JOB DESCRIPTION

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PATH is a global nonprofit dedicated to achieving health equity. With more than 40 years of experience forging multisector partnerships and with expertise in science, economics, technology, advocacy, and dozens of other specialties, PATH develops and scales up innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing heath challenges.

PATH’s Center for Vaccine Innovation and Access (CVIA) brings together our expertise across every stage of the long and complex process of vaccine research, development, and delivery to make lifesaving vaccines widely available to children and communities across the world. CVIA’s current portfolio encompasses more than two dozen vaccines either in development or already in use to protect against fifteen different diseases. We work in partnership with national health ministries, pharmaceutical manufacturers, donors, international financing and regulatory organizations, and many others. Within CVIA, the Policy, Access, and Introduction (PAI) functional area leads PATH’s efforts to support countries in all aspects of new vaccine introduction, including implementation, costing, communications, system strengthening, and evaluation.

PATH is currently seeking a Technical Advisor for our GAVI funded Malaria Vaccine Project (Malvac) in Zambia.  Malvac is a multi-country initiative supporting countries as they prepare for and implement malaria vaccine introduction. This senior-level position will report to the Malvac-Zambia Project Lead, who provides in-country project leadership of planning, implementation, and evaluation.  The Program Senior Technical Advisor (STA) will be located at the MOH – Expanded Program for Immunization office in Lusaka PATH while interfacing regularly with the Project Lead, Malvac and PATH colleagues based in the provinces and other Immunization officers in Lusaka and around the country.

We seek candidates who have at least 5 years’ experience working with immunization programs and systems to introduce new vaccines or strengthen routine immunization services, as well as immunization program training, evaluation, and support and have appreciable overview of the malaria program in the country including health system operations at the national and subnational levels.

Responsibilities:

This position will technically support the introduction of Malaria vaccine in Zambia by helping in the development of required technical submissions to the funder using technical formats and vaccine requirement to GAVI when needed. The STA will be responsible for coordinating the planning, implementation, and monitoring the vaccine introduction process, working with colleagues in the EPI, the Project lead, provincial staff and other staff in the PATH Country Office. The officer will:

• Oversees the entire vaccine introduction process.
• Ensures timely and successful implementation.
• Coordinate with various stakeholders: government agencies, healthcare providers, and community leaders during this vaccine introduction period

 Other Key Responsibilities: The STA will:

Support the EPI to implement a comprehensive vaccine introduction plan and strategies, aligning with national and international guidelines. Collaborate with the project lead and stakeholders, including government agencies, healthcare providers, and community leaders to ensure a coordinated approach. Monitor and evaluate vaccine introduction progress, identifying areas for improvement and prepare appropriate reports to help the EPI team stay on track. With the Project lead, develop and manage budgets, timelines, and resource allocation plans for the vaccine introduction process. Propose training and capacity-building programs for healthcare workers to be used before and immediately after the vaccine introduction has been done. Ensure compliance with PATH, national and international regulations, standards, and best practices. Provide technical assistance and support to EPI and NMEC teams through their focal point people. Offer TA support to the project team’s efforts to ensure the successful implementation of project activities, including creating work plans, budgeting, and reporting. Work closely with the relevant divisions of the MOH (e.g. EPI, Malaria Control Program) and other relevant stakeholders to plan for and implement malaria vaccine introduction and scale-up. Facilitate training activities and help organize key events and meetings. Provide technical support for project activities, monitoring, reporting, evaluation, and documentation in a timely manner.

Other responsibilities:

• Support the team leader in the day-to-day management and activities of the project.
• Coordinate the Malvac team, including some non-PATH team members and other stakeholders.
• Manage and secure all project data.
• Manage the two project coordinators on the project, one based in Lusaka and another in the north of the Country.
• Track project progress and prepare project technical and progress reports when required and when due in support of the Project Lead.
•  Assist with other programmatic and administrative duties as required for successful implementation of MalVac project activities.
• Support business development and positioning of PATH in the immunization space in Zambia
• Travel in the country as needed for completion of activities.

Required Experience

• Advanced degree in a relevant public health discipline.
• Minimum 5 years of relevant work experience in vaccines and immunization with demonstrated skills in vaccine implementation.
• Experience with projects that involve liaising with government institutions, WHO, UNICEF, other stakeholders, and NGOs.
• Proven ability to multi-task and collaborate work effectively with senior staff, colleagues, donors, partner organizations, stakeholders, local institutions, and others at all levels.
• Ability to work in a complex environment with multiple tasks, short deadlines, and an emphasis on quality.
• Excellent analytical, communication, presentation and report writing skills
• Excellent skills in facilitation, team building and coordination.
• Demonstrable problem-solving and analytical skills.

• Proficiency in application of Microsoft Office Suite with an emphasis on proficiency in Word, PowerPoint and SharePoint.
• Proven success drafting, proofreading, and editing documents.
• Extremely detail-oriented, with the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Strong ability to communicate effectively (written and spoken) in English as well as other local languages in Zambia.