Senior Officer, Polio Eradication

The Polio Team works with partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), as well as with country governments, donors and other collaborators, to build and implement the global strategy to eradicate Polio. We do this by developing relationships and uplifting each other through our journey together. We believe that energized people, working well together, motivated by great leadership in an inclusive environment in which they thrive, will do phenomenal things. 

The foundation’s Leadership Team is invested in our success, as we continue to provide updates, identify key risks, and build engagement opportunities.

Your Role:

As a key member of the Polio Endemics team, the Senior Officer, Polio Eradication will be responsible for intensifying the engagement of the foundation with key partners (e.g. WHO, UNICEF, CDC, Rotary International and Gavi) and national polio eradication programs in Pakistan and Afghanistan, to interrupt wild poliovirus transmission.

The ideal candidate will be energized by using their exceptional analytical and risk operational and project management skills, to help others organize around and execute on a set of goals, have demonstrated interpersonal skills to manage stakeholders at all levels, and have impeccable attention to detail. You will directly engage with key stakeholders across multiple levels of the polio eradication program, to help drive outcomes that accelerate the elimination of all polioviruses, especially in endemic districts of the two countries, to achieve certification of global polio eradication two years following cessation of circulation of the virus, by 2026. You will need to demonstrate an enthusiasm for public health programming in an emergency context, excel in managing complex partnerships, and have a track record in driving towards measurable, time-bound results.

The postholder will be based at the foundation’s office in London, and report to the Deputy Director, Polio Endemics.

What You’ll Do:

Country Engagement:

• Engage with GPEI implementing partners at the national and provincial levels in Pakistan and Afghanistan, to analyze current epidemiology, virology and vaccination coverage to identify risks to continued transmission of polioviruses.
• Support the development, design and assessment of vaccination strategies to address risk of continued transmission.
• Model the spread of poliovirus outbreaks to inform disease control efforts in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Support the appropriate use and interpretation of seroprevalence surveys in Pakistan and Afghanistan to inform disease control measures.
• Support efforts to improve acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) and environmental surveillance reporting, data analysis and project management.
• Identify, develop and support the analysis of data to rapidly improve the quality of surveillance, with a focus on highest risk districts, including: consistent and high levels of quality technical assistance; rapid and regular reviews of surveillance data; improved monitoring and reporting; improved community surveillance reporting systems.
• Maintain and provide regular updates on Pakistan and Afghanistan poliovirus cluster maps based on available lab data.

GPEI Global Management Groups: 

• Coordinate the design, implementation and analysis of modeling efforts related to Pakistan and Afghanistan with partners leading disease modeling efforts for the GPEI, including the Institute for Disease Modeling, Kids Risk and Imperial College London; support GPEI efforts to present modeling outputs related to Pakistan and Afghanistan at semi-annual and annual meetings of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) and Independent Monitoring Board (IMB).
• Participate as a foundation representative on the Global Surveillance Group (SG), attending regular online and in-person meetings as required, in support of the implementation of the Global Surveillance Action Plan of GPEI.
• Provide input to global monitoring of the plan through regular engagement with surveillance leads of the WHO regional office for the Eastern Mediterranean, support the regular revision of surveillance guidelines and policies, and as required, participate in country-focused surveillance reviews and poliovirus outbreak response assessments (OBRAs).

Your Experience:

• PhD or other post-doctoral degree with relevance to poliovirus vaccination, epidemiology, infectious disease modeling and immunology of infectious diseases.
• Experience with immunization and/or polio eradication in polio-endemic countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region is useful, but not required.
• Experience working with global partners such as GPEI, Gavi, WHO, UNICEF and/or in developing country settings, with knowledge of government health systems and political structures.
• Proven track record of forging strong partnerships and relationships with Pakistan/Afghanistan/developing country policy makers and development partners.
• Demonstrated proficiency in influencing the effective implementation of public health/immunization programs leading to demonstrable health outcomes, preferably in a developing country.
• Proven skills in engaging and interacting with national health/immunization programs in developing countries, including an understanding of program planning and operations, program reviews and program financial resource requirements.
• A knack for building momentum and driving action in matrixed environments, helping others to move beyond ‘business as usual’ and generate / implement innovative analyses and solutions.
• Ability to identify new and opportunistic partnerships to achieve program goals.
• A high-level of personal initiative and ability to be proactive, combined with great partnership skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly communicate with a wide range of partners and audiences, including with the foundation senior management.

Source: https://gatesfoundation.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Gates/job/London-UK/Senior-Officer–Polio-Eradication_B020755-1