Senior Programme Manager, Vaccine Programmes

Position title: Senior Programme Manager, Vaccine Programmes 

Position type: Permanent

Location: Geneva

Purpose of the position: Manage and coordinate the preparation and implementation of Gavi’s Cholera and Typhoid vaccine programmes

Department:Programme Team

Team: Vaccines Programmes (VP)

Reports to: Head – High Impact Outbreaks, Vaccine Programmes

N° of positions supervised (if applicable):  0

Career step level: 4

• Contribute towards Gavi Strategic Objective  to introduce and scale up vaccines by ensuring successful delivery of strategic priorities and objectives for the preventive oral cholera vaccine (OCV) and typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) programmes, and coordinate with and contribute to execution of other sub-team objectives (e.g., outbreak vaccine use, diagnostics, and/or other new programmes within the sub-team);
  
• Ensure VP contribution to country support including successful application, preparation, introduction and implementation of: (i) TCV into routine immunisation systems and catch-up campaigns and (ii) preventive OCV campaigns as part of a multi-sectoral, comprehensive disease control strategy; 
• Collaborate across teams within Gavi for the successful planning, implementation, learning, and communication of the TCV and OCV programmes, including MS, VFGO, Policy, FD&R, MEL, HSIS, Communications & media, and donors;
• Lead VP’s inputs into Gavi’s Market Shaping roadmaps, action plans, strategic demand scenarios and financial forecasting for OCV and TCV
• Ensure and be accountable for appropriate coordination and consultation with key partners in particular the members of the Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC), TCV Vaccine Consortium, and other Alliance partners;
• Lead the coordination of TCV programme technical partners via TCV sub-team, and contribute to GTFCC OCV working groups to ensure effective management and use of vaccine supply within comprehensive disease control programmes;
• Contribute to Gavi processes to ensure they reflect specificities of the programme in areas such as reporting, application review and grant management, policy making, and investment strategies;
• Contribute to the achievement of the Vaccine Programmes team (VP) team objectives, and lead VP’s representation in select cross-cutting workstreams

MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

Accelerate equitable uptake and coverage of vaccines:

• Support the coordination of Gavi processes necessary for successful and timely introductions of typhoid and preventive cholera vaccines in Gavi countries. This includes responsibility for maintaining up to date vaccine funding guidelines with stakeholder buy-in, and coordination of technical review of vaccine applications, in coordination with Senior Country Managers (SCMs) and Alliance partners. Specifically:
  • Develop and maintain the vaccine specific component of Gavi application guidelines;
  • Provide background information to and train countries and partners on typhoid and cholera vaccine application requirements and processes;
  • Guide technical development and review of the programmatic components of applications; review and coordinate partner inputs to reviews; review IRC reports and country responses;
  • Monitor issuance of decision letters and vaccine grant disbursements
• Work with Senior Country Managers and Alliance partners to support vaccination campaigns and introductions, including:
  • Analyse and coordinate with SCMs for technical assistance through Gavi’s Partners Engagement Framework and ensuring that activities and the support required are included in targeted country assistance budgets;
    
  • Coordinate with partners to provide effective Alliance oversight and technical support to ensure country readiness for high quality, safe, and timely implementation of vaccination campaigns and introductions.
  • Monitor country readiness status and introduction / campaign dates;
  • Monitor vaccine use and work with MEL and partners to document results and lessons learned to adjust programmes and processes to improve effective implementation
• Participate in country missions to ensure that national programmes and in-country partners are fully informed and ready for application and introduction; 
• Provide country demand insight to Market Shaping (MS) team, VFGO, WHO, UNICEF, and relevant working groups to enable short-term vaccine supply management through regular meetings and discussions;
• Engage in market shaping and longer-term forecasting activities by providing routine and strategic input into development and updates of Market Shaping Roadmaps, vaccine tenders and Strategic Demand Scenarios, and regularly providing updates to VFGO and UNICEF on country demand
• Prepare, provide and maintain programme specific briefings to review bodies and external groups (e.g., the Independent Review Committee, Alliance Partnership and Performance Team).

Serve as the vaccine focal point and programme champion: 

• Serve as the Gavi focal point, programme champion and disease area ‘expert’ to internal and external stakeholders to:
  • Conduct systematic tracking and reporting of cholera and typhoid vaccine programmes;
    
  • Provide regular reporting on ongoing discussions, applications, and introduction status for key governance meetings (e.g. PPC and Board) and on request as required;
  • Provide vaccine and programme specific information such as application requirements, vaccine presentations and characteristics including vaccine safety, vaccine manufacturers, price, and evolution of demand;
  • Contribute to design of relevant diagnostics programs and, with partners, support countries’ integration of diagnostics and vaccine plans where applicable;
  • Contribute to Gavi processes to ensure they reflect specificities of the programme in areas such as reporting, application review and grant management, policy making, and investment strategies;
  • Engage with the Monitoring & Evaluation Team to design and support implementation of learning agendas, and dissemination of findings to relevant fora for decision-making
• Represent Gavi Secretariat in relevant global, regional, or country meetings (e.g., GTFCC, ICG, TyVAC meetings), in-country discussions on vaccine use, World Health Assembly and working groups, to ensure timely and appropriate vaccine applications and use, provision of TA where needed, and that partner advocacy and communications are aligned (with support of Communications team);
• Liaise with Media and Communications team to provide vaccine specific information around particular media events and high profile engagements, and support maintaining living talking points updates (when required) and standard Q&As; identify opportunities for programme Communications; provide and coordinate inputs during campaigns / introductions and crisis communications; 
• Support Policy, Resource Mobilisation (RM) and Communications on ad-hoc requests (donors, press, media releases, documents review) when needed;
• Chair Vaccine Programs Typhoid Sub-team to ensure effective implementation of programme and develop relevant processes, activities include: develop agendas, take meeting minutes, ensure relevant actions are taken, and coordinate partners’ efforts to work toward global partner alignment;
• Provide support to other sub-team programmes and cross-cutting objectives where appropriate and when feasible.

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, development, business administration or related field is required;
  
• Certification in project management is desirable.

Work Experience

• Minimum of 8 years in programme, management experience at regional and/or global level in healthcare sector (public or private) – vaccine specific experience in typhoid and cholera is highly desirable;
  
• Public health or development-related experience ideally in both global/regional and developing countries settings;
• Familiarity with multilateral agencies and key public health donors, as well as vaccine manufacturers;
• Understanding of biological product development and production would be advantageous.

Skills/Competencies

• Motivated and shows initiative, capable of processing large amounts of information quickly and with an ability to work independently, under pressure, demonstrating initiative and flexibility;
• Excellent planning and project management skills to manage multiple work streams simultaneously; and a pro-active work attitude;
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively with colleagues from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds; ability to work in a multi-cultural environment;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with demonstrated ability to deliver high quality work within tight deadlines;
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills; a logical thinker with intellectual curiosity and the ability to think strategically;
• Excellent information technology skills (e.g. MS Excel, MS PowerPoint);
• Strong leadership and management skills; 
• Knowledge of global health issues, vaccines and immunisation; familiarity with programmatic and institutional realities in developing country settings; understanding of epidemiology and control of vaccine-preventable diseases;
• Knowledge of international public health agencies

• Fluency in written and spoken English;
  
• Fluency in French would be an asset.

Contacts

• Gavi Secretariat;
  
• Vaccine manufacturers;
• Academic researchers and other external experts;
• World Health Organization, UNICEF, CDC;
• Sovereign and private donors;
• Civil Society Organisations
• Implementing partners in Gavi-supported countries;
• Gates Foundation