Epidemiologist, Evaluation of GAVI COVAX

About Us

International Business & Technical Consultants, Inc. (IBTCI), a U.S. based international development consulting company established in 1987, has worked in over 100 countries and implemented over 300 projects. IBTCI serves government agencies, private sector companies, and several donor agencies. IBTCI specializes in monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERL) and institutional support across many areas and sectors including, but not limited to, conflict and crisis, democracy and governance, agriculture, economic growth, food security, education, environment, and global health.

Job Title: Epidemiologist, Evaluation of GAVI COVAX

Department/Location: Social, Economic, and Agricultural Development (SEAD) Practice

Reports To: Team Leader

Type: Temporary assignment upon award, 4 months

Classification: Non-Exempt

Clearance Required: N/A

Overview:

International Business and Technical Consultants, Inc. (IBTCI), a US-based international development consulting company, is seeking an Epidemiologist to be part of a team of experts evaluating the Global Alliance for Vaccination and Immunization (GAVI) efforts to support COVID vaccination coverage from 2020 to 2023. The evaluation will focus on the functioning of the COVAX mechanism to support vaccination coverage worldwide, with a focus on 35 countries, with a special interest in 16 countries in East and West Africa, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Pacific Islands. COVAX brought together WHO, CEPI and GAVI to establish norms, fund the production of COVID-19 vaccines, and purchase and distribute vaccines in multiple countries. The evaluation will have two components and the bulk of the work will be focused on achieving vaccination targets set by the countries. The results of the evaluation will inform discussions on the global health architecture required for future pandemics and help define UNICEF’s eventual contribution.

Responsibilities

Implementation of the Evaluation

• Assess the importance of vaccine purchase, distribution, and vaccination of different age cohorts in different countries targeted by COVAX to help mitigate COVID-related morbidity and mortality in targeted countries.
• Assess the adequacy of country preparedness plans supported by GAVI to increase COVID 19 vaccination coverage.
• Determine what secondary data are needed at the country level to examine the contribution of COVAX vaccine supply to increase COVID vaccine coverage in targeted countries.
• Contribute to the definition of primary qualitative data collection instruments to interview key informants and population segments about COVID vaccine procurement, access, and actual vaccination efforts to increase vaccination coverage and help reduce COVID morbidity and mortality rates.
• Guide country specialists in the collection and interpretation of data they collected to understand the coverage effects of increased vaccination coverage rates.
• Contribute to data coding and data analysis plans.
• Develop and supervise a data quality control plan.
• Develop and implement a data analysis plan.
• During primary data collection and site visits, participate in conducting interviews with institutional
  representatives and/or different target groups involved in the design, implementation, monitoring
  and/or evaluation of COVID vaccination efforts.
• Contribute to the preparation of evaluation reports to present the findings of the research conducted via document review and primary data collection.
• Help develop recommendations for future vaccination programs of epidemics that may be supported by the international community.
• Participate in the dissemination of evaluation findings.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements:

• 7 years of experience managing and/or evaluating interventions in the health sector in lower and middle-income countries.
• Experience defining and conducting formative, monitoring and/or evaluation research to design, track the implementation, or assess the effects of health interventions targeting multiple audiences in the health sector, with a focus on immunization efforts.
• Experience in studying the effects of vaccination efforts to reduce morbidity and mortality among different population segments.
• Experience in producing evaluation and research reports for donors or implementing agencies.
• Strong ability to interact with a wide range of stakeholders at different levels of donor agencies and country government officials responsible for activities in the health sector.
• Fluency in English.
• Thematic knowledge of COVID-19 is preferable.

Education:

• Advanced degree in epidemiology, health statistics, or public health.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent research methodology skills.
• Excellent quantitative and qualitative data analysis skills.
• Familiarity with remote data collection approaches/techniques.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Capacity to work independently.
• French fluency desirable.

Working Environment: Work is typically performed in an office environment. Part of this work will be done remotely.

Physical Requirements: This is largely a sedentary position that requires the ability to speak, hear, see, and lift small objects up to 20 lbs.

Supervisory Responsibility: This position does not have supervisory responsibilities.

Travel: International travel may be required and may include travel to fragile and/or conflict-prone zones.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

About the Organization:

IBTCI has been in business since 1987. We specialize in Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL), Institutional Support (IS), Financial & Risk Management (FRM), Supply Chain Management & Procurement (SCMP); Social & Behavior Change (SBC) and Capacity Building. We provide these services across many sectors including, but not limited to, agriculture, resilience & food security, conflict & crisis, democracy & governance, economic growth & trade, education & human capacity development, energy & infrastructure, environment & climate change, global health & WASH and humanitarian and disaster assistance. At IBTCI, our colleagues are encouraged to collaborate and be part of the solution while getting the tools and guidance needed to grow and support our clients’ missions.

IBTCI is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity for all persons without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identification, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, disabled veteran or Vietnam-era veteran, or any other classification protected by applicable anti-discrimination laws. We prohibit and do not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment. VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

If you are an applicant with a disability that requires a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process or are limited in the ability, or unable to use the online application system and need an alternative method for applying, you may contact the Talent Acquisition team at [email protected] (Do not send your resume to this account, for consideration please apply in our career page, https://careers.ibtci.com/jobs).