Regional Head, Country Support

JOB DESCRIPTION

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.

THE ROLE The Country Support units, situated in the Country Programmes department, works to achieve effective implementation of Gavi’s portfolio of support aimed at increasing immunisation coverage and equity, as well as financial sustainability in Gavi-eligible countries. This work is conducted in close collaboration with Gavi Alliance partners, country stakeholders, other development partners and the rest of the Gavi Secretariat.

The Core Countries segment is one of the three segments in Country Support and is currently organised into three sub-teams focused on geographical regions. The Regional Head is responsible for managing a Geneva-based team of Senior Country Managers (SCMs) and Programme Managers (PMs), who play a critical role in ensuring Gavi resources are put to use wisely to achieve immunisation outcomes. The Regional Head for Rest of the World covers mostly countries in South- East Asia, Asia Pacific and Central Asia. SCMs conduct or oversee the various steps of portfolio management including the grant making process, manage programmatic and fiduciary risk and key relationships, proactively identify and work to address implementation problems, and closely monitor Gavi-funded programmes. The Regional Head’s role is to ensure: • Effective portfolio management focused on achieving strategic objectives; • Successful risk management and mitigation; • Good progress on grant implementation and achievement of results; • Fruitful collaboration with country stakeholders, partners and Secretariat colleagues; • Well-functioning, high-performing regional team.

He/she must be a seasoned manager able to mentor and be a thought partner to his/her team members. The Regional Head is expected to actively participate in key organisation-wide and cross-cutting initiatives related to policies, strategies, processes, and/or guidelines relevant to the effective delivery of Gavi’s mission. He/she is a member of the Core Countries Management Team, consisting of the Core Countries Director and two other Regional Heads. Key functions and deliverables: • Increased immunisation coverage and equity in Gavi-eligible countries; • High-quality, timely analysis and strategic advice in relation to the team’s grant portfolio; • Highly performing regional team, with consistent, effective, efficient working practices and appropriate tailoring to country specificities. • Timely, quality completion of the various steps of the grant making process, and high quality of key grant management documents (including grant renewal requests submitted to the Independent Review Committee and High-Level Review Panel); • Proactive identification and resolution/mitigation of issues and risks related to the management and use of Gavi investments in countries; • Excellent relationships with key counterparts in governments, across the Gavi Alliance and with other development partners particularly at regional level. • Support to Covid-19 vaccine delivery and related support through COVAX.

MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Grant management leadership and support: • Provide guidance and leadership to SCMs/PMs on management of Gavi grants; act as a sounding board; identify and highlight strategic opportunities to advance partnership, coverage and equity, integration, sustainability, etc.; • Enable, contribute to and oversee progress on key performance indicators to reach Gavi’s strategic objectives; • Conduct oversight and quality assurance, with a particular focus on risk management; elevate key issues; initiate preventative and remedial actions; lead in bringing solutions to situations of significant complexity (e.g., political instability, crisis, large country portfolio, special partnerships etc.); • Monitor and enable proper implementation of operational guidelines, Gavi policies and procedures by the team; • Provide back-up support on any country when needed, particularly in fragile and complex situations.

People management: • Provide onboarding, ongoing support, coaching and mentoring to team members; • Manage performance of team members; conduct recruitment as needed; coordinate the team’s work; ensure a productive, collaborative working environment within regional team and Country Support; model Gavi values and behaviours; • Stakeholder coordination and management: o Coordinate and strengthen collaboration with regional and country partners across assigned region, including regional working groups; o Support management of partners’ technical assistance; o Manage relationships with key donors; o Foster an enabling environment at all levels (global, regional, country); o Represent Gavi at regional/other fora. • Analysis and policy: o Conduct in-depth programmatic and performance analysis, identifying and managing risks; o Contribute to the development of Gavi policies and operational policies, procedures and tools; provide policy advice and analysis.

Continuous improvement: • Co-develop and ensure uptake of sound practices for grant management, strategic information management, risk assessment, sharing of knowledge and lessons, etc.; instil a culture of continuous improvement and Gavi values.

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.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced university degree in public health, health economics, development, business administration (with experience in international development) or other relevant qualification.

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Minimum 10 years of professional experience working in public health or development at international levels; experience in health systems or development financing a clear asset; • Demonstrated experience in building and leading high-performing teams; • Excellent experience working in/with developing countries on technical issues; • Proven experience in bilateral and multilateral environments.

SKILLS/COMPETENCIES

• Excellent management skills, including teamwork and people/team leadership and people development; • Prioritisation, planning, analysis, problem-solving and sound judgment; • Strategic facilitation, negotiation, political acumen; • Health or international development/economics/finance technical skills; • Representation, advocacy, diplomacy, tact and discretion; • Interpersonal, communication, writing and presentational skills; • Drive, proactiveness, action and results orientation, continuous improvement; • Ability to work successfully in an international, multi-cultural, multi-partner environment, with significant travel.

LANGUAGES

• Written and spoken fluency in English essential; • French an asset.

CONTACTS

Internal contacts: • All teams across the Gavi Secretariat.

External contacts: • Developing country governments; • Gavi Alliance partners; • UN, multilateral and bilateral donor agencies and civil society.