Senior Programme Manager, HPV

GAVI JOB DESCRIPTION

Position title: Senior Programme Manager, HPV

Position type: Permanent

Location: Geneva

Purpose of the position: Provide technical input and oversight on the successful implementation of Gavi’s Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine programme.

Department: Vaccine Programmes

Reports to: Head, HPV Vaccine Programme

Career step level: 4

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership committed to saving children's lives and protecting people's health by increasing equitable use of vaccines in lower-income countries. The Vaccine Alliance brings together implementing country and donor governments, the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry, technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private sector partners. Gavi uses innovative finance mechanisms, including co-financing by recipient countries, to secure sustainable funding and adequate supply of quality vaccines. Since 2000, Gavi has contributed to the immunisation of more than one billion children and the prevention of more than 15 million future deaths.

Gavi is committed to expanding global access to the HPV vaccine. The easing of global HPV vaccine supply constraints, recommendation for a permissive single-dose HPV vaccination schedule from WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) in 2022, and the waning of COVID-19 pandemic-related delivery disruptions present a unique opportunity to accelerate progress toward reaching vaccination targets. Recognising this, 

December 2022 the Gavi Board approved the revitalisation of the Alliance’s HPV vaccine programme with a US$600+ million investment through 2025. With the additional funding in place, the Alliance has set an ambitious goal to reach over 86 million girls with HPV vaccine by 2025, aiming to avert over 1.4 million future deaths from cervical cancer.

To accelerate the number of girls reached with HPV vaccination, the following objectives of the revitalisation have been set: 1) accelerate quality introductions; 2) rapidly improve global and national coverage; and 3) generate long term programmatic sustainability through building and integrating HPV vaccination within routine delivery mechanisms and into Primary Health Care (PHC).  The HPV team with the Vaccines Programme team lends focus and coordination to the HPV revitalization initiative by serving as an in-house technical resource, supporting country teams and in-country stakeholders to develop high quality plans and receive Gavi approvals, coordinating an in-house Working Group and an external forum of partners, contributing to global advocacy, managing learning activities related to HPV, and driving the release of funding and supplies to support new and continuing HPV vaccination programs to achieve the goals.

THE ROLE

• Technical support to country planning and implementation. Provide hands on support to Gavi country teams and their in-country partners to achieve successful HPV launches, campaigns, and programme revitalization initiatives;

• Support Gavi HPV policy and direction setting. Ensure that Gavi HPV-related support and policy is aligned with best practices and evidence and geared towards maximizing the impact of the programme;

• Internal and external partnerships. Serve as the programme champion and expert in the area of HPV, cooperate with key global health organisations and country focal points by developing trusted partner relationships and strengthening global collaboration platforms;

• Contribute to global advocacy. Collaborate within Gavi to support continued global programme momentum and strengthen the profile of the HPV programme with donors, advocates, and media.

Technical Support:

• Give technical input to reviews of applications for Gavi support including new vaccine introduction applications, multi-age cohort support requests, switch grants, technical assistance proposals, and other proposals for Gavi support;
• Work with Senior Country Managers to ensure that newly approved/applying countries receive adequate technical support to facilitate evidence-informed national decisions;
• For a portfolio of countries, closely engage and follow the discussions led by the Senior Country Managers related to HPV as plans are developed; 
• For a portfolio of countries, develop a clear understanding of the technical assistance activities funded by Gavi and continuously monitor the delivery of technical assistance to contribute thought partnership to the technical assistance providers and country teams, review technical deliverables from TA providers, and support country teams in actioning the findings;
• Participate in country visits to support technical discussions and planning for launches and scale up;
• In partnership with the Head, HPV, escalate high risk situations or challenges faced by countries and support development of solutions.

Policy:

• Serve as a partner for the Head, HPV Vaccine Programme to develop vaccine programme strategies by providing technical and programmatic expertise within the area of HPV vaccine;
• Consolidate lessons learned and evidence from country experiences with HPV introduction and scale up and lead continuous evaluation and redesign of Gavi’s support to leverage these lessons and support effective programmes;
• Stay abreast of and evaluate emerging evidence and impact modelling to continually inform Gavi’s policy setting related to HPV, with a particular focus on key policy decisions to be made during the 6.0 strategic period (2026-2030);
• Identify opportunities to support adolescent health integration in effective HPV programmes.

