In collaboration with the AgDev team and internal business partners, the Senior Program Officer (SPO) will take responsibility for the portion of our Animal Health portfolio (vaccines, drugs, and diagnostics) aimed at increasing livestock productivity and production. You will bring your technical expertise in animal health product development to help realize the existing potential of livestock and to enhance future potential through innovation and appropriate technologies suitable for use in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia within the smallholder livestock sector.
- Bring knowledge and experience to support the development of vaccines, drugs, and diagnostics for cattle, small ruminants, and poultry.
- Be the internal subject matter specialist in product development to develop solutions for animal health challenges faced by smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
- Design and implement a plan to accelerate and scale the development of new, improved, and appropriate products for priority livestock diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
- Develop institutional partnerships (private and public) to leverage existing vaccine, drug, and diagnostic manufacturers in partnership with other team members.
- Design, develop, and manage investments to deliver cost-effective tools and technologies to increase livestock production performance in smallholder systems.
- Continue to learn and maintain a comprehensive understanding of the causes that hinder productivity and production of livestock in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
- Represent the foundation externally in livestock related matters as necessary.
We are looking for people who enjoy the opportunity of working on complex problems and collectively creating solutions that have the potential for transformative change in the lives of people around the world. You must be prepared to work across a diverse set of disciplines, bridging a wide range of expertise all the while being a team player, with a demonstrated ability to work with flexibility, efficiency and diplomacy in an exciting, challenging environment. The responsibilities of this role require that you should have experience in developing and delivering technologies (e.g. vaccines, drugs, and diagnostics) in animal health. Additionally, we seek:
- Deep familiarity with evidence on issues and constraints for livestock production in developing countries; especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
- Extensive experience interacting with experts in both academia and the private sector involved in animal health.
- Ability to collaborate effectively in a matrixed environment (e.g. manage, organize and prioritize multiple projects and meet deadlines within an exciting work environment with multiple and competing asks).
- A ‘can do’ attitude with a mindset that guides and motivates the team to explore new approaches and partners, taking risks that can potentially accelerate our pathway to improve the lives of smallholder livestock keepers.
- Intellectual quickness, curiosity, discipline, resourcefulness, and resilience.
- Ability to work with flexibility, efficiency, enthusiasm, and diplomacy both individually and as part of a team.
- Highest levels of personal and professional integrity, along with a sense of humor.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills to convey complex situations in a clear and concise manner with a broad and diverse audience.
- Comfortable in a wide range of cultural, geographic and operational situations; demonstrating culturally sensitive behavior with a diverse range of people.
- Language skills beyond English, especially those relevant to Africa and South Asia, is a plus.
- Willingness to travel domestically and internationally (40%).
- Demonstrated passion for the foundation’s values with commitment to deliver results against the foundation’s mission.
Qualifications
- 10+ years of experience in animal health product development (e.g. vaccines, drugs and/or diagnostics).