Deputy Director, Neglected Infectious Diseases, Seattle, United States

Division

Global Health Program

Department

Neglected and Other Infectious Diseases

Location

Seattle

Foundation Overview

Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people's health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people-especially those with the fewest resources-have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, the foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.

Group Summary

Our Global Health Program (GH) harnesses advances in science and technology to save lives in poor countries. We focus on 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 don't, 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, neglected infectious diseases, enteric and diarrheal diseases and pneumonia. These strategies are supported by functional teams within Global Health that focus on Discovery and Translational Sciences, Vaccine Development, and Integrated Development, as well as by functional teams within the Global Development Program (GD) focusing on Vaccine Delivery and Integrated Delivery. Global Policy and Advocacy (GPA) supports the advocacy, policy development and resource mobilization needs of our strategies. Collectively the program and functional teams constitute the internal resource matrix of the Foundation.

An important priority of the GHP strategy is battling neglected infectious diseases (NID). More than 1 billion people in developing countries suffer from infectious diseases that attract little donor funding, largely because those diseases are rare in wealthier countries. Until recently, investment in treatment and prevention methods has been lacking and access to existing interventions in areas where they are needed has been limited.Our goal is to reduce the burden of these diseases on the world's poorest people through targeted and effective control, elimination and eradication efforts. While we know that effective treatment and control methods are available to fight many of these diseases, significant progress cannot be made without more funding for drug delivery and better diagnostic tools to improve disease mapping and surveillance.

To that end, we work closely with other donors and developing country governments-to ensure that our investments complement other efforts. We concentrate our resources in areas where existing funds are scarce, our support can have catalytic effect, and we are better positioned than others to assume risks. Our strategy reflects where we believe the foundation is best positioned-among a broad spectrum of actors-to help significantly reduce the incidence of neglected infectious diseases and to enable eradication where feasible.Several of the priority disease strategies within the NID program address vector borne infectious diseases including Japanese Encephalitis, LF, Oncho, HAT, Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL or Kala Azar) and Dengue. Non-vector borne priority diseases strategies addressed by the NID program include Guinea Worm and Human Papilloma Virus. Members of the NID team serve as Priority Initiative Leads (PIL) to lead all aspects of one or more disease initiatives through achieving targeted impact.

To this end, we support efforts to accelerate progress through coordinated vaccine and mass drug administration interventions, public-health surveillance, screen and treat programs and vector control.

Responsibilities

The Neglected Infectious Disease Team (PST) is recruiting a Deputy Director (DD) to support the Director NID and the NID team in achieving its impact goals by managing the execution of its disease strategies through the Foundation's highly matrixed organization. Each of the PILs will report through the Deputy Director regarding alignment and execution of our disease strategies. The DD will also manage one or more of the priority disease initiatives of the NID Program, as PIL, however the DD will be expected to manage few if any grants directly.

This position is Seattle based and will report directly to the Director, Neglected Infectious Diseases.

The Deputy Director will be expected to:

• Act as senior expert resource on Tropical and Vector Borne Diseases.
• Responsibilities of the Deputy Director are prioritized to managing strategy implementation through Foundation staff. Travel should be limited to a maximum of 20% of available time. Help the NID Program Strategy Team manage its disease area strategies, maintain alignment with strategy and monitor their implementation
• In partnership with the Director and the NID team contribute to the development of new disease strategies and to keeping our ongoing disease strategies current and relevant
• Support the Director in all programmatic aspects of management of the NID PST.
• This role manages people and is responsible for communicating performance expectations, leading individual goal setting and performance evaluation, integrating project and change management, giving and seeking feedback, providing coaching, measuring progress and holding people accountable, supporting employee development, and recognizing achievement and lessons learned.
• Attend meetings to represent the foundation and shape global, regional and country agendas in line with foundation strategy. May serve on external boards and working groups.- Work with foundation leadership as requested to address cross-cutting issues and improve functions and performance
• Provide strategic guidance in crafting grants and contracts that require complex research or analytics
• Lead one or more NID disease strategy initiatives. As Priority Initiative Lead make and manage grants, manage internal processes and initiative progress while ensuring appropriate documentation, budgeting and reporting, as requested by the Director
• Collaborate with foundation colleagues in related program areas to take advantage of cross-sector grant making opportunities.
• Consult with grantees and other partners to maximize the impact of projects and ensure optimal learning.
• Conduct high quality interactions and clear and consistent communications with partners in the field.

Qualifications

The foundation is looking for a global expert in Tropical Medicine and Vector Borne infectious diseases with recognized public health programmatic management and strategic planning skills, medical and scientific expertise. The ideal candidate will have experience of successfully working with developing countries giving him/her an appreciation for the complexities of implementing and managing field-based programs. The DD will need to have experience working in a highly matrixed organization.

The ideal candidate should have:

• An MD, PhD or other advanced degree in relevant field of study is required.
• A minimum of ten years of experience managing a staff of public health professionals engaged in international programs
• A minimum of ten years of experience managing a portfolio of public health interventions and familiarity with the development and deployment of various products/interventions to achieve impact on the burden of infectious diseases.
• International standing and recognition as an expert in tropical medicine and vector borne diseases
• Field experience managing tropical medicine / vector borne disease control programs would be desirable.
• A good knowledge of product development processes and regulatory requirements and procedures, at both global and national level.
• Field experience in target geographies (Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia) is desirable, together with a solid understanding of the realities and complexities of 'in country' interventions.
• Proven ability to lead and influence others.
• Experience in strategic planning and strategy implementation.
• Demonstrated excellence in scientific writing and data analysis, written and oral communication skills, and experience advocating and communicating with a broad and diverse audience.
• Ability to work with external organizations and work in a role requiring collaboration, prioritization and results-orientation in a fast-paced, complex, and high expectations organization.- Demonstrated ability to work with efficiency, diplomacy, and flexibility particularly as part of a team. Experience working on teams with diverse cultural and professional backgrounds.
• Ability to travel up to 20% domestically and internationally
• As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will be contingent upon successful completion of a comprehensive background check.We are an equal opportunity employer dedicated and focused on diversity.

The statements in this description represent typical elements, criteria and general work performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills for this job.

Requisition Number

4437BR