Sr. Director Global Health Technical Programs

Job Description

The Senior Director of Global Health Technical Program (GHTP) an integral member of the Global Health and Manufacturing Services (GHMS) division’s leadership team, provides the vision and strategic direction for USP’s donor-funded public health offerings and showcases and advances GH’s growth, visibility and thought leadership globally. S/he plays an integral role for advancing USP’s 2025 Global Health (GH) aspiration to be the global leader in advancing access to quality health products and related services by applying a patient-centric, systems-based approach anchored in evidenced-based advocacy and thought leadership to improve the health and well-being of populations in Low and/or Middle Income Countries (LMICs), particularly in Africa and Asia.

The incumbent is accountable for the consistency and quality of technical delivery across all GH offerings and leads in developing transformative approaches to apply patient-centric, systems-based technical assistance. S/he drives continuous improvement and learning, including adoption of best practices in the technical focus areas. Additionally, s/he builds on USP’s leadership in core competencies, to develop new offerings grounded in USP capabilities, unmet need and donor demand. S/he oversees and provides technical expertise to a core senior-level headquarters team representing the three focus areas as well as a matrix of globally distributed GH technical resources and consultants.

The Senior Director GHTP is an integral and active contributor to new business development and a close partner to the VP Partnerships and Growth. S/he provides leadership and content for new business opportunities and actively engages with a network of donors, including GFATM, World Bank, Gates, USAID and others to identify unmet needs and propose solutions. S/he leads on developing the technical strategy and design for new projects, leading to winning proposals.

Additionally, s/he is responsible for overseeing implementation of USP Ghana’s 2025 strategy and will be accountable for working with the team to meet goals related to sustainability, technical assistance provision, and ensuring USP Ghana maintains its leadership position as a Reference Center of Excellence in African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization and in quality assurance system strengthening.

S/he is responsible for developing and delivering a thought leadership agenda building on USP’s experience in key countries, regions and global forums. Additionally, s/he works closely with Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning colleagues in conceptualization, collection and analyzing and disseminating evidence to advance thought leadership, inform continuous improvement and to enable evidence-based advocacy.

A successful incumbent will do the following:

• Plays a leading role in business development
• Builds/maintains strong, consultative relationships with donors and other regional/ global stakeholders
• Position USP as an important voice and contributor to thought leadership in technical areas of expertise
• Successfully move organization into new/ adjacent product areas, quickly establishing USP as a leader
• Oversee the technical delivery of programs consistently regarded by donors and funders as high quality

Roles and Responsibilities

Technical oversight and thought leadership:

• Works with focus area leads in Health System Strengthening, Laboratory Services and Product Access and Delivery to ensure consistency and quality of technical implementation
• Guides implementation of technical approaches, including support to focus area directors on complex challenges
• Works closely with Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning team to identify and drive opportunities for continuous improvement and learning
• Monitors trends and proactively identifies emerging public health priorities and needs and innovates/ adapts technical approaches accordingly
• Proactively identifies opportunities for USP to contribute to global body of knowledge on relevant topics and drives/ oversees related research
• Represents USP at major external conferences, key technical meetings and other highly visible forums

Business development:

• In collaboration with the Partnership and Growth team, proactively works with potential clients to identify needs and ways that GH can support in terms of programs and services
• Maintains and continuously works to expand a robust, strategic network with global health leaders, implementing partners and other relevant organizations
• Works with Partnerships & Growth team in design and development of technical approach for EOI/RFI/RFP

Product expansion:

• Oversees technical focus area directors in identification and development of potential new product offerings with GPH focus areas
• Evaluates potential adjacencies for market potential and fit among existing product offerings

Consultant management:

• Leverages network and experience to maintain and draw on a current roster of high-quality technical consultants
• Supports assessment and selection of consultants for GH programs
• Works with project management to approve consultant deliverables, ensuring quality of products delivered

Basic Requirements

• Master’s degree or higher in pharmaceutical sciences, public health, or related field required.
• 12 years leading design and implementation of donor-funded programs across a variety of health-related fields in both Asia and Africa
• 10 years managing, mentoring and developing globally located staff and teams

Experience and Skills

• Possesses existing relationships with key global health donors and implementing partners (USAID, GFATM, CDC, Gates, World Bank, DFID, etc)
• Demonstrated thought leadership in public health space
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Exceptional people management skills, including ability to seamlessly manage virtual teams
• Demonstrated success writing proposals and winning large bodies of donor-funded work
• Willingness to travel at least 25% of the time.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in one or more of GH focus areas: health system strengthening; product access and delivery; laboratory services
• Fluency in French

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Director, Health System Strengthening
• Director, Product Access and Delivery
• Director, Laboratory Programs
• Director, USP Ghana

About the Organization

The United States Pharmacopeial (USP) Convention is a non-governmental, nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve global health through public standards and related programs that help ensure the quality, safety, and benefit of medicines and foods.