Path Director, Project BID, Vaccine Access and Delivery

PATH is an international nonprofit organization that transforms global health through innovation. We take an entrepreneurial approach to developing and delivering high-impact, low-cost solutions, from lifesaving vaccines and devices to collaborative programs with communities. Through our work in more than 70 countries, PATH and our partners empower people to achieve their full potential.

Vaccine Access and Delivery (VAD) supports the integration of vaccines for public health impact and disease control in developing countries. We focus on activities that facilitate vaccine introduction and widespread use in national immunization programs, such as determining disease burden, conducting clinical trials, establishing the health economics of vaccine use, raising awareness of disease burden and the impact of vaccination, increasing availability of technologies through licensing and commercialization, and advocating for appropriate policies. In addition, we implement activities that improve the accessibility of high-quality immunization services, including training, supervision, health information systems, and immunization safety, logistics, and communications.

VAD is currently recruiting for the Director of the Better Immunization Data (BID) Project in anticipation of funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Please note that hiring for this role is contingent on securing funding. The goal of this five-year effort is to achieve sustained increases in immunization coverage through support for country-owned, country-led policies, practices, and information system tools that enable evidence-based decision-making. Project BID represents a unique and important opportunity in global health to build and deploy at scale an information system focused on improving routine immunization at the national level.

This project will work closely with national governments in Africa, as well as with GAVI, WHO, and UNICEF, to develop immunization information system tools, and the necessary strategies, policies, and protocols, and enabling infrastructure to accelerate their introduction and uptake in national immunization programs.

The Director of BID will put in place, lead, and manage a global team, and is responsible for achieving project milestones. The Director will be the main representative of the BID Project to the donor, national governments, and collaborating partners. As a member of the VAD Leadership Team, the Director of Project BID will also actively contribute to VAD's overall strategic direction and programmatic priorities. The position responsibilities include:

•Serve as a global visionary and advocate: The Director will be a leader in immunization or information systems that understands and can articulate how the use of technology can transform the immunization landscape; will champion the project and engage dynamically with African governments, the donor, collaborating partners, and senior level representatives of government agencies; and will build support through presentations, speeches, social media, etc. on the opportunity that information systems have to change the status quo of delivering routine immunizations.

•Provide strategic leadership: The Director will have the ability to deal with ambiguity and bring strategic thinking and frameworks together to chart a future course for the project. In collaboration with internal and external partners, the Director will develop and assess the BID goals and strategies in light of experience, new challenges, and emerging opportunities, and will build partnerships at country, regional and the global levels as needed to achieve goals and objectives.

•Provide team leadership: The Director will build a strong internal “can do” team and team practices to ensure high performance both within PATH and across partners and will foster robust communication and collaboration within the team. The Director will provide individual coaching and goal-setting and will delegate authority to team members, clarifying their individual scope of responsibility, and holding them accountable for achieving responsibilities.

•Ensure completion of project deliverables: The Director will ensure the completion of all project deliverables agreed to with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and will understand where PATH or partner resources can be deployed to support BID activities.

•Assure technical rigor: The Director will span best practices, research, and hands-on experience across both immunization and information systems specialties and assure appropriate application of research and the latest approaches in both fields are being tested throughout the project.

•Champion capacity-building: The Director will champion capacity-building both internally to the BID team and externally with government agencies and collaborating partners to support successful implementation of project objectives.

•Report to the donor: The Director will provide accurate and timely reports to the donor on project progress, meeting with the donor as needed to clarify project direction, receive donor input, confirm project accomplishments, and convey the challenges ahead; the Director also bears responsibility for the accuracy and timeliness of annual reports to the donor.

•Foster cross-program collaboration: The Director will work with staff in other PATH programs as opportunities arise to strengthen cross-program linkages and contribute to the achievement of PATH's vision and strategic commitments.

Required Skills

•Demonstrated experience (five years minimum) leading a large-scale country health initiative from start-up to closure in Africa, ideally in child health or routine immunization.

•Demonstrated excellence and a minimum of five years of experience in developing, leading, managing, and supervising professional staff that represent a wide range of nationalities and cultures. This experience must have been in running virtual teams spread across time zones.

•Proven leader with experience negotiating agreements and implementing programs in close cooperation with at least one national government in Africa. Strong preference for multiple examples.

•Demonstrated expertise in EITHER immunization program design, delivery, and sustainability OR information system design, delivery, and implementation at scale in Africa. Demonstrated competence and passion for the alternate subject will be required.

•At least five years of experience as project lead managing donor-funded, milestone-based projects within budget and time constraints.

•Able to serve as a compelling spokesperson and advocate for Project BID and effectively engage with audiences ranging from global health experts to information systems experts.

•Fluency in English (required) and in French (preferred).

•Ability to travel up to 35% annually.

•Knowledge of at least one additional language relevant to working in an African country is preferred.

Required Experience:

Advanced degree (Masters, Medical Doctor, or Doctoral) in a relevant discipline, plus a minimum of 10 years of experience managing and directing international public health initiatives in resource-poor settings; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

PATH is dedicated to diversity and is an equal opportunity employer.

How to apply:

To Apply: Please visit our employment website, http://www.path.org/jobs/index.php, click on the career site link, search for #5361, and apply online. PATH is dedicated to diversity and is an equal opportunity employer.