International AIDS Vaccine Initiative Vacancy: Senior Director, Global Advocacy and Policy - Nairobi or Johannesburg

About IAVI

The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) is a global not-for-profit organization whose mission is to ensure the development of safe, effective, accessible, preventive AIDS vaccines for use throughout the world. Founded in 1996, IAVI works with partners in 25 countries to research, design and develop AIDS vaccine candidates. The organization also conducts policy analysis and serves as an advocate for the AIDS vaccine field. It supports a comprehensive approach to addressing HIV and AIDS that balances the expansion and strengthening of existing HIV prevention and treatment programs with targeted investments in the design and development of new tools to prevent HIV. IAVI is dedicated to ensuring that a future AIDS vaccine will be available and accessible to all who need it. The organization relies on the generous donations of governments, private individuals, corporations and foundations to carry out its mission.

Job Description:Job Title: Senior Director, Global Advocacy and Policy
Location: Africa (Nairobi or Johannesburg)
Reports to:Regional Director, Africa / Dotted line: Executive Director, Advocacy, Policy and Communications

Position Summary:

Given the magnitude of the HIV epidemic is in Africa, it follows that the corresponding advocacy effort to demand and expedite solutions to end the epidemic must first and foremost serve African needs. Indeed, that is why Africa has been a focus of IAVI’s advocacy and policy work.   In order to further enhance the centrality of Africa to our global effort we create the position of a Senior Director, Global Advocacy and Policy, based in Africa. The position will drive work in the following areas:

1) strengthen in-country capacity to conduct AIDS vaccine research;

2) policies to facilitate AIDS prevention research; and

3) the support needed from key global and local stakeholders to sustain this effort over the long term.

The Senior Director will help lead IAVI’s global advocacy and policy work to help accelerate research and development for AIDS vaccines. The incumbent will have key responsibility for work in several areas, including the strategic design and implementation of advocacy activities across the department’s overall portfolio. This will include the identification of partners and execution of sub-awards. He/she will lead key aspects of policy work, ranging from developing the concepts, defining scope of work for the team, undertaking discrete policy or analytical studies, and disseminating the results and advocating for policy change.

Responsibilities will include oversight of contractors, consultants, and other staff; development and oversight of annual work-plans and budgets (both internal and donor-specific); donor reporting; and presenting IAVI’s advocacy and policy work both internally and externally.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide guidance to the advocacy and policy work programs, and develop and implement key projects. 
• Lead project teams on key aspects of advocacy implementation, supervising both internal staff and external consultants/partners. 
• Lead project teams for defined areas of policy research, supervising both internal staff and external consultants. 
• Build relationships with key partner organizations from civil society, other organizations in the fields of new prevention methods, product development partnerships, national and international governmental organizations (e.g. AU, NEPAD, UN, WHO), academia and industry; expand the range of and deepen relationships with partners who share IAVI’s advocacy goals.
• Advance IAVI’s advocacy and policy objectives at the regional and national levels, including through dissemination of policy research and analysis, as well as support for events and campaigns; 
• Support the Executive Director, Advocacy, Policy and Communication in developing and implementing overall strategy for advocacy/policy work; contribute to organization-wide strategic discussions, issues, and decision-making. 
• Develop and oversee annual budget, work-plan, and monitoring and evaluation systems (both internal and donor-specific).
• Contribute technical guidance and quality assurance on advocacy work and policy for the department as a whole.
• Produce written products (policy briefs, fact sheets, journal publications, position papers, and presentations) to communicate IAVI’s advocacy and policy work.
• Collaborate with partners, and identify opportunities to leverage our work through joint activities with partners, where possible.
• Represent IAVI at external meetings with policy-makers and partners, including technical discussions of IAVI policy analysis work. 
• Supervise and mentor advocacy and policy staff.

Required Qualification:

• More than ten years of professional experience in advocacy, public policy, science, health economics or global health and AIDS; experience in global health and AIDS an advantage. 
• Demonstrated ability to analyze policy issues and to communicate policy findings and recommendations to a variety of audiences.
• Established track record of managing teams, supervising staff, and ensuring that key activities are completed within deadlines and budgets.
• Advanced degree in public policy, global health, economics, or science.
• Strong analytical, planning and organizational skills.
• Strong interpersonal and intercultural skills and experience, and ability to work collaboratively with colleagues from a wide range of disciplines, countries and cultures.
• Ability to advocate strongly and convincingly with a variety of audiences on issues of public policy.
• Strong strategic & conceptual thinker who can drive quickly to a clear and concise synthesis of even the most complex issues and concepts while counseling colleagues on issues. 
• Fluency in English, with excellent written and oral presentational skills.

Apply by: 06 Jul 2014

LInk: CLICK HERE

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