Program Officer - New Vaccine Introduction Support (9-month LTE)
- Company
Gates Foundation
- Location
South Delhi, Delhi, India
- Employment Type
Full-Time
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Functional Category
Programme Management & Implementation
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Experience
5 - 6 years
About Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, we work with partners to create impactful solutions so that people can take charge of their futures and achieve their full potential. In the United States, we aim to ensure that everyone—especially those with the fewest resources—has access to the opportunities needed to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Mark Suzman, under the direction of Bill Gates and our governing board.
Overview of the Role
The Program Officer - New Vaccine Introduction Support, will support Foundation's efforts to enable a broad group of partners towards evidence-based decision-making regarding introduction, scale-up, product switch, optimization of schedule and evaluating effectiveness/impact of available/novel vaccines of public health importance. The postholder will work in the infectious diseases and vaccine delivery cluster of the ICO’s Health Team to develop and implement strategies for the above. They will work in close coordination with the Foundation's Seattle based Immunization, Vaccine Development, Program Advocacy & Communication, Program Strategy Teams (PST), as well as teams based in the ICO. This is a limited-term position (LTE) for nine months, based at the Foundation’s ICO office in New Delhi, and report to the Deputy Director, Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Delivery. Relocation will not be provided.
Job Description
• Establish collaborations with child health policy makers and program managers in government at central and state levels to provide critical input around informed decision making regarding introducing available/novel vaccines of public health importance into the universal immunization program.
• Build strategic alliances and collaborative relationships with other partners including donors, multilateral and bilateral agencies, international and national academic and research organizations and implementing organizations.
• Provide strategy inputs to ICO and Seattle based teams in a matrix organizational setting, including approaches and/or studies that would facilitate introduction, scale-up and sustenance of available/novel vaccines, in India's Universal Immunization Program (UIP).
• Facilitate generation, synthesis and utilization of critical evidence related to vaccine issues related to optimization of schedules, switch to newer products, evaluation of vaccine effectiveness/ impact.
• Understand the regulatory environment for new vaccines and related products and develop appropriate support on behalf of the Foundation.
• Work closely with the ICO's immunization team to achieve coverage and equity goals for these vaccines in India.
• Facilitate development and management of a portfolio of Foundation investments (grants and contracts) in support of the immunization strategy, including reviewing letters of inquiry, soliciting proposals, selecting grantees, and preparing proposal summaries to submit to Foundation leadership.
• Lead, plan, manage and perform a wide range of activities in support of strategy planning, prospect and develop sophisticated investment opportunities, grant management and external relationship management. This would include - prioritizing work to highest impact activities, ensuring evidence for policy changes.
• Review letters of inquiry and grant proposals; provide clear, concise, and informative written analyses and recommendations for funding, including drafting and editing proposal summaries and progress reports for existing grants for review by foundation leadership.
• Consult with grantees to achieve desired impact of grants; conduct site visits, provide technical mentorship, convene meetings and apply and evaluate performance objectives.
• Manage internal processes and portfolio progress while ensuring documentation, grant budgeting and reporting. Improve operational efficiency and effectiveness to have the greatest time and health impact.
• Prepare and write briefs for internal partners and synthesize existing literature. Provide written analysis of topics for foundation management.
• Assist in providing project briefings and updates to Foundation leadership.
• Represent the Foundation in government and partner meetings, conferences, and workshops.
Required & Preferred Qualifications
Skill
• Strong analytical and public health interpretation skills, in a cogent and cohesive way to inform policy decisions.
• An understanding of immunization policies and programs in India and associated decision-making processes.
• Ability to build strong relationships with multiple, diverse, and geographically dispersed partners as well as government officials.
• Knowledge in transitioning pilot and demonstration projects to full-scale country-wide implementation, by either using existing community healthcare infrastructure or identifying areas of the health systems to be strengthened in order to scale implementation.
• Ability to work with flexibility, efficiency, enthusiasm, humor, and diplomacy both individually and as part of a complex team effort within a matrixed organization.
Knowledge of technical and functional areas of business, including an ability to design workflows and processes, assess effectiveness and efficiency and areas for process improvement.
• Strong analytical, writing and verbal skills for communicating with a broad and diverse audience.
• Demonstrates excellent individual judgement and can act independently but also knows when to pull in resources.
• Growth mindset - curious about innovative approaches, able to change direction, willing to seek feedback and course correct.
Education
MBBS with advanced degree in public health/ preventive medicine (MD/MPH) is desirable.
Experience
Minimum 5 years of experience in immunization programs and child health in a developing country setting, preferably India.