Position title: Senior Programme Manager, Measles & Rubella
Location: Geneva
Purpose of the position: Lead the effective management of the Gavi Measles & Rubella programme.
Department: Country Programmes
Team: Vaccine Programmes
Reports to: Director, Vaccine Programmes
N° of positions supervised
(if applicable) : 1 (and 1 consultant)
Career step level: 4
Duration: Temporary until December 2023
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 Organization, 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 981 million children and the prevention of more than 16 million future deaths.
KEY RESULTS EXPECTED
• Successful delivery of the Measles and Rubella (MR) programme objectives across all three control strategies: routine immunisation, supplementary immunisation activities, and outbreak response;
• Successful forecasting, planning, application, implementation, and evaluation of 1) measles/MR second dose introductions; 2) rubella-containing vaccine introductions; and 3) measles and MR campaigns in Gavi-supported countries;
• Achievement of MR-related Gavi 5.0 strategic goals and performance indicators, including number of MCV2 and RCV routine introductions, MR campaign coverage, proportion of measles ‘zero-dose’ children reached in MR campaigns and timeliness of MR outbreak response activities;
• Ensure that Gavi processes, policies and strategies, such as application, reporting, and investment strategies, accommodate the specificities of the MR programme;
• Contribute to the achievement of the Vaccine Programme team (VP) objectives.
MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
• Lead strategic discussions for the MR programme with internal and external stakeholders to ensure achievement of Gavi 5.0 strategic goals and objectives pertaining to strengthened routine immunisation, new vaccine introductions, improved quality, effectiveness and integration of preventive campaigns and timely outbreak response immunisation;
• Lead the coordination and collaboration with Alliance partners for establishment of MR programme priorities and for agreement on provision of technical assistance on a country-by-country basis, including achievement of high routine MCV1 and MCV2, support of quality applications for Gavi funding, successful and timely MCV2 and MR routine introductions and high quality and coverage MR campaign launches that consider effective integration with other vaccines and primary health interventions, and support of evaluations/surveys in Gavi countries, leveraging the Partners Engagement Framework;
• Lead the Gavi MR programme-related application, review, and approval processes for MR applications, in coordination with internal (Country Support, HSIS, Portfolio Financial Management) and external stakeholders (WHO, UNICEF, CDC), including:
o Coordination of technical assistance of Alliance partners for development of high quality, context appropriate targeting and integration of other vaccines and/or primary health interventions in country applications;
o Briefing of countries on Gavi application and implementation requirements for the MR programme;
o Briefing of the Independent Review Committee (IRC) on the MR programme;
o Lead the pre-screening of the programmatic components of the country applications (plans and budgets), including providing feedback to countries;
o Attending IRC meetings and review of IRC country reports;
o Review and assess country responses to IRC action points;
• Monitor the status of Gavi MR programmes in post-IRC processes, including elements such as:
o Monitor internal approval processes;
o Monitor issuance of decision letters;
o Monitor disbursement of vaccine introduction grants and/or campaign operational cost support;
o Monitor country readiness status, leveraging tools such as the WHO SIA readiness assessment tool;
• Lead the oversight of in-country post-introduction and/or post-campaign activities, including post campaign coverage surveys to validate campaign coverage and measure the proportion of measles zero dose children reached;
• Lead the development of the MR-specific sections of the Vaccine Funding Guidelines, as well as contribute to any relevant sections of other Gavi guidelines (zero dose, HSS, etc.);
• Lead the development and renewal of the measles outbreak response fund (ORF) memorandums of understanding with WHO and UNICEF, as per Gavi Board approval;
• Participate in the review of MR outbreak response fund proposals as part of the measles outbreak response working group led by WHO, and monitor timeliness of outbreak response as per the agreed indicators;
• Contribute to the Full Portfolio Planning processes, including through coordination of Alliance Partners, to ensure all the required MR considerations are captured in the 5 year plan for each country (MCV routine coverage, MCV2/RCV introductions, supplementary immunization activities, surveillance);
• Support the annual grant renewal process for MR routine programmes, including review of any requests for switch of presentation, in collaboration with the Vaccine Forecasting team;
• Support the development and update of the MR operational demand forecast and MR financial forecast in collaboration with the Vaccine Forecasting and Finance teams;
• Manage the short term and longer term supply considerations, liaising with Market Shaping (MS) team and UNICEF Supply Division, including on generation of country demand for novel presentations;
• Coordinate programme-specific meetings with relevant experts and stakeholders from the Gavi Secretariat, WHO, UNICEF, donors and others, such as the Technical Working Group, for continuous optimisation of the Gavi Measles & Rubella strategy;
• Provide programme specific briefing to SCMs and other internal stakeholders as needed;
• Serve as the focal point, programme champion and disease area ‘expert’ in its assigned product area to internal (e.g. external relations) and external stakeholders (e.g. donors) to provide:
o Regular report on actual vaccine roll-out status against plan for key governance meetings (e.g. Policy and Performance Committee and Board) and on request by specific stakeholders when required;
o Vaccine specific information including: product presentations, efficacy, safety, current suppliers, price points (in collaboration with MS team), and evolution of demand;
o High-level disease area information such as burden of disease, vaccine cost effectiveness data other treatment options, latest publications (in liaison with the Monitoring and Evaluation team);
• Liaise with Communications team to provide vaccine specific information around particular media events (e.g. annual measles estimates) and supporting standard and ‘back-pocket’ Q&As; as well as provide and coordinate input during crisis communications (i.e. recall/WHO prequalification de-listings, safety alerts).
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 Biological Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Public Health, Development, Business Administration or related field is highly desired;
• Certification in project management is desirable.
WORK EXPERIENCE
• Minimum of 8 years in programme, project or product management experience at global level in healthcare sector (public or private) is necessary – vaccine specific experience is required;
• 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
• Excellent project management skills;
• Extensive familiarity with global health and development;
• Solid knowledge of global health and development in general and vaccines and infectious disease in specific;
• Outstanding analytical and writing skills;
• Strong leadership and management skills;
• Excellent representational and communications skills;
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious working relationships, both within and outside the organisation.
LANGUAGES
• Fluency in written and spoken English;
• Excellent knowledge of French is highly desirable;
• Knowledge of languages of Gavi eligible countries is desirable (e.g. Russian, Portuguese).
CONTACTS
• Gavi Secretariat;
• WHO;
• UNICEF;
• Measles & Rubella Initiative Partners
• Other implementation agencies;
• Donors;
• Vaccine Manufacturers;
• NGOs.
If you wish to apply, please provide a cover letter and resume through our Careers webpage and apply by clicking on “Senior Programme Manager, Measles & Rubella”. Deadline for applications is 13 January 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.
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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.
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.