Senior Programme Officer, Evaluation and Learning (temp)

Position description

Position title: Senior Programme Officer, Evaluation and Learning Unit (temp) 

Position type: Temporary, ASAP until 31st December 2025

Location: Geneva

Purpose of the position: To plan and manage learning investments to inform Gavi’s decision-making 

Department: Measurement, Evaluation and Learning 

Reports to: Head, Evaluation and Learning 

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. 

The Measurement, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Department at the Gavi Secretariat is responsible for leading the design and implementation of Gavi’s measurement, evaluation and learning activities, with the aim of ensuring that fit-for-purpose information is available and used to inform decision-making, improve accountability and successfully deliver on the Alliance’s strategy.

THE ROLE

Please note this is a temporary role, until 31st December 2025. 

Reporting to the Head, Evaluation and Learning, the Senior Program Officer will lead a portfolio of learning activities to provide evidence to inform decision-making, improve accountability and successfully deliver on the Alliance’s strategy.

 

MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

This role is responsible for:

Design of learning activities to answer Gavi’s priority learning questions

• Work in partnership with relevant teams and focal points within the Secretariat and Alliance to understand evidence needs/gaps and how/when the evidence will be used – and to support development of learning questions/Learning Agendas to fill these gaps; 

• Understand Gavi’s/broader evidence base in relation to key areas of work to inform design of learning activities, to reduce duplication and to draw on existing evidence base where feasible;

• Design fit-for-purpose learning activities i.e. studies and/or lighter touch/rapid approaches (e.g. strategic reviews, thought pieces, qualitative analysis, synthesis studies, research studies), as needed, to answer strategic and/or operational learning questions to enable Gavi to make decisions to improve our work, with a primary focus on learning activities related to Health System Strengthening (HSS);

• Serve as an internal resource providing expertise on research methods/HSS including developing tools/guidance. 

Commission and manage learning activities commissioned by MEL

• Lead the process to commission suppliers to implement learning activities; 

• Ensure suppliers understand scope of work and have access to information/people within Gavi required to undertake the learning activity; 

• Manage these activities, including oversight of contracts with suppliers, routine monitoring and review of deliverables and progress against study objectives, and convening advisory committees to provide technical guidance;

• Undertake synthesis and strategic communication of findings from activities to facilitate use; 

• Drive the effective uptake and translation of emerging evidence into Gavi policies, programmes and strategies;

• Build collaboration with other donors and global research partners to share experiences, knowledge and joint learning.

Provide support to other Gavi teams to ensure robust monitoring and learning

• Support other teams to develop or refine their monitoring and learning frameworks;

• Support other teams to develop the MEL package (theories of change, logframes and learning agendas) for new strategies, policies or programmes going to the Gavi Board for approval; 

• Support other teams with new learning activities, including development of requests for proposals, selection of providers, review of deliverables, and interpretation of emerging evidence; 

• Conduct rapid reviews or synthesis activities, strategic packaging of evidence to respond to emerging questions. 

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 public health or other relevant social sciences (e.g. MPH, MSPH, MSc, PhD highly desirable); 

• Training in public health and MEL/research methods. 

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of 8 years of professional experience, including significant experience in designing, managing/implementing activities to generate robust evidence for decision-making, including some experience at a similar level;

• Professional experience in public health and immunisation including some engagement at field level is highly desirable; 

• Understanding of multilateral agencies and key public health donors and experience with a public private partnership model is an asset. 

SKILLS/COMPETENCIES

• Technical: 

o Excellent skills in MEL/research of health programmes and systems in developing countries is essential; 

o Innovative thinker who keeps up-to-date on relevant global issues and MEL/research trends and methods, regularly reflects on experiences and adapts to ensure performance improvement in the work area is required; 

• Structured thinking and a logical thinker with intellectual curiosity and the ability to think strategically and interpret/synthesise large amounts of information;

• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively including relationship development and ability to drive consensus/influence diverse stakeholders with respect, tact and discretion;

• Demonstrated ability to develop and apply novel approaches to generate evidence to support delivery/decision making; 

• Good knowledge of institutional or organisation policies, systems and procedures; 

• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment; 

• Excellent oral and written communication skills and ability to exercise tact and discretion; 

• Ability to influence others to ensure delivery of results; 

• Excellent organisational and planning skills; 

• Demonstrated capacity to manage consultants, budgets and deliverables; 

• Demonstrated capacity to manage a variety of activities simultaneously, work within teams and take initiative and meet tight deadlines;

• Excellent writing, presentation and communication skills;

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (e.g. Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Sharepoint, Teams)

• Ability to work independently, under pressure, demonstrating initiative and flexibility;

• A team player, collaborative, organised, detail-oriented;

• Adaptability to changing business needs and ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities, delivering high quality work within tight deadlines.

LANGUAGES

• Fluent English is required;

• French is an asset.

CONTACTS

• Gavi Secretariat (e.g. Country Programmes, Executive Office, Legal and Governance, Finance and Operations, others as relevant); 

• Gavi Vaccine Alliance partners including countries, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, civil society organisations, UNICEF, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization and other technical experts; 

• Other research and technical institutes, technical experts and independent evaluation firms. 

If you wish to apply, please provide a cover letter and resume through our Careers webpage and apply by clicking on “Senior Programme Officer, Evaluation and Learning Unit (temp)”. Deadline for applications is 16 November 2023. 

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 zero 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.

Application instructions

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