Project Director – CDC Capacity Building for Global, Regional, and National Immunization Programs (Global)

Corus International•Washington, DC

About The Position

IMA World Health, a member of Corus International, is seeking a Project Director to lead an anticipated five-year CDC-funded project, Capacity Building for Global, Regional, and National Immunization Programs. The project aims to strengthen immunization programs in priority countries so they can prevent, control, and eliminate or eradicate vaccine-preventable diseases such as polio, measles, and rubella; reduce illness and deaths; and respond to emerging global health threats. Activities include improving immunization services and vaccine-preventable disease surveillance, expanding outbreak preparedness and response capacity, reaching high-risk groups who are un- or under-immunized, supporting evidence-based decisions through National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups, and strengthening program evaluation and sustainability. The Project Director leads the project’s technical approach and serves as its primary liaison with CDC, country governments, and other implementing partners. The role is accountable for achieving project goals and objectives, meeting contractual requirements on time and within budget, directing staff and overseeing implementation, and ensuring high-quality programming. The Project Director also ensures that technical, monitoring, evaluation and learning, and financial management systems support accurate and timely reporting and cost-effective implementation, while ensuring compliance with Corus policies and CDC regulations, including sub-awardee compliance and implementation quality. The successful candidate will bring a practical and theoretical understanding of global health systems and approaches to preventing, detecting, and responding to infectious disease threats; experience coordinating public health systems and resources in fragile settings; and strong project, personnel, and team leadership skills. The position reports to the Program Director, Global Health Security and Immunization. It reports to Corus headquarters and may be remote depending on circumstances. Periodic travel to project sites is expected.

Requirements

Advanced graduate degree in public health, medicine or nursing, international development, or a related field; doctoral degree or MD/MPH is an asset.
At least 10 years of experience implementing and managing international donor- or CDC-funded health projects.
Knowledge of CDC rules and regulations.
Demonstrated leadership, technical, management, and evaluation expertise for complex programs in resource-constrained countries.
Prior experience as a Project Director or Chief of Party for CDC-funded projects similar in scope and size.
Strong staff supervision skills and ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and coordinate programs with partners from diverse backgrounds and experiences.
Experience developing and maintaining relationships with government agencies, international donor agencies, and private-sector stakeholders.
Experience collaborating with local and national host-government agencies and aligning program activities and results with national strategies.
Strong communication skills, including written communication and oral presentations, and ability to develop and communicate a common vision among diverse public and private partners.
English fluency and professional proficiency in writing.
Ability to travel to project sites as needed.

Nice To Haves

Substantial knowledge and experience related to immunization systems and vaccine-preventable disease surveillance.
Proven technical expertise using new approaches to build capacity in national immunization and vaccine-preventable disease surveillance programs.
Knowledge of the USG global health security framework and its immunization-related implications and priorities, especially in fragile contexts, and familiarity with CDC policy and strategies.
Experience building the capacity of national nongovernmental partner organizations and government systems to strengthen national ownership for future funding.
Working fluency or better in another language, especially French, or potentially Spanish or Arabic.
Experience working in fragile contexts.
Doctoral degree or MD/MPH.

Responsibilities

Provide overall management, strategic direction, and technical leadership to achieve project results within budget and timeframe.
Serve as principal liaison to CDC and country governments and coordinate with stakeholders, including national- and subnational-level partner organizations, on administrative, financial, and programmatic matters.
Coordinate and harmonize project activities with CDC, other donors, implementing partners, public health mechanisms, private-sector engagement, and USG activities globally.
Ensure results-oriented technical components, high-quality deliverables, and timely reports.
Oversee implementing partners and provide advice on technical issues.
Lead technical, program, finance, and operations teams to ensure tasks, deliverables, and responsibilities are met; hire, supervise, and mentor project staff.
Oversee project deliverables, including preparation and timely submission of programmatic and financial reports, and integration of cross-cutting issues into implementation.
Direct preparation of annual work plans, project activity updates, and other project communications and reporting materials.
Represent the project in technical, policy, and programmatic forums at country, national, and international levels; identify lessons learned and best practices for external dissemination.
Ensure compliance with CDC rules and regulations in coordination with the headquarters grants and contracts team.
Ensure compliance with Corus policies and procedures, sub-awardee compliance, and the quality of program implementation.
Periodically visit project sites as needed.