Senior Manager, Strategy & Business Support – Country Programmes (Temp)

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 2023.
The Country Programmes 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 Support, Fragile Countries Support, Core Countries Support, Health Systems and Immunisation Strengthening, and a Programme Support Team.

2021 is the first year of Gavi’s 2021-25 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. Cutting across and underlying the work of the Country Programmes Team are a number of key country portfolio management processes that are critical to achieving the goals of Gavi. The Senior Manager, Strategy and Business Support is responsible for:

• Leading development and coordinating implementation of strategic and operational initiatives that cut across the entire country portfolio;
• Providing advice, project management and communications support related to country portfolio management and operations;
• Managing the CP department business planning processes including budgets, work plans and priority setting, team performance and risk reporting;
• Leading and coordinating support during critical Gavi Board and Programme and Policy Committee (PPC) periods.

Key functions and deliverables:

• Ensure effective performance monitoring and tracking tools in place and used to provide strategic advice and guidance to the Managing Director and the CP management team;
• Support and/or lead, as appropriate, specific strategic and operational initiatives that cut across country portfolio management;
• Provide timely updates on progress of CP departmental performance metrics;
• A well‐functioning CP department specifically with effective flow of information between the five units, and the MD;
• Improved quality of coordination and results in CP;
• Improved coordination and level of communication between CP and other Secretariat teams and external partners.

Provide strategic leadership, advice and communications support for portfolio performance management and operations:

• Lead and contribute to strategic initiatives on behalf of the CP department including contributing to CP’s efforts towards reaching the zero-dose children and missed communities;
• Develop regular strategic reports and analysis on portfolio performance with recommendations for improvement;
• Represent CP in relevant internal and external global dialogues and meetings as needed;
• Lead CP’s efforts to better manage knowledge, share best practices across CP and with other teams within the Secretariat and the Alliance;
• Liaises with the Executive Office and/or other Secretariat teams to ensure coherence, coordination, and communications on sensitive issues;
• Ensures the smooth and effective operation of the CP department, including the organisation, coordination and supervision of activities and tasks requiring the attention of the MD, and communication of instructions and decisions of the MD to those concerned at all levels.

Manage the planning, execution, and monitoring of CP priorities:

• Coordinate key CP department business processes including workplan development, priority setting, team performance, team health and risk reporting;
• Proactively identify potential bottlenecks along the critical path to achievement of the CP department work plan and strategise for solution;
• Provide regular updates to the MD and CP management team on progress in departmental performance metrics, budgets, and travel;
• Lead on cross-cutting strategic monitoring and resolution across Country Programmes Department;
• Support MD in leading key strategic initiatives needed to continuously improve portfolio management, operations and performance.

Country Programmes Management Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic communications support for the MD including preparation of briefing memos or presentations and other materials for key stakeholders, including to senior management, Alliance partners and Gavi governance bodies ensuring quality delivery of all needs;
• Lead on tracking and following-up on actions/decisions made by the CP Management team and across the portfolio;
• Collate technical/policy‐related and other contextual information in response to external enquiries to MD and propose relevant briefings as required;
• Collaborate with CP Management team to follow up on CP management decisions and prepare agendas and minutes for CP Management meetings.

Corporate tasks:

• Lead on developing and finalising CP‐authored documents, including speeches and presentations as well as Board documents;
• Represent CP in relevant cross-Secretariat strategic initiatives/ working groups, in close collaboration with Country Programmes Management team and ensure adequate links with CP priorities.

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.

If you wish to apply, please provide a cover letter and resume through our Careers webpage and apply by clicking on “Senior Manager, Strategy & Business Support – Country Programmes (Temp)”. Deadline for applications is 27 March 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.