Senior Manager, Governance (Temporary)

Position title: Senior Manager, Governance (Temporary)

Location: Geneva

Purpose of the position: Responsible for ensuring the proper day-to-day operation of certain board committees and Gavi-affiliated company boards, take on special governance projects assigned from time to time and be custodian of the board manuals, policies and other guidance material.

Department: Governance

Team: Governance

Reports to: Head, Governance for operational matters and Director, Governance on designated assignments/responsibilities under the Director’s immediate purview.

N° of positions supervised (if applicable): 0

Career step level: 4

Duration: Temporary until December 2022

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 888 million children and the prevention of more than 15 million future deaths.

BACKGROUND

The Governance team ensures that the Board has the proper advice and resources needed for discharging its responsibilities, and that the records of the Board’s actions reflect that the Board has done so. The team informs the Board of governance best practices from the public-sector and corporate spheres and is a key relationship manager between the Board and the Secretariat. It is also responsible for advising the Board on its forward workplan and operations and does so responsively and collaboratively. In line with Gavi’s transparent practices, the minutes of the Board and its committees are available on Gavi’s website once approved. The Governance team provides similar functions to Gavi’s affiliate organisations. In total, the Governance team manages as many as 40-45 or more meetings per year.

KEY RESULTS EXPECTED

• Ensure, together with the governance team, the effective functioning of the Gavi Alliance Board, its committees and key constituencies including minute taking for the Board and certain committees under the direct supervision of the Head, Governance and in certain cases of the Director, Governance;

• Excellent project management of meetings and activities of the governance structures.

MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ensure day-to-day governance management of Gavi Board including drafting minutes and other designated assignments;

• Ensure day-to-day governance management of the Gavi Board Committees, including crafting their work plans, agendas, minute taking, etc. This will include taking direct responsibility for certain Board Committees;

• Responsible for day-to-day management of Gavi Board constituencies including development of policies, procedures, and communication;

• Track and evaluate progress on governance decisions and ensure appropriate follow-up actions in consultation with Director, Governance and Head, Governance;

• Provide support for updating and revisions of all constitutional documents, board manuals and guidance, website and other projects that will be assigned to the Senior Manager, Governance from time to time;

• Lead special projects and assignments as assigned by the Director, Governance or Head, Governance;

• Provide support to Gavi Senior Management:

• Brief colleagues on relevant governance and policy issues;

• Prepare speaking points and presentations;

• Provide information on past governance decisions and actions.

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

• Advanced University degree in business or social science, or law qualification.

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of 8 years of recent work experience in public-sector or corporate governance;

• Experience in international development is an asset;

• Public and global health experience would be useful.

SKILLS/COMPETENCIES

• Demonstrated ability and reputation in public-sector or corporate governance and working with boards and committees;

• Demonstrated qualities in supervising staff, working with senior management;

• Exceptional written and oral communication skills in cross-cultural and political settings;

• Ability to understand and write about a wide range of technical issues to different audiences;

• Solid eye for detail with ability to prioritise effectively and good follow-up capacity;

• Logical thought processes and able to communicate complex issues with clarity;

• Willing to speak up in influential and challenging environments;

• Demonstrated project management and problem-solving skills, and capacity to work with uncertainty and ambiguity, and frequently changing priorities;

• Solutions-based approach to problem solving and the ability to be persuasive;

• Good knowledge of institutional or organisation policies, systems and procedures;

• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment;

• Financial literacy would be an advantage;

• Willing to travel sometimes at short notice and comfortable with working under pressure and with tight deadlines.

LANGUAGES

• Written and spoken fluency in English;

• A second language is an asset, preferably French.

CONTACTS

• Extensive contact with staff at all levels;

• Gavi Alliance board and committee members and their support staff;

• Gavi Alliance partner staff, including:

-Developing country health ministry;

-Donor government foreign ministries;

-Civil society;

-WHO;

-World Bank;

-Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation;

-UNICEF.

If you wish to apply, please provide a cover letter and resume through our Careers webpage and apply by clicking on “Senior Manager, Governance (Temporary)”. Deadline for applications is 10 February 2022.

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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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.

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.