Yosef Alemu is a seasoned public health leader with over 23 years of experience designing and managing transformative health and nutrition programs that improve the lives of vulnerable communities across Ethiopia. As Ethiopia Country Director for Results for Development (R4D), he leads the strategic direction and operations of R4D’s Ethiopia office, guiding a diverse portfolio of initiatives that strengthen health systems and advance universal health coverage.
Yosef plays a pivotal role in cultivating strategic partnerships with government institutions, development partners, and funders to drive sustainable impact. He ensures operational excellence and compliance with national and donor policies, while fostering a high-performing, mission-driven team.
Under his leadership, Yosef led the development of a costed roadmap for the expansion and scale-up phases of the Seqota Declaration — an ambitious multisectoral initiative aimed at ending child stunting in Ethiopia. He also oversaw the quality and delivery of several critical system barrier assessments, including market shaping scoping, commodity financing landscaping, supply base analysis, procurement efficiency evaluations, and evidence synthesis for micronutrient supplementation and nutrition information systems.
Prior to joining R4D, Yosef served as Deputy Country Director at Nutrition International, where he led the design and scale-up of maternal, adolescent and child nutrition programs. He also held senior roles at Children Believe and CARE, spearheading initiatives in primary health care, community health, maternal and child health, sexual and reproductive health, malaria and HIV/AIDS.
Yosef began his career as a public health officer in a government hospital. He holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) from Gondar University and a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from Dilla University. He is fluent in Afan Oromo, Amharic and English.
