Vaccine Delivery Advisor - Vaccine Supply Chain

Focus of the Role

The Vaccine Supply Chain Adviser will be under the supervision of the Director General of the Ethiopian Pharmaceuticals Supply