Senior Manager, COVAX Strategic Liaison (Temp)

THE ROLE

Gavi is committed to securing a global response to COVID-19 that is effective and fair, using its unique expertise to help identify and rapidly accelerate development, production and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines under the principle that no one is safe unless everyone is safe. The Secretariat hosts the Office of the COVAX Facility (OCF), led by a Managing Director, Office of the COVAX Facility. 

The Country Programmes Delivery (CPD) department, led by a Managing Director, Country Programmes Delivery is responsible for ensuring the right infrastructure, tools and processes are in place to successfully deliver COVID-19 vaccines funded by the COVAX Facility to COVAX AMC countries.  
 
COVAX has now shipped 722M doses to 144 participants, including 77 LICs/LMICs. Of the 722M doses, 610M have been shippd to AMC92. However, there are still challenges to vaccine implementation including: a) Coordination/political commitment; b) Multiple products to manage; c) Limited number of HCWs/surge issues; d) Vaccine acceptance and vaccine preference; e) Lack of funding; f) Complex vaccine handling; and g) Stringent storage requirements.  
 
As supply is ramping up, we are moving from a supply-constrained to a demand-driven environment that requires increased country engagement. To temporarily bolster the capacity of the Country Programmes Delivery department as it relates to its COVAX-facing work, we are looking to hire experienced Senior Managers, COVAX Strategic Liaison. 

•    Expert project management and resource role on the implementation of COVAX-supported vaccine implementation in countries – and as such, provide advice and support to countries/SCMs, in coordination with the Country Programmes Delivery department. Escalation or feeding-back to COVAX Office on behalf of Country Programmes Delivery department;
•    Support regional or country teams, through the Director, Regional Head or Senior Country Manager, in relation to the preparation, delivery and accelerated roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines in Gavi eligible countries;
•    Support decision-making process with SCMs/PMs; advise the SCMs/PMs and provide insights to countries on all COVAX processes focusing on dose sharing, JAT allocations, cost-sharing donations, reallocation, redeployment, monitoring agents, management surge support, funding streams, humanitarian buffer, etc.;
•    Provide up-to-date country intelligence to all COVAX coordination groups (JAT, SWAT/SCO, SWAT ad-hoc, dose sharing teams) to support allocation, donation, reallocation, and redeployment decision-making per country;  
•    Convey the information shared during the various regular COVAX meetings (Check-In, Q&A, country facing briefings, dose-sharing internal, OCT, brainstorming sessions, CRD IMR) and ad-hoc meetings to SCMs and PMs;
•    Play a key role in close coordination with SCMs/PMs and countries, overseeing monitoring and undertaking analytical efforts - gathering country intelligence, with a focus on vaccine delivery and uptake related risk/wastage, to feed all workstreams/groups (JAT/SWAT/CRD IMR) and reporting to COVAX Partners. Ensure continuous updating of COVAX trackers, dashboard, and additional COVAX monitoring tool;
•    Monitor in-country COVAX related workstreams (i.e management surge support, risk assessment and funding envelopes) for AMC57 countries and provide solutions to SCMs/PMs on identified challenges and bottlenecks; 
•    Collaborate with UNICEF, WHO and Legal office to ensure preparedness and readiness on all logistics and legal documents per country and use of CPP for all vaccine types;
•    Bring country perspective to global COVAX design discussions, including ensuring a coherent and consistent approach with country engagement for all AMC57 countries being directly overseen by the COVAX Facility; 
•    Facilitate communication between country teams and COVAX Facility PMO and CRD PMO to ensure seamless implementation support and good mutual understanding (two-way street) of country feedback/realities on the one hand and global strategy/approach/guidance towards COVAX delivery on the other;
•    Support the COVAX Communications Manager(s) on specific country-related communications messages and topics; track and report on communications to countries on vaccine allocations, cost-sharing and donations, and related preparedness and readiness;
•    Work with the COVAX Communications team to ensure that documents are provided in French, Russian and Spanish in good quality translation;
•    Each of the Senior Managers will coordinate cross-cutting COVID-19 vaccine deployment workstreams, with separate responsibilities:
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 of 8 years of professional experience working in public health or international development;
•    Experience in immunisation programmes or health systems is a strong asset;
•    Extensive experience working in developing countries on technical issues required; 
•    Significant grant-, project- and/or programme-management experience required, including in situations of considerable complexity, challenging environments, and political sensitivity;
•    Experience in bilateral and multilateral aid environments is a requirement (experience in both headquarters and in the field is an advantage). 

•    Critical thinking, problem-solving and creative mindset;
•    Proactive identification, reporting and resolution/mitigation of issues and risks; 
•    Political acumen and ability to drive change and improvements in challenging, inter-cultural and complex environments;
•    Excellent interpersonal negotiation skills, including ability to problem solve and manage conflict, including with senior counterparts at government level and amongst Gavi partners;
•    Flexible mindset and ability to adapt quickly, focusing on value creation; 
•    Effective consultations with and influencing counterparts at all levels;
•    Effective communicator;
•    Good knowledge of policies, systems, and procedures in global public health settings;
•    Ability to work with wide range of stakeholders across the spectrum of government, donors, technical partners, civil society, humanitarian actors, and other expanded partners.

•    Fluency in written and spoken English is essential;
•    Fluency in written and spoken French and Spanish is mandatory to support francophone and hispanophone countries. 

 

Advanced university degree in public health, social sciences, health economics, business administration (with experience in international development) or related fields. 
 

•    Gavi Secretariat;
•    Gavi Alliance partners, including UNICEF, WHO, implementing country representatives, multilateral and bilateral donors, civil society organisations, and humanitarian actors;
•    COVAX Facility teams.
 

If you wish to apply, please provide a cover letter and resume through our Careers webpage and apply by clicking on “Senior Manager, COVAX Strategic Liaison (Temp)”. Deadline for applications is 22 March 2023.

Duration: Start ASAP until 31 December 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.              

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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.