Chief Executive Officer - Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia

Chief Executive Officer, Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia
Based: Lusaka, Zambia
Package: A competitive package will be offered
Starting date: This position remains open until filled
Reference: CIDRZ-CEO-Zambia

About the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ)
As a key NGO partner to the Zambian government, CIDRZ focuses on improving public health in the areas of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, women's health, and child health. As a learning organization, CIDRZ seeks to improve population health impact and effectiveness by integrating research, service, and training activities. CIDRZ has dozens of active research studies and service projects at any given time, and operates one of the region’s largest and most sophisticated biomedical laboratories.

Candidates can learn more about the work of CIDRZ at www.CIDRZ.org (but please note this site is being updated to reflect the growing nature of the organisation).

Internationally acknowledged as a leader in HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, maternal-child health, and cervical cancer, malaria and tuberculosis control, CIDRZ has from its outset been firmly rooted in supporting public and community health care and developing a world-renown centre for biomedical research and epidemiology.

CIDRZ has exclusively retained the services of Mission Talent to provide a search for its new chief executive to lead it into the next era of public health innovation in Zambia. CIDRZ is a Zambian non-profit company with substantial U.S. government and private foundation funding, and ties to several international academic institutions, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (USA). It currently has 550 employees and an annual budget of $28 million.

The successful candidate will exhibit exceptional capability in the areas of leadership and strategy, scientific inquiry, fundraising, and management. S/he will be a progressive and independent thinker, familiar with the organizational cultures of both the Zambian Ministry of Health and the international donor community, and able to work effectively at this interface.

Purpose of Position
The new CEO of CIDRZ will be an inspirational leader with a strong track record in organisational management and growth. He/she will have the knowledge and personal gravitas to negotiate the donor market and the strategic expertise to guide and inspire CIDRZ’s future direction and growth opportunities. The successful candidate will have demonstrated credibility at a very high level within the academic, medical, and/or donor communities, and possess the intellectual depth and capacity to articulate the organisation’s vision and ongoing work to diverse constituencies. The right candidate will also demonstrate knowledge of people management during change, and demonstrate past success at bringing the operational capacity of a growing organization to a state of the art level.

The position will report to the CIDRZ Board of Directors. The outgoing CEO will remain in contact with the organization at the board level, and be available as needed as a resource to the incoming CEO.

On behalf of CIDRZ, Mission Talent is seeking a skilled manager with the scientific/medical understanding, commitment to the important work of medical research, and drive to further build a highly successful research-based organization in Zambia. The new CIDRZ CEO will be adept at cross cultural-interaction, management, and communication both internally with staff management and at a board level. S/he will also bring a proven background and experience in several core areas: management, consulting, healthcare, and donor funding.

Key Responsibilities:
Lead CIDRZ

• Strategic planning
• Inspirational leadership
• Scientific direction
• Programmatic direction
• Training direction

Administer CIDRZ
Ensure economic health and future viability of the organisation

• Ensure efficient, compliant resource management
• Diversification
• Develop and execute a strategy to reduce traditional donor dependence
• Other administrative duties to ensure proper functioning of the organization

Represent CIDRZ

• to the Zambian government
• to in-country donors / partners
• to outside donors
• to outside technical organizations

Ensure Continued Funding Stream
Fundraising and continued supervision of fundraising relationships

• Grant writing / supervision / creative funding inputs to grant writing strategy
• Donors liaison, strategy, meeting participation, credibility, assurance

Interact with Board of Directors

• Convene quarterly meetings
• Lead preparation of required board documents
• Regular reporting to board

Interact with CIDRZ Foundation – Zambia and USA

• Lead development of the new CIDRZ Campus

Qualifications Required

• Higher degree level education with postgraduate diploma; preferably MD or PhD level, however will consider MPH with significance proven experience
• Minimum 10 years senior executive management experience
• Proven track record of strong change management
• High degree of knowledge, credibility within and navigation of the donor world, both governmental and non-governmental, such as CDC, Gates Foundation and ARK

How to Apply

The Centre for Infectious Disease Research - Zambia has exclusively tasked Mission Talent to undertake this search. To apply for this leadership role, follow these guidelines:

• Attach your CV (in English) and a covering letter (max. 350 words), which summarizes how your profile aligns with the key job requirements and required skills and abilities of this role.
• Send your attached CV and Covering Letter in a word format (not PDF or RTF).
• Do not add any additional documentation in your initial application.
• In the subject line please put: CIDRZ-CEO-ZAMBIA/+your surname only.

Applications must be submitted via email to applications@missiontalent.com.

Please note that only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted by Mission Talent for follow up and additional information. Thank you for your interest in this position.