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Director - Polio Vaccine Development and Scale-Up Project

PATH is an international nonprofit organization that creates sustainable, culturally relevant solutions, enabling communities worldwide to break longstanding cycles of poor health. PATH’s mission is to improve health of people around the world by advancing technologies, strengthening systems, and encouraging healthy behaviors.

The mission of PATH’s Vaccine Development Global Program (VAC) is to improve the health of populations, especially infants and children living in low-income countries, by accelerating development of vaccines that will be effective and affordable in the countries that most urgently need them. The program works with commercial partners, such as vaccine manufacturers and biotechnology firms, and nonprofit partners, such as universities and research institutions, from initial discovery through clinical trials to shorten the timeline for developing vaccines.

PATH is seeking a director to lead a project team to accelerate the development of high-quality, high-volume, and low-cost polio vaccines for the peri- and post-eradication era. Project activities will include partnering with suitable for-profit and non-profit organizations for the development and manufacture of oral polio vaccines (OPVs) of various valencies, inactivated polio vaccines (IPVs), and eventually, IPV-containing pediatric combination vaccines. In addition, the project will identify and conduct various research activities in support of new polio vaccine development, such as the use of adjuvants and needle-free technologies.

Under the leadership of the director, the PVD team will establish a set of technical skills and serve as a technical sounding board to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). The PVD team will also manage the polio vaccine development portfolio as well as various investments, contracts and grants to support the portfolio.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Foster strategic linkages between PVD and other vaccine development programs at PATH to maximize PATH’s experience and use of resources to develop and introduce new vaccine products.

  • Ensure consultation with appropriate technical advisors and advisory groups.
  • Establish, maintain, and strengthen positive relationships with primary stakeholders, including collaborating and partner agencies, public-sector organizations, donor agencies, and biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.
  • Work with industry partners and collaborating institutions to create and execute vaccine development plans, complete pre-clinical evaluations, initiate clinical studies, and prepare for post-registration introduction.
  • Ensure that all vaccine development studies are in compliance with the highest standards of research ethics and medical science.
  • Ensure timely completion of activities for performance-based management of work plans.
  • Follow regulatory and policy activities related to polio vaccines to facilitate availability of vaccines to the developing world. Close collaboration with the WHO, UNICEF and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative will be essential.
  • Model clear, open, and collaborative communication approaches in a rapidly growing environment.
  • Assure cost-effective and high-quality management of PVD.
  • Represent PVD to the international community; participate in relevant vaccine development conferences and prepare technical reports.
  • Contribute to broader vaccine initiatives at PATH and internationally.
Required Skills
  • Experience in the planning, design, and execution of experimental studies and the interpretation of experimental data.
  • Knowledge of FDA and EMA regulatory requirements for the development and licensure of new biological products.
  • Knowledge of process and formulation development and current good manufacturing practices for biological products.
  • Ability to foster and maintain strong relationships with donors.
  • Superior problem-solving and strategic-thinking abilities with the talent to translate strategy into action.
  • Demonstrated ability to work in a multisite, team-based organizational structure including partners and other collaborators.
  • Demonstrated ability to work with partners to achieve results.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage projects on a milestone basis.
  • Demonstrated written and verbal presentation skills.
  • Fluency in English is required.
  • Experience working in developing-country settings is desirable.
  • Availability to travel domestically and internationally up to 40 percent annually.
Required Experience

MD and/or PhD degree in immunology, microbiology, virology, or related field. Ten-plus years of experience in vaccine or biologics research and/or biological production in industry, government, or academia plus at least three years supervisory experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Direct experience with the cultivation of live viruses in cell culture is a strong plus.

Job Location
Seattle, or Wa DC, DC, US.

Director - Polio Vaccine Development and Scale-Up Project