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Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Senior Program Officer, Vaccines and Immunization Programs


Summary:  
The SPO for Vaccines and Immunization Programs will support the foundation’s efforts towards enabling evidence-based decision making on the design and implementation of immunization programs (including activities related to new vaccines introduction and improvement of routine immunization) in India. S/he will be a health professional with extensive experience and knowledge of research and development in areas of childhood vaccines (with focus on diarrheal diseases and pneumonia) and immunization programme.  S/he will work closely with the Head, Vaccines & Immunization Programmes, India, and with various teams across the Global Health division of the foundation. The position is based out of New Delhi, India.
Qualifications & Experience
  • MBBS  with advanced degree in public health, epidemiology, pediatrics  (MPH/MSc/MD or PhD-level scientist), with a strong professional background in vaccines and vaccine preventable diseases
  • Minimum 15 years’ experience of research and development of new vaccines, working preferably with immunization programs
  • Knowledge and awareness of technical aspects of under-used and new vaccines and their introduction in health systems;
  • Relevant experience, including:
    • Managing/ coordinating/ conducting large (multi-site) clinical/field /operational / laboratory-based research
    • Design and/or execution of studies to inform policy
    • Formulation of studies to generate evidence (including burden and efficacy assessments of interventions)
Responsibilities
The incumbent would report and work under the guidance of Head, Vaccines and Immunization and help to develop and implement strategies to support country decision making around adoption of new vaccines and improvements in the Universal Immunization Program, in close coordination with the foundation’s Seattle based Program Strategy Teams, Vaccine Delivery team and the India team based in New Delhi.
In order to carry out these responsibilities, the incumbent will be expected to:
  • Identify data gaps and country level evidence generation efforts related to disease burden, vaccine impact and cost effectiveness analysis for vaccine preventable diseases
  • Coordinate multisite evidence generation studies for diseases for which new vaccines are becoming available
  • Establish collaborations with child health policy makers and managers in  government at central and state levels in critical states
  • 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
  • Establish relationships with key individuals in the technical and academic sectors
  • Support central or selected state efforts to improve routine immunization coverage
  • Understand the regulatory environment and developing appropriate support on behalf of the foundation
  • Facilitate development and management of a portfolio of foundation investments (grants and contracts) in support of the strategies above:
    • For contracts: solicit, select & manage contractors
    • For grants: review letters of inquiry, solicit & review proposals, select grantees, develop proposal summaries to submit to foundation leadership
  • Manage grantees and contractors to meet foundation objectives
  • Assist in providing  project briefings and updates to foundation leadership
  • Represent the foundation in government and partner meetings, conferences, workshops
  • Providing a high level of leadership, coaching and mentoring. This includes hiring, training, developing and supervising staff and managing the related operating budget for the team.
Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities
  • An understanding of immunization policies and programs in India, and associated decision making processes
  • Collate, and critically analyze data on vaccines, safety, efficacy, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, and present it in a cogent manner to policy makers and lay persons.
  • Examine India’s immunization program, and identify/suggest strategic approaches to accelerate new vaccine introduction and maximize coverage through interventions at the national and state levels.
  • Effectively engage with the broader technical community as a respected colleague, and enlist the necessary expertise and support to advance immunization programs and policies in India.
  • Build relationships
  • Adept at managing a team responsible for their respective grants portfolios, research portfolios, and other related information in support of vaccine introduction and routine immunization.
  • Ability to work with flexibility, efficiency, enthusiasm, humor and diplomacy both individually and as part of a complex team effort within a matrixed organization.
  • Willing to travel both nationally and internationally
 Desirable attributes
  •  Understanding the Business
    Knows the business and the mission-critical technical and functional skills needed to do the job; understands various types of business propositions and understands how businesses operate in general; learns new methods and technologies easily.
  • Keeping on Point
    Can quickly separate the mission-critical from the nice to dos and the trivials; quickly senses what’s the next most useful thing to work on; focuses on the critical few tasks that really add value and puts aside or delays the rest.
  • Managing Work Processes
    Is an effective process, work flow, and systems designer; is good at figuring out what to measure to track progress; sets up systems that can almost manage themselves; is a master at the effectiveness and efficiency of work systems; can quickly diagnose and fix a work flow problem; always looking for incremental process improvement.
  • Focusing on Action and Outcomes
    Attacks everything with drive and energy with an eye on the bottom line; not afraid to initiate action before all the facts are known; drives to finish everything he/she starts.
  • Being Organisationally Savvy
    Manoeuvres well to get things done; “maze bright” and operates smoothly across boundaries; knows where to go to get what he/she needs; politically aware and agile; knows what the right thing to do is; presents views and arguments well.
  • Relating Skills
    Warm, friendly, and interpersonally agile; easy to approach and talk to; relates well to all kinds of people; makes a pleasant first impression and builds solid relationships.
  • Managing Diverse Relationships
    Relates well to a wide variety of diverse styles, types, and classes; open to differences; effective up, down, sideways, inside and outside; builds diverse networks; quick to find common ground; treats differences fairly and equitably.
As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will be contingent upon a successful completion of a comprehensive background check. 
To apply for this position, please visit www.gatesfoundation.org/AboutUs/Jobsand submit your resume online.
 We are an equal opportunity employer dedicated and focused on diversity.
The statements in this description represent typical elements, criteria and general work performed.  They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills for this job.