Open to opportunities

Gabriela Romero

@gabrielaromero

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Global health consultant designing governance-driven, community-owned systems for equitable health outcomes.

Germany

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What I'm looking for

I seek senior roles designing and strengthening governance, MEL, and community-led health systems where rights-based, gender-transformative programs scale sustainably.

I am a Global Health Consultant and strategic advisor with over eight years partnering with UNAIDS, Global Fund, UNICEF and other global actors to deliver equitable, actionable, and lasting solutions across Africa, Latin America, and Asia.

My core strengths are governance, quality assurance, and institutional strengthening — translating evidence into rights-based, gender-transformative programs and building MEL, finance, and governance systems youth-led networks and partners can genuinely own.

I have co-designed multi-country strategies and guidance adopted across regions, strengthened institutional capacities that improved grant absorption and sustainability, and facilitated participatory processes that connect community data with policy and donor decision-making.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Senior Programmes Officer

Current

Y+ Global

Jan 2020 - Present (5 years 10 months)

Leads global assignments strengthening youth- and community-led HIV, SRHR and reproductive health responses across 30+ countries, improving grant absorption and sustainability metrics by ~25% for youth-led networks.

Governance Program Design Stakeholder Engagement Capacity Building Quality Assurance

Strategic Planning Consultant

J+LAC-HIVOS

Jan 2023 - Jan 2024 (1 year)

Co-designed the 2023–2025 regional strategy with youth leaders across 10 countries, introducing M&E and governance systems that improved coordination, sustainability, and donor trust.

Strategy Development M&E Governance Capacity Building Advocacy

Consultant, Global Guidance

UNAIDS

Jan 2022 - Jan 2024 (2 years)

Co-led design of global guidance transforming institutional support for youth-led HIV responses; synthesized evidence and regional consultations into a scalable framework adopted across 5+ regions.

Strategic Planning Stakeholder Engagement Localization Regional Coordination

Technical Assistance Consultant

UNICEF

Jan 2021 - Jan 2022 (1 year)

Facilitated intergenerational consultations linking community insights to global education frameworks and co-created a youth-focused digital platform to translate priorities into policy tools.

Facilitation Community Engagement Digital Platforms Policy Translation Consultation

Consultant, Data & Policy Insights

ARROW

May 2020 - Dec 2020 (7 months)

Analyzed regional survey data and produced policy-relevant insights connecting youth evidence to SDG advocacy across the Asia Pacific region.

Data Analysis Research Report Writing

Consultant, Strategic Communications

Youth LEAD

Jan 2020 - Dec 2020 (11 months)

Led communications for the YKP COVID-19 Platform, amplifying youth and transgender leadership and co-designed advocacy campaigns integrating storytelling, policy messaging, and digital strategy.

Strategic Communications Advocacy Storytelling Stakeholder Engagement Platform Management

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg

Master of Arts, Global Studies – Development & Politics

2017 - 2019

Activities and societies: Academic exchanges at Chulalongkorn University (Thailand) and FLACSO (Argentina).

Completed an Erasmus Mundus M.A. in Global Studies with interdisciplinary training in international relations, political economy, and global health governance; thesis focused on equity, migration, and governance frameworks.

University of Bremen

Bachelor of Arts, Cultural & Political Science

2012 - 2016

Activities and societies: Exchange semester at Universidade Federal da Bahia (Brazil) with research on gender, race, and community development.

Bachelor's degree in Cultural and Political Science with a concentration in media, sociology, and political sciences and an exchange semester in Brazil researching gender, race, and community development.