Director, Middle Income Countries

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 888 million children and the prevention of more than 15 million future deaths. 

THE ROLE
Please note this is a temporary role of 3 years duration, until December 2025. 

As part of the Gavi 5.0 agenda, the Gavi Alliance Board agreed that Gavi’s post-transition support to former-Gavi countries be institutionalised. The Board also recognised that many never-Gavi lower middle-income countries and economies (LMICs), with a Gross National Income (GNI) per capita (p.c.)  of less than ~US$4,0002, face similar challenges as former-Gavi countries. In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, a phased implementation of the MICs Approach’s objectives was developed until end 2025, along with a proposal to support fragile MICs. 
The Director, Middle-Income Countries with oversee the implementation of this approach across 45 eligible countries. Specifically, the Director is accountable for overseeing the achievement of the key strategic indicators under this approach namely:
 
1)    Mitigating and preventing back sliding; 
2)    Reducing the number of zero-dose children by 230,000 in former-Gavi countries; 
3)    Introducing 8-10 new vaccines and reach 4M-6M children/adolescents.

The role encompasses collaboration with several secretariat teams to drive strategic, evidence driven and outcome-based planning of Gavi investments and ensuring their effective management and oversight, including risk assurance, with the overall objective of accelerating equitable and sustained coverage of immunisation in these MICs countries. Working with other teams to leverage Alliance partners at global, regional and country level and enforce accountability for results is an important dimension of this role. The Middle-Income Countries team is composed of dedicated Senior Country Managers (SCMs) and Programme Managers (PMs), and is responsible for effective stewardship of Gavi resources in countries to deliver timely and sustainable results in accordance with Gavi’s strategy 2021-2025. Their role is to proactively identify opportunities for tailored and result oriented Gavi support, maintain close oversight on performance and risks for timely course correction, detect timely and specific issues and challenges and work towards their resolution through effective relationship building, coordination and communication with country governments and in-country partners of the Gavi Alliance.
In overseeing this team, the Director, MICs, will ensure, in coordination with other secretariat teams, the timely planning and approval of new programmes, rigorous monitoring and review of performance, efficient renewals and disbursements in a results-oriented institution, and accountability of all partners for outcomes at country level under Gavi’s Partnership Engagement Framework. In the process, the Director will be called upon to proactively seek and secure collaboration from other teams in the secretariat, play a leading role in internal and external stakeholders’ consultations, and be at the forefront of analysing and solving time-sensitive and complex corporate and country-centric issues, often in consultation with other secretariat teams and global/ regional/ in-country partners.

Key functions and deliverables:
•    Ensure strategic, evidence-based, and outcome-oriented use of Gavi support to increase and restore coverage by preventing backsliding, introducing new vaccines and reaching the zero-dose children in these countries;  
•    Provide effective risk management that includes both programmatic and fiduciary risks, in coordination with Gavi’s risk management functions;
•    Drive performance and achievement of the relevant key performance indicators (equitable and sustainable uptake of vaccine programmes);
•    Coordinate and strengthen collaboration with Alliance partners and other partners and stakeholders at the global level;
•    Drive excellent coordination and cross-team collaboration between Middle-Income Countries and other teams in the Country Programmes department as well as other Gavi departments;
•    Lead the Middle-Income Countries team to stay ahead of the curve and be perceived as proactive, action oriented and knowledgeable by partner Governments and other Alliance partners/ stakeholders;
•    Deliberate approach to partnering with local institutions where relevant. 

 

•    Organise, manage and lead the Middle-income Countries team responsible for operationalisation of the MICs approach and successful achievement of the MICs strategic indicators;
•    Leverage Alliance partners at global/regional/country level to deliver Gavi support to MICs that achieves high impact, in line with Gavi’s 5.0 Strategy (2021-2025), Partnership Engagement Framework, and Corporate and Alliance KPIs;
•    Contribute strategic and thought-provoking reports to Gavi's Board and governing bodies as needed with focus on delivering results and accountability for outcomes in MICs;
•    Establish and maintain effective working relations with relevant global/regional/country actors as well as with other secretariat teams;
•    Ensure the timely application of Gavi processes and tools in its in-country operations in MICs;
•    Ensure high-level representation, liaison and negotiation related to Gavi’s efforts in MICs;
•    Contribute to corporate and strategic thinking of the Secretariat as a member of Gavi’s senior leadership;
•    Foster the continuous growth and performance of MICs team members by: helping set impactful goals and priorities in line with programme priorities; supporting and holding the team accountable to the delivery of high-quality work; providing frequent effective feedback & coaching; and supporting professional development;
•    As a member of the Country Programmes Management Team, shape the culture and dynamics of the department through regular communication and activities that build team effectiveness and cohesion across geographies and work streams.

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.

 

•    Minimum 15 years of professional experience managing programmes at national/ international levels in health and other development sectors is required;
•    Minimum 5 years of experience of managing and leading collaborative, engaged and service delivery teams in low- and middle-income countries is essential.

 

•    Experienced manager with a successful track record of working at a senior and strategic level with relevant stakeholders in low and middle-income countries;
•    Experience of working in highly complex and demanding environments, understanding of programmatic and fiduciary risks associated with grants; 
•    Ability to adopt differentiated and flexible approaches to guide and support the Regional Heads and SCMs in scaling up results through Gavi’s catalytic investments in resource constrained and challenging settings;
•    Experience in immunisation programmes and/or health systems is a plus;
•    Demonstrated experience of working in and delivering through multi-partner environments and experience of delivering results through a matrix-style management structure;
•    Demonstrated capacity to successfully manage situations of considerable complexity and/or political sensitivity;
•    Demonstrated experience of representational duties at international level and conferences;
•    Experience in roles requiring extensive networking, relationship and alliance building.
 

•    Fluency in written and spoken English; 
•    Knowledge of French desirable.
 

•    Advanced university degree in Public Health, Social Sciences, Health Economics or related fields is required.

•    All Gavi Secretariat teams;
•    Gavi Governance bodies; Gavi Alliance partners, including UNICEF, WHO, implementing country representatives, donors, civil society, vaccine manufacturers, product development partnerships, academic researchers.
 

If you wish to apply, please provide a cover letter and resume through our Careers webpage and apply by clicking on “Director, Middle Income Countries”. Deadline for applications is 23rd October 2022. 

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.

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.