Careers

Description:

Group Summary:

Our Global Health Program harnesses advances in science and technology to save lives in poor countries. We focus on the health problems that have a major impact in developing countries but get too little attention and funding. Where proven tools exist, we support sustainable ways to improve their delivery. Where they do not, we invest in research and development of new interventions, such as vaccines, drugs, and diagnostics.  Our work in infectious diseases focuses on strategies to fight and prevent HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis (TB), neglected tropical diseases, enteric and diarrheal diseases, pneumonia and polio. 

TB remains the top infectious disease killer due to a single pathogen. In 2018, it caused 1.5 million deaths and an estimated 10 million new TB cases worldwide. The goal of the tuberculosis (TB) Program Strategy is to accelerate the reduction in TB incidence globally through innovative discovery and development of new tools and innovative approaches. The TB Program (part of the TB and HIV Program Strategy Team) is responsible for investments in development of more effective interventions: preventing new incident cases (e.g., an adolescent/adult TB vaccine), reducing the diagnostic gap and loss of patients between diagnosis and initiation of treatment, and improving the quality of therapeutic regimens and adherence to treatment. The TB Vaccine team is responsible for setting strategy and managing an end to end vaccine development investment portfolio, collaborating with internal and external partners, and overseeing product development from discovery to the introduction of new candidate regimens in Global Health markets.

Position Summary:

You will be responsible for contributing to the TB Vaccine Initiative strategy in close collaboration & partnership with the Deputy Director, TB Vaccines, developing and managing a portfolio of grants and contracts requiring high-level grant management skills, grantee engagement, monitoring, evaluation, and follow up.  You will contribute to both scientific and partnership aspects of the program strategy and be expected to stay abreast of technology and trends within vaccine discovery that can be used to accelerate the development of new TB vaccine approaches and ‘next generation’ candidates.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the cross-functional TB Vaccine Initiative, participate in setting overall goals, and development of strategy, as well as manage and implement investments.

• Contribute to leadership and management of the Collaboration for TB Vaccine Discovery (CTVD), an international network of scientists supported by the foundation.

• Contribute to the TB vaccine asset strategy team in partnership with the Gates Medical Research Institute. 

• Apply scientific/technical and strategic business expertise to identify, develop and manage a portfolio of strategic investments related especially to discovery and translational aspects of TB vaccine research and development.

• Contribute to managing partnerships in the TB ecosystem including product development partnerships (PDPs), grantees, pharmaceutical companies and academic partners.

• Negotiate, execute, and manage complex grants and performance-based contracts.

• Serve as a thought partner and resource to grantees and partners to facilitate accomplishment of strategic objectives.

• Review letters of inquiry and grant proposals and collaborate with colleagues to provide clear, concise and insightful written analyses and recommendations for funding within the areas of TB vaccine pre-clinical and translational and clinical development.

• Consult with grantees and other partners to maximize impact of projects by ensuring grants align with and drive toward meeting foundation strategy goals. This may include site visits, providing operational guidance, and convening meetings of key stakeholders across all phases of the TB Vaccine R&D value chain.

• Develop, manage, resource, and implement programs that align with foundation strategy and are operationally integrated with other foundation programs.

• Contribute to the design of new strategies, collaborations and implementation plans to ensure long-term sustainability and impact.

• Represent the foundation to key program-related external constituencies, as appropriate, on committees related to areas of expertise and responsibilities of the position.

• Attend external meetings to represent the foundation and influence global, regional, and country agendas in line with global objectives.

Reports to: Deputy Director, TB Vaccines

Education and Experience

• Life science Ph.D. and/or M.D. degree with 10+ years of experience conducting TB scientific research. Five+ years of experience with infectious disease vaccine R&D preferred, with industry and/or global public health experience desirable.

• Must have participated in cross-functional teams within the R&D value chain.

• Experience with initiating and conducting R&D collaborations and external partnerships desirable.

• Extent, depth and quality of research and product development leadership experience will determine qualification for Program Officer vs. Senior Program Officer position, including a minimum of 10 years of leadership in TB and vaccine research and/or product development to potentially qualify for an SPO position.

Additional Skills and Experience:

• Ability to think through a product development lens and/or collaborate effectively with product development as well as scientific partners.

• Demonstrated outstanding written and oral communication skills in positions requiring communications in a broad and diverse audience on a range of complex technical issues.

• Experience in a role requiring collaboration as well as a demonstrated ability to work with flexibility, efficiency and diplomacy both individually and as part of a complex team effort; ability to work in a cooperative and collegial fashion.

• Demonstrated ability to successfully assemble, coordinate, and manage complex inter-group collaborations and partnerships, guiding such programs to meet programmatic and strategic goals.

• Experience in the execution, conduct and/or management of performance-based contracts or cooperative agreements.

• Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills with the ability to solve problems with energy and positive attitude.

• Ability to organize and prioritize work and meet deadlines within a fast-paced environment with multiple and competing demands.

• Demonstrated ability to lead and build relationships to gain the respect and trust of others.

• Intellectual quickness, curiosity, discipline, resourcefulness and resilience.

• Strong judgment with a demonstrated ability to handle complex issues, multiple tasks, confidential information, and competing priorities with flexibility, skill, discretion, a strong attention to detail and a sense of humor.

• Solid understanding of the realities and complexities of matrix-based organizations.

• Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally, as needed and appropriate.

• Demonstrated passion for the foundation’s values with a commitment to deliver results against the foundation’s mission.