I2I Director

Full-time position

Salary negotiable depending on skills and experience

Flexible working location considered

Considerable travel anticipated

Position Summary and Responsibilities

Innovation to Impact (I2I) is a major initiative to improve the value chain for developing and delivering life-saving vector control products for diseases caused by vector borne pathogens. I2I started in the fall of 2013 and more than 80 stakeholders across the community - including industry, global evaluation and regulatory bodies, procurers, local and national representatives, and donors– have engaged in developing the I2I vision. They have planned activities that ensure implementation during multiple meetings on an individual and group basis. The goal of the I2I initiative is to create a development ecosystem for vector control products that supports innovation, effectiveness, efficiency, and quality assurance.

The I2I vision is, as currently expressed:

  • Innovation: Increased partnership, prioritization and investments in the development of new vector control tools and active ingredients (AIs) driven by an improved vector control evaluation, registration and procurement system
  • Evaluation: Fair, predictable and efficient global evaluation system based on manufacturers’ owned data, systematic quality controls and clear pathways for novel public health AIs
  • Registration: Harmonized and streamlined registration processes further relying on efficient evaluation system
  • Procurement: Value based purchasing enabled by global standards, testing of product attributes and normative guidance
  • Impact: High quality, broadly and effectively used innovative products in the field to support global and national strategies

The I2I Director will be a senior leader who will leadand coordinate a broad range of stakeholders from relevant institutions (e.g., the World Health Organization, the President’s Malaria Initiative of the US Agency for International Development, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, UNITAID, manufacturers, academia, National regulatory agencies). S/he willbe responsible for the success of the I2I effort. The I2I Director will hire (timing permitting), manage,and supervise the I2I Project Manager. The I2I Leadership Team (I2I Director, I2I Project Manager and potentially the I2I analyst/administrator) would have the authority to make decisions independently, with consultation available from the I2I Advisory Board, which will include senior representatives from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, IVCC and other organizations.The I2I Director will receive fiduciary support from the IVCC Board and be able to access additional support and resources from IVCC as required. Specifically, the I2I Director's responsibilities will be:

  • Provide oversight of all I2I activities and escalate issues appropriately to governance body
  • Serve as a trusted voice and neutral moderatertoadvance progress in cross-stakeholder meetings
  • Lead large stakeholder convenings (once or twice a year) to maintain momentum and celebrate progress of the effort
  • Provide thought leadership and work with key stakeholders to ensure the implementation of the I2I strategy and goals
  • Identify concerns and additional opportunities and address them by facilitating discussion and deliberation with stakeholders
  • Influence and guide stakeholders towards the I2I goals
  • Serve as chief spokesperson, representing and promoting the I2I effort to the broad community
  • Communicate I2I strategy and plans to companies, policy makers, downstream stakeholders of IVCC, and the wider vector control community
  • Be accountable for the assignedbudgets, spend, andfinancial probity of the I2I initiative
  • Keep informed of developments in the vector control, Malaria, and NTD communities
  • Hire (timing permitting) and supervise the work of the I2I project manager and potentially an I2I analyst/administrator

Qualifications

•An advanced degree (e.g., MBA, MD, Master or PhD in Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Global Health or other relevant subjects) with broad leadership experience

•Proven experience and history of success in building alignment and managing complex, large-scale efforts with multiple, sometimes competing, viewpoints

•Business expertise, in particular the agricultural, biotech, chemical pharmaceutical industries or a product development-related industry would be an advantage

•Experience in vector control and/or the regulatory process would be an advantage

Experience and Skills

•Leadership and communication skills at executive and management level

•Ability to lead and influence a wide range of organizations and individuals across several locations and cultures

•Strong interpersonal skills to be able to build relationships and work with wide range of people

•Flexibility and ability to adapt style to different situations and people

•Collaborative approach to work with senior scientists and executives in industry, academia, foundations, governments and NGOs

•Ability to solve issues and facilitate discussions among various stakeholders

•Organizational skills to structure and manage a wide effort across various locations, workstreams, and organizations

•Ability to be effective under ambiguous and changing circumstances and to escalate issues appropriately to the right party

•Be impact and results oriented to help stakeholders achieve the goals of the effort

•A keen interest in Global Health and for achieving malaria and NTD disease goals

•Understanding of the vector control and the agricultural chemicals regulatory process, regulatory challenges and new product delivery would be an advantage

IVCC Background

Founded in 2005 with a $50.7 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), the Innovative Vector Control Consortium(IVCC) is a Product Development Partnership (PDP) established as a not-for-profit company and registered United Kingdom charity. It aims to overcome the barriers to innovation in the development of new public health insecticides, and the development of new paradigms for more effective and efficient vector control. This is achieved through investing donor funds in research and development. Today, IVCC is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID, UKAID, and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

In partnership with industry, donors and other stakeholders, IVCC is on track to deliver a wide array tools and diagnostics, and in particular new insecticides with novel modes of action that will counter insecticide resistance and underpin a global malaria eradication programme. These new public health tools will also be used to fight an array of other vector-borne neglected tropical diseases, saving lives, improving health and increasing the prosperity of some of the poorest communities in the world.