ultra-processed foods
- Experience working in low- and middle-income countries, including direct engagement with government counterparts.
- Experience and savvy in navigating politically sensitive environments, including working against or countering industry influence.
- Experience managing consultants or staff and coordinating multi-disciplinary work.
Skills & Competencies
- Deep understanding of excise tax policy design and administration.
- Strong knowledge of regulatory and legal frameworks related to taxation.
- Familiarity with tools and approaches such as digital tax stamps, track-and-trace systems, licensing regimes, and anti-evasion measures.
- Ability to integrate legal, economic, and political economy considerations into practical implementation strategies.
- Strategic leadership: Ability to set direction and to drive a growing technical portfolio.
- Technical credibility: Recognized expertise in taxation and implementation issues.
- Policy translation: Ability to communicate complex technical issues clearly to diverse audiences.
- Stakeholder engagement: Strong relationship-building skills with governments, donors, and partners.
- Political acuity: Comfort with and skilled at operating in contested policy spaces with active industry opposition.
Education
- Advanced degree in law, public policy, economics, public finance, or a related field strongly preferred.
Preferred Attributes
- Prior experience working on health taxes within a global health or development organization.
- Experience contributing to fundraising or donor engagement.
- Comfort working in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment with evolving priorities.
- Commitment to public interest policy-making and independence from commercial influence
- Familiarity with RTSL’s broader mission and policy priorities.
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 salary range for applicants based in the US is $125,000 to $140,000 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
RTSL believes its programs are strengthened when they are developed and supported by individuals with diverse life experiences whose understanding of social and cultural issues can help make our work and workforce more inclusive. We encourage applications from and provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, ancestry, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, organ donor status, or status as a veteran. Resolve to Save Lives complies with all applicable US EEO laws.