Partnerships:

• Support the HPV Sub team, composed of Gavi’s core and expanded partners, to be a strategic and effective advisor to Gavi; 
• Contribute to and regularly attend the Gavi internal HPV working group and support the orientation of new Gavi staff to the HPV programme
• Contribute to regular reports on vaccine roll out status for key governance meetings (e.g. Programme Policy Committee and Board) and on request by specific stakeholders; 
• Explore potential synergies with new partners to leverage adolescent, cervical cancer and sexual and reproductive health investments and platforms.

Global advocacy:

• Represent Gavi in the global setting by participating in meetings and conferences;
• Be the advocate of Gavi agenda externally and build positive image of the organisation; prepare or respond to media communications; 
• In partnership with the Public Policy and Engagement team, contribute to or attend influential global gatherings to advocate to governments to adopt HPV vaccination, single dose schedule, or increase commitment to HPV coverage;
• In partnership with the Communications and Public Policy Engagement teams, contribute to media opportunities and global advocacy events.

Note: The essential functions listed in this section are not exhaustive of the job responsibilities; other duties may be assigned consistently with the department needs.

QUALIFICATIONS 

ACADEMIC

• University degree in Public Health, Social Sciences, Health Systems, Medicine or related fields is required; an advanced degree preferred;
• Certificate in project management is desirable.

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of 8 years’ experience in programme, project or product management at regional and global level in healthcare sector (public or private) – vaccine specific experience is desirable;
• Public health or development-related experience ideally in both global/regional and developing countries settings with a focus on HPV vaccine or related topic areas is a must have experience; 
• Experience in the management and improvement of health programmes, including through cooperation with external parties is desired;
• Experience of representational duties at international fora and conferences is a plus.
  

SKILLS/COMPETENCIES

• Excellent project management skills;
• Extensive familiarity with global health and development;
• Excellent communication skills, including oral and written presentation skills;
• Developed analytical and writing skills;
• Outstanding collaboration skills; ability to confidently represent Gavi externally and engender trust and cooperation with Gavi Alliance Partners;
• Excellent attention to detail;
• Extensive representational and communications skills;
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious working relationships, both within and outside the organisation;
• Proactive, team-player.

LANGUAGES

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required;
• Ability to speak in French at a professional level is required;
• Fluency in other languages of Gavi-supported countries an asset.

CONTACTS

• All Gavi Secretariat teams;
• Gavi Alliance partners, including UNICEF, WHO, civil society, and academic institutions;
• Expanded partners;
• Implementing country governments;
• Gavi donors.

If you wish to apply, please provide a cover letter and resume through our Careers webpage and apply by clicking on “Senior Programme Manager, HPV”.

Please note that as a vaccine organisation and in order to provide duty of care towards its employees, Gavi is requiring its new employees to confirm that they are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as a condition for pursuing employment with us. You can find out more by visiting this link. 

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In support of Gavi’s commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion, we hire globally and welcome applications regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, national origin, family status, sex, gender identity or expression, physical characteristics, race, religion, spirituality or sexual orientation. Gavi has zero tolerance towards sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse as well as any form of discrimination or harassment. Everyone at Gavi is expected to conduct themselves with integrity and respect towards each other. Gavi is committed to creating a work environment that is safe and professional, therefore all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference checks. Read more here.

Gavi brings together the public and private sectors to save lives and protect people’s health by increasing equitable and sustainable use of vaccines against 18 infectious diseases. You will be joining an organisation at the centre of the international COVID-19 response, at the most critical time in global health in a lifetime. You will work in a culturally diverse environment with over 70 nationalities. You will collaborate with partners such as WHO, UNICEF, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank – and from business, civil society and government. And you will work in the first global health organisation to receive equal gender salary certification. Your unique experience, skills and talents can help us achieve our vision of leaving no one behind without the life-saving power of vaccines.