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 981 million children and the prevention of more than 16 million future deaths.
THE ROLE
Please note this is a temporary role, until 31st December 2025.
The Country Programmes (CP) department works in close liaison and coordination with national counterparts, Alliance partners, Civil Society Organisations and other relevant stakeholders, in order to achieve maximum impact through Gavi’s vaccine implementation, better results in vaccine coverage and equity and long-term sustainability of interventions. The department supports Gavi eligible countries through the entire portfolio management process from applying for support to implementation, evaluation, monitoring, and risk mitigation. The department consists of five teams: High-Impact Countries, Fragile Countries, Core Countries, Health Systems and Immunisation Strengthening, and a Programme Support Team.
2021 is the first year of Gavi’s 2021-25 (Gavi 5.0) strategy which aims to leave no one behind with immunisation, putting equity as the organising principle for the Alliance. “Zero-dose” children have been identified (i.e., those children who have not received a single dose of pentavalent vaccine) as the tracer for equity.
The Programme Support team (PST), launched in October 2021, supports core grant and programme management processes across the portfolio that are critical to achieving the goals of Gavi. The role of the PST is to coordinate flexible and consistent back-end support across all administrative processes supporting Gavi’s programmes; standardise and monitor operational engagement with partners at country level; optimise knowledge and data management; ensure optimal and effective grant management are in place to operationalise and monitor grants and support excellent and more consistent communications on Gavi’s programmes (within Secretariat, with partners and countries). The team is relatively new to Gavi and the Country Programmes and continues to grow in it’s roles, responsibilities, and scope accordingly.
The PST-Operations Coordination Team (OCT) is a sub-team that works directly with Gavi’s Country Support teams to process their contract and grant portfolios. The PST-OCT guides internal continuous improvement efforts, creates standardised and optimised routing portfolio management processes, and supports cross-cutting Secretariat projects on behalf of the Country Programmes. The team will grow into the centre of excellence in programmatic management, operational efficiency, and the improvement of processes and procedures.
Key functions and deliverables:
• Manage and run a Senior Programme Assistants that are embedded in Country Support teams (in close coordination with respective Directors and Heads of teams withing which the programme assistants are embedded) by ensuring proactive, high-quality, consistent and flexible back-end support is provided;
• Ensure robust, consistent portfolio management systems are in place to effectively process, implement, and monitor grants, contracts and other areas of Gavi support (e.g. partners’ engagement framework, strategic focus areas management);
• Ensure the right of level of information is visible, available, documented and communicated in order to effectively manage and monitor team portfolios and Secretariat programmes;
• Provide strategic guidance and identify innovative solutions to optimise and improve core portfolio and programme management processes context of Gavi 5.0;
• Develop robust quality assurance mechanisms for grants and contracts;
• Manage input and provide support to the change effort relating to the streamlining and strengthening of the country engagement model and portfolio management, in particular within the context of Gavi 5.1;
• Contribute to core workstreams related to strengthening and streamlining portfolio and programme management processes;
• Act as a key liaison between CP and other Secretariat teams to facilitate core portfolio management processes.
Main Duties/ResponsibilitiesPortfolio management and programme support
• Influence key strategic and programmatic outcomes by identifying complexities and developing innovative solutions for end-to-end portfolio management;
• Manage the scope of services, and roles and responsibilities, of the Senior Programme Assistants;
• Head up on identifying and developing strategies to optimise the portfolio administration process;
• Effectively prepare for and manage special/ exceptional cases requiring agile and timely responses;
• Identify processes and operational policies requiring better guidance, and ensure guidance is clear and available;
• Coordinate and collaborate with Secretariat teams to identify efficiencies and resolve bottlenecks in end-to-end portfolio management processes;
• Contribute and liaise regularly with the Partners Engagement Framework (PEF) team, and the Knowledge Management (KM) team to smooth business processes;
• Collaborate closely with the Head, PST and the Senior Manager, Country Programmes, as well as the CP Management Team and Front Office to provide regular updates on key portfolio management deliverables, highlight risks and ensure appropriate risk mitigation strategies are in place.
