Project Director – GAVI Immunization Activity

Position description

IMA World Health is seeking a Project Director to lead an anticipated GAVI-funded global immunization project. The 5-year project will reach zero- and under-dose children with immunization services in selected countries. Project interventions will focus on:

• Supporting project countries delivery departments
• Planning and implementing vaccine programs
• Strengthening the capacity of immunizations within health systems
• Planning and supporting immunization financing for sustainability

The Project Director will serve as the primary liaison with GAVI, country governments, and other implementing development partners and other stakeholders on the progress and reporting of all activities under the award. S/he will ensure the project’s goals, objectives, and strategy are achieved and that contractual requirements are met on time and within budget. S/he will ensure the services and products delivered to Gavi reflect the highest technical standards and build on gold standard and cutting-edge evidence in the field of immunization systems and service delivery in low- and middle-income countries. S/he is responsible for directing the project team with an integrated vision, applying effective leadership and strategic planning skills, management experience, outstanding interpersonal skills, and strong written and oral communication skills. The Project Director oversees the day-to-day work of any staff, and consultant working on the project to ensure quality programming. The Project Director also ensures that all management systems, from technical to monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) to finance, actively support timely and accurate project reporting and cost effectiveness for successful implementation of the project.

The Project Director is also responsible for ensuring compliance with Corus’s policies and procedures and GAVI’s rules and regulations, including responsibility for ensuring sub-awardee compliance and monitoring the quality of program implementation. The competencies required to be successful in this position include a theoretical and practical understanding of global health systems and integration strategies to address immunizations in health programming in low- and middle-income settings, including conflict and fragile settings; personnel and project management skills; the ability to motivate and lead teams; and the demonstrated ability to operate at advanced levels of authority and accountability for achieving results. The candidate must demonstrate proven experience in immunization for children under five in fragile and conflict settings. The position will be based in DC and will report to the Managing Director & Global Practice Head, Health. The Project Director will be expected to visit project sites periodically. Actual hiring is contingent upon signed agreement and GAVI’s approval.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide overall management, strategic direction, and technical leadership to the project to achieve expected project results within budget and timeframe.
• Serve as principal liaison to GAVI and the country governments, ensuring high levels of coordination, while nurturing relationships with all key stakeholders (including partner organizations at the national and subnational level) on administrative, financial, and programmatic matters related to the project.
• Liaise with GAVI and implementing partners and stakeholders, to ensure coordination of and harmonization with other relevant donor-funded and private sector immunization prevention, mitigation and response activities globally.
• Ensure results-oriented technical components and high-quality and timely deliverables and reports.
• Oversee implementing partners and/or sub-awardees.
• Lead project teams (e.g., technical, program, finance, and operational staff) to ensure program tasks, deliverables, and responsibilities are met; staff management includes hiring, supervising, and mentoring project staff and selecting, hiring, and overseeing consultants in areas of specialized expertise as necessary.
• Oversee project deliverables, including ensuring report preparation and high-quality timely submission, and ensuring cross-cutting issues are effectively integrated into project implementation.
• Oversee the preparation of annual work plans, project activity updates, and other project-related communication and reporting materials.
• Represent the project in all technical, policy, and programmatic fora at all levels (country, national, and international). Identify lessons learned and best practices for external dissemination.
• Oversee implementing partners and advise on technical issues.
• Ensure compliance with GAVI rules and regulations, working with the headquarters grants and contracts team.

Qualifications

• Advanced graduate degree in public health, medicine/nursing, international development, or related field experience.
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in the implementation and management of international donor/GAVI funded health projects, with substantial knowledge and experience related to infectious diseases prevention and child immunization highly preferred.
• Proven technical expertise using new approaches to strengthen immunizations uptake, systems strengthening, demand generation and immunization financial sustainability.
• Knowledge of GAVI’s strategy of addressing immunization programming, particularly strengthening health systems and immunization and vaccine service delivery in low-resource settings. .
• Demonstrated experience in developing and maintaining strong relationships with government agencies, international donor agencies (such as GAVI, WB, FCDO, UN agencies, GF, etc.), and private sector stakeholders.
• Experience collaborating and coordinating with local and national host government agencies and aligning program activities and results with national strategies.
• Demonstrated leadership qualities, including technical, management, and evaluation expertise for complex programs in resource-constrained countries; prior experience as a Program Director/Chief of Party for donor-funded projects similar in scope and size is required.
• Knowledge of and experience with GAVI rules and regulations required.
• Deep knowledge of the political, social, and economic context of low- and middle-income countries required.
• Strong staff supervision skills and demonstrated ability to coordinate programs with partners from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences; demonstrated ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams.
• Experience building the capacity of national non-government partner organizations to achieve GAVI’s goal of future immunization funding sustainability.
• Strong communication skills, including both written and oral presentation skills; proven ability to develop and communicate a common vision among diverse public and private partners.
• English fluency with professional proficiency in writing required; proficiency in second language preferred. (French strongly preferred.)
• Experience onsite in low- and middle-income contexts strongly preferred.
• Ability to travel to project sites as needed globally.

Application instructions

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