Senior Immunization Advisor

Job Description

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has contracted Social Solutions to recruit and hire qualified individuals for the following position:

Title: Senior Immunization Advisor

Location: Washington, DC

Application Deadline: Open until filled

Salary Range: GS-14 equivalent

The world has witnessed an extraordinary 70 percent decline in child mortality over the last 50 years, and a reduction in the burden of child deaths from nearly 12 million in 1990 to 5.2 million in 2019. Maternal deaths are also falling and declines in maternal mortality are currently averaging five percent per year. Despite this progress, there is stagnation and decline in some countries leaving almost twenty million un or under immunized in 2019. Significant work remains in order to increase coverage of high-impact interventions, strengthen the health systems that support these interventions, and address equity gaps that are bottlenecks to ending preventable child and maternal deaths. Over 1.8 million people have died from the COVID-19 pandemic. It has further disrupted access to essential services including immunization and put tens of millions at risk of contracting vaccine preventable diseases. Efforts to develop, distribute and deliver COVID-19 vaccines are a top priority globally.

USAID’s Bureau for Global Health is mobilized to support countries to prevent child and maternal deaths, focusing on 25 countries where 70 percent of these deaths occur (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, and Zambia).

Seventy-five percent of the world’s unvaccinated children reside in the 25 priority countries. Immunization is a central component of USAID’s strategy to prevent maternal and child deaths. USAID is working with national governments, UNICEF, WHO, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, key donors, civil society, and others to build sustainable health systems able to provide timely and safe universal coverage of life-saving immunizations to all children.

The MCHN Office serves as the Agency’s technical and policy lead on maternal and newborn health; child survival; immunization; nutrition; and environmental health, with a focus on preventing child and maternal deaths. Cross-cutting activities managed by the Office in support of this goal address private sector partnerships, social and behavior change communication, multilateral partnerships, gender, research, and monitoring and evaluation. The CHI Division provides technical and policy leadership, addressing the leading killers of children in the post-neonatal period. This includes treatment of pneumonia, diarrhea, and other major contributors to death, vaccine-preventable diseases, as well as emerging issues. The Child Health and Immunization Division chief will be the USAID point of contact while the day to day guidance will be provided by the Immunization Team Leader.

USAID’s Office of Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition, Child Health and Immunization Division is seeking a Technical Advisor to provide technical, policy and programmatic direction in routine immunization strengthening, accelerated disease control and response; and support COVID-19 vaccine introduction. The work will broadly support achievement of the Immunization Agenda 2020 (IA2030) targets, support use of data, innovation and epidemiological analysis in improving program and immunization outcomes across the life course and will include support to USAID’S immunization activities at country, regional, and global levels.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the immunization team members to develop and implement strategies to improve USAID support for routine immunization, disease control and contribute to global goals of IA2030, Gavi 5.0 and GPEI;
• Work closely with members of the Immunization Team to develop and implement strategies to strengthen GPEI and Gavi engagement and support USAID missions to improve coordination and complementary programming with Gavi for improved immunization outcomes; and
• Participate with and contribute to production of analysis, communications materials, talking points, briefers, and reports.

Global Technical Leadership (25%)

• Participate in interagency, domestic and global meetings, consultations, working groups, and negotiations related to routine immunization and COVID-19 vaccine technical assistance;
• Provide technical assistance for the Global Health Bureau in global discussions related to routine immunization with international partners;
• Prepare briefers or other documents to summarize progress in routine immunization; conduct regular data review and trend analysis for USG focal countries; contribute to advance global priorities such as COVID-19 vaccination;
• Prepare and present technical presentations at regional USAID health officers meetings and workshops as appropriate; and
• Monitor and analyze equity trends and issues related to routine immunization and apply these analyses to global, regional and country level programs supported by USAID.

Support to Country Programs (40%)

• Provide state-of-the-art technical and program expertise, assistance and support to the GH Bureau, regional bureaus and USAID field Missions in the development and evaluation of immunization-related strategies, programs, and policies, including on COVID-19 vaccine introduction;
• Provide guidance and support to effectively monitor, evaluate and analyze USAID immunization program progress; participating in country-level activities as required; and
• facilitate the gathering and analysis of immunization data for reporting and improving program design and monitoring.

Activity Management Support (10%)

• As directed by project managers, monitor cooperating agencies’ implementation of strategies for routine immunization, including monitoring of work plans and budgets, supporting site visits to monitor performance, and reviewing reports and accomplishment of milestones.

Qualifications

Qualification at the GS-14 equivalent Senior Immunization Advisor level requires a Master’s degree in a related field and a minimum of 9 years of relevant experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Alternately, an individual may qualify at the GS-14 equivalent Senior Immunization Advisor level with a with a Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 11 years of relevant experience.

Other qualifications include:

• Minimum 3 years direct experience managing or advising routine immunization programs;
• Demonstrated knowledge of routine immunization systems strengthening best practices; knowledge of IA2030, Gavi 5. 0 and familiarity with global immunization policies and strategies;
• Experience in evaluation design and iterative learning, using data and predictive analysis for design, performance monitoring and decision making;
• Knowledge of disease control initiatives (e.g., polio, measles, tetanus);
• Ability to work with global and country stakeholders in the formulation of policy, assessment and program design and monitoring;
• Excellent interpersonal and team skills–demonstrated ability to interact professionally with culturally and linguistically diverse staff, clients, and consultants;
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple tasks concurrently, and meet deadlines with attention to detail and quality;
• Fluent spoken and written English; Fluency in French or Portuguese preferred;
• Prior experience working in countries is an advantage;
• Excellent written and oral communication and computer skills;
• Willingness to travel up to 30 % of the time; and
• Applicants selected will be subject to a background investigation and must obtain and maintain a favorable adjudication as applicable to their position/duties.

In order to fully evaluate your eligibility, your resume must include relevant paid and non-paid experience showing dates held with month, year and hours worked per week for each position.

About the Organization

Social Solutions International, Inc. (Social Solutions) is a Hispanic and woman-owned business emphasizing quality research and evaluation, training and technical assistance, and institutional support services. We are a mission-driven organization that believes that superior science can improve the world. Social Solutions is dedicated to the creation of social and health solutions to improve the welfare of underserved populations worldwide.