Country support: Coordinate end to end management of grants for selected countries
• Coordinate and draft end to end contractual management for allocated countries including grants and service agreements, approvals, invoicing, financial and deliverables tracking;
• Create common systems to ensure effective grant and contract visibility and management for all partners for selected countries using the Gavi internal SAP system;
• Coordinate with selected country segment teams and leadership to support end to end management for contracts;
• Work with Senior Programme Assistant (SPA) to ensure all SAP-related tasks are completed efficiently, and workload is balanced;
• Manage communications within the Secretariat on behalf of the team.
End to end tracking of funding levers
• Develop and launch a tracking tool for all Gavi funding levers to support monitoring from application to disbursement;
• Provide routine reports to management and other key stakeholders for effective action to support timely disbursement.
Cross secretariat coordination of identified projects
• Represent Country Programmes in various capacities, from SME to head, of identified projects;
• Provide training as appropriate for identified initiatives to different teams.
Team Management
• Manage and steer the pool of programme assistants (in coordination with the respective Directors and Heads of teams within which the Programme Assistants are embedded) who:
o Support overall administrative management of the portfolio;
o Draft grant agreements, exhibits and other contracts and coordinate procurement processes;
o Maintain and monitor programme budgets and provide basic analytic/ knowledge management support;
o Provide logistical support for engagement with partners/countries.
• Support team members to ensure delivery on key priorities and deliverables including liaising with procurement, legal and partner focal points;
• Monitor and maintain the team’s roles and responsibilities within a manageable scope;
• Support team members professional development and growth through performance reviews and professional development plans.
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.
Work Experience• Minimum of 8 years of professional experience in the development, public health or other relevant field, with ideally experience in developing countries;
• Previous experience of managing a team is required;
• Experience with grant management and grant management processes is required;
• Demonstrated ability to build consistent, well-communicated business systems to enable the coordination of large volumes of complex work;
• Demonstrable experience in project management, managing partnerships and multi-stakeholder task forces ideally in both a private and public environment;
• Previous experience working on vaccine programme management, health systems, research, evidence-based planning, and/or internal policy development a plus;
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships, both within and outside the Alliance;
• Previous experience working in or with large international agencies like Gavi, WHO or UNICEF;
• Solid identification with Gavi’s mission and a convincing familiarity with global public health/immunisation issues. Skills/Competencies• Excellent systematic and finance skills with experience guiding evidence-based actions;
• Problem-solving skills, with the ability to think strategically;
• Prioritisation, planning, and project coordination/management skills;
• Team-building, including a priority on positive and constructive culture;
• Demonstrated capacity to manage a variety of activities simultaneously and take initiative;
• Excellent oral communication, writing and presentational skills, diplomacy and tact;
• Ability to work with minimum supervision and under pressure;
• Ability to influence others by listening respectfully and presenting persuasive arguments to address the concerns, wants and needs of others;
• Orientation toward action, continuous improvement and results, coupled with pragmatism;
• Ability to build productive relationships in an international, multicultural, multi-partner environment;
• Collaborate effectively and build consensus with a range of internal and external stakeholders;
• High proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint;
• Knowledge of cloud-based business systems such as SAP, Salesforce, Access is preferrable;
• Knowledge/understanding of immunisation, health or international development issues and procedures is an asset.
Languages• Fluent English;
• French is an asset. Academic Qualifications• Advanced university degree in public health, finance, business administration or equivalent. Contacts• Gavi Secretariat;
• Gavi-eligible countries;
• WHO, UNICEF, WB, CDC; and other NGOs;
• Bilateral Donors and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation;
• The Global Fund. Additional InformationIf you wish to apply, please provide a cover letter and resume through our Careers webpage and apply by clicking on “Senior Manager, Programme Support (Temporary)”. Deadline for applications is 15 February 2023.
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.
This vacancy is archived.