Pakistan’s National Immunization Support Project (NISP) is a partnership between the Government of Pakistan, Gavi, USAID, World Bank and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The NISP aims to increase the number of fully immunized children across the country by strengthening the immunization delivery system through improved financing, trackable budgets and expenditures, microplanning, data systems and reporting, surveillance, cold chain infrastructure, supervision, and management. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provides results-based support for this initiative through innovative financing mechanisms provided in partnership with the World Bank. We are actively engaged with the Government of Pakistan and NISP partners to ensure equitable vaccine coverage against vaccine preventable diseases as well as ensure progress towards polio eradication, ability to implement high quality immunization campaigns and introduce new vaccines.
This role will be responsible for supporting the foundation’s engagement with the NISP. The successful candidate will work closely with Vaccine Delivery and Polio team colleagues to engage with the Government of Pakistan’s Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) – National and Provincial – as well as immunization stakeholders such as Gavi, World Bank, USAID, WHO, UNICEF, NGOs and other partners and donors. The PO will support implementation of the NISP to strengthen the immunization system, support vaccine introduction (like typhoid vaccine) and conduct high quality immunization campaigns. This role will require high-level grant and stakeholder management skills, contributing to the continued development of the team’s strategic vision for foundation support to the NISP. This role will be based in Seattle, USA, and will be expected to undertake up to 40% international travel.
- Engage with National and Provincial EPI leadership and support management, monitoring, and financing of the NISP; engage government technical staff at all levels and review implementation of NISP recommendations
- Support the National and Provincial EPI teams to effectively lead efforts for RI strengthening by realizing the NISP. This will include oversight and coordination of RI action plans and ensure they are developed, implemented and aligned with global standards. It will also include supporting reporting requirements from increased oversight and accountability of the NISP as requested by BMGF to the Government of Pakistan
- Coordinate with Gavi and other immunization partners, including WHO, UNICEF, civil society organizations and grantees to support immunization priorities such as polio eradication, typhoid vaccine introduction, and measles campaigns
- Manage consultants and grantees engaged to provide support to the National and Provincial EPI programs
- Participate in Gavi Joint Appraisals, EPI reviews and other national and/or provincial immunization activities
- Liaise with high level government and donor leadership
- Collaborate across Program Strategy Teams (PSTs) and foundation leadership
- Leadership abilities to work with multiple stakeholders, including government, other donors, grantees to create a common vision and visualize simple and effective but implementable solutions to complex problems.
- Strong strategic thinker with experience developing evidence-based strategic or operational plans as well as shaping and managing sustainable and scalable ventures
- Experienced coalition builder and background of creating effective partnerships and establishing cross-sectoral linkages
- Demonstrates strong personal initiative and ability to be self-directed, but also a strong collaborator and team member
- Comfortable in a wide range of political, cultural, geographic and operational situations, demonstrating culturally sensitive behavior with a diverse range of people
- Works with efficiency and diplomacy
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly communicate with a wide range of partners and audiences, including with the foundation senior management
- At least five years of direct experience in health care delivery and/or public health management in low-resource and/or conflict settings
- Previous experience working in Pakistan is desirable
- Strong understanding of, and ideally direct experience with, delivery of vaccination/immunization programs is necessary, including basic planning, delivery, and community engagement strategies