Senior Programme Manager, Outbreaks and Global Health Security

Position title:Senior Programme Manager, Outbreaks and Global Health Security 

Position type: Permanent

Location: Geneva

Purpose of the position: Provide technical advice for the design and implementation of vaccine programmes for high impact epidemic prone diseases

Department: Programme Team

Reports to: Head, High Impact Outbreaks, Vaccine Programmes

Career step level: 4

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership committed to saving children’s lives and protecting people’s health by increasing equitable use of vaccines in lower-income countries. The Vaccine Alliance brings together implementing country and donor governments, the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry, technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private sector partners. Gavi uses innovative finance mechanisms, including co-financing by recipient countries, to secure sustainable funding and adequate supply of quality vaccines. Since 2000, Gavi has contributed to the immunisation of more than 1 billion children and the prevention of more than 16.2 million future deaths. 

THE ROLE

KEY FUNCTIONS AND DELIVERABLES

•Reporting to the Head, High Impact Outbreaks, the key functions and deliverables of the Senior Program Manager – Outbreaks and Global Health Security (SPM Outbreak/GHS) are: 

•Facilitate the design of outbreak prevention and response programmes in order to ensure effective mitigation and timely response to outbreaks, with a focus on vaccine preventable diseases that are not a part of routine immunisation programmes (e.g. cholera, Ebola); 

•Serve as the programme champion and expert in the area of outbreak response, cooperate with key global health organisations and country focal points by developing trusted partner relationships; 

•Be the lead point of contact for any and all matters specific to Outbreak/GHS in the Vaccine Programs Team. 

MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

•Serve as a partner for Head – High Impact Outbreaks to develop vaccine programme strategies by providing technical and programmatic expertise within the area of Outbreak management and Global Health Security; 

•Provide support to the relevant Programme Managers of the High Impact Outbreaks Sub-team to design and implementation of Gavi’s vaccines programmes for high impact epidemic prone diseases, including design and updating of programme requirements and application materials and effective delivery of the programme in the context of broader prevention and control interventions;

•Cooperate with the key partners and groups (e.g., WHO, UNICEF, ICG, CDC, etc.) on design of outbreak response mechanisms and related preventive strategies (e.g., Ebola pre-emptive vaccination, etc.). 

•Serve as an influencing party and resource in discussions with external partners; 

•Provide oversight on outbreak situations to ensure evidence-based, cost-effective response and the implementation of follow-up actions (e.g., post-outbreak analyses and subsequent programmatic improvements); 

•Maintain, update and coordinate annual renewals of vaccine programmes for cholera and Ebola in collaboration with Vaccine Forecasting and Grant Operations (VFGO); 

•Cooperate with the Market Shaping team in order to monitor supply issues and contribute to accurate demand forecasting for assigned vaccines; 

•Cooperate with the Global Health Security team in order to ensure a coherent and synergistic approach within Gavi towards outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics preparedness, prevention and control (PPPR); 

•Collaborate with the Policy team in order to provide technical and programmatic expertise for the development of vaccine investment strategies and living assessment for outbreak prone diseases and ensure an appropriate transition toward the program design; 

•Represent Gavi in the global setting by participating in meetings and conferences. Be the advocate of Gavi agenda externally and build positive image of the organisation; prepare or respond to media communications; 

•Work with vaccine programme focal points in outbreak situations for diseases with routine vaccines (e.g., Yellow Fever, Meningococcal Meningitis, etc.); 

•Coordinate with key stakeholders (ICG, CDC, WHO, UNICEF) around outbreak mitigation and response issues; participate in consultation groups for diseases in portfolio; 

•Identify and raise areas for concern and potential issues, propose solutions and improvements. 

Note: The essential functions listed in this section are not exhaustive of the job responsibilities; other duties may be assigned consistently with the department needs.

 

QUALIFICATIONS

ACADEMIC

•Advanced university degree in Medicine, Biological Sciences or related field is required;

•Master’s in Public Health or Master in Control of Infectious Diseases is an asset;

•Field epidemiology training is an asset; 

•PhD in any of the above-mentioned disciplines is an asset.

WORK EXPERIENCE

•Minimum 8 years of relevant public health experience with a focus on global health security and outbreak prevention and management, preferably in low- and middle-income settings; 

•Experience in the management and improvement of health programmes, involving complex operations and cooperation with external parties is required; 

•Relevant experience in infectious disease epidemiology and disease control programmes is necessary; expertise in relevant infectious diseases (e.g. Ebola, Cholera, etc.) is an asset; 

•Field training and experience in outbreak prevention, detection, management and response is required. 

•Demonstrable work experience of successful management of situations of considerable complexity and/or political sensitivity is ideal; 

•Experience of representational duties at international fora and conferences is a plus.  

SKILLS/COMPETENCIES

•Excellent communication skills, including oral and written presentation skills; 

•Outstanding collaboration skills; ability to confidently represent Gavi externally and engender trust and cooperation with Gavi Alliance Partners; 

•Diplomacy and negotiation skills, and politically savvy; 

•Exceptional skills in relevant technical areas including epidemiology; 

•Project management skills; 

•Process improvement skills; 

•Excellent attention to detail; 

•Proactive, team-player; 

•Crisis management skills;  

•Ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment. 

LANGUAGES

•Fluency in written and spoken English is required;

•Fluency in French is highly desirable;

•Knowledge of languages of Gavi eligible countries is desirable (e.g., Arabic, Portuguese).

 

CONTACTS

•Gavi Secretariat;

•Gavi Alliance partners;

•Governments of countries eligible for Gavi new vaccine support;

•UN, Multilateral & bilateral donor agencies and civil society; 

•National public health institutions;

•Developing country governments; 

•Global cholera, Ebola, meningitis and yellow fever prevention and control community;

•Vaccine Manufacturers;

•Research institutions;

If you wish to apply, please provide a cover letter and resume through our Careers webpage and apply by clicking on “Senior Programme Manager, Outbreaks and Global Health Security”. Deadline for applications is 07 February 2024.

Please note that as a vaccine organisation and in order to provide duty of care towards its employees, Gavi is requiring its new employees to confirm that they are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as a condition for pursuing employment with us. You can find out more by visiting this link.              

Become part of our community and join us on Facebook and Twitter for updates about our mission to save children’s lives! You can also follow our hashtag #vaccineswork 

  

In support of Gavi’s commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion, we hire globally and welcome applications regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, national origin, family status, sex, gender identity or expression, physical characteristics, race, religion, spirituality or sexual orientation. Gavi has ro tolerance towards sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse as well as any form of discrimination or harassment. Everyone at Gavi is expected to conduct themselves with integrity and respect towards each other. Gavi is committed to creating a work environment that is safe and professional, therefore all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference checks. Read more here.

Gavi brings together the public and private sectors to save lives and protect people’s health by increasing equitable and sustainable use of vaccines against 18 infectious diseases. You will be joining an organisation at the centre of the international COVID-19 response, at the most critical time in global health in a lifetime. You will work in a culturally diverse environment with over 70 nationalities. You will collaborate with partners such as WHO, UNICEF, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank – and from business, civil society and government. And you will work in the first global health organisation to receive equal gender salary certification. Your unique experience, skills and talents can help us achieve our vision of leaving no one behind without the life-saving power of vaccines.