Program Officer, CVIA/PAI Vaccine Implementation at PATH

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 15 different diseases. Our focus is on vaccines to address the leading diseases that claim children’s lives worldwide: pneumonia, diarrheal disease, and malaria; as well as other global health priorities, such as polio and meningitis. We work in partnership with national health ministries, pharmaceutical manufacturers, donors, international financing and regulatory organizations, and many others. PATH has led numerous global partnerships, including the award-winning Meningitis Vaccine Project and the Malaria Vaccine Initiative, which helped develop the first malaria vaccine candidate recommended for pilot implementation.

Policy, Access and Introduction (PAI) supports the integration of vaccines for public health impact and disease control in developing countries. We focus on activities that facilitate vaccine introduction and widespread use in national immunization programs, such as determining disease burden, conducting clinical trials, establishing the health economics of vaccine use, raising awareness of disease burden and the impact of vaccination, increasing availability of technologies through licensing and commercialization, and advocating for appropriate policies. In addition, we implement activities that improve the accessibility of high-quality immunization services, including training, supervision, health information systems, and immunization safety, logistics, and communications.

PAI is currently recruiting for a Program Officer to support vaccine implementation and system strengthening programs in Kenya.  Reporting to the PAI Technical Advisor in Kenya, the person in this position will provide technical assistance to other PATH colleagues, the Ministry of Health, USAID, and other stakeholders to advance a portfolio of vaccine introduction-related projects including COVID-19, malaria, and typhoid.

We seek candidates who have at least 5 years’ experience working with immunization programs and systems, to help implement and evaluate strategies that protect children from vaccine-preventable diseases. The Program Officer will work closely with other technical experts in Kenya and with PATH colleagues around the world.

Responsibilities: 

• Liaise with the project team and partners to ensure the successful implementation of project activities, including creating work plans, budgeting, data gathering, and reporting.
• Work closely with the relevant stakeholders, including MOH, universities, NGOs, civil society, governments, private sector partners, etc.
• Provide regular reports and updates as directed by supervising Technical Officer and other staff to key stakeholders on PAI projects.
• Facilitate trainings and organize key events and meetings.
• Provide technical support for project activities, monitoring, reporting, evaluation, and documentation in a timely manner.
• Work with and support as needed the Living Labs team in testing and advancing new innovations.
• Assist with other programmatic and administrative duties as required for successful implementation of PAI program activities.
• Travel in country as needed for completion of activities.

Required Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing, Clinical Medicine, Public Health or related Social Sciences.
• Minimum 10 years of relevant work experience in Maternal and Child Health (MCH) projects with a focus on implementing vaccination and immunization services.
• Experience in projects that involve liaising with County governments, other 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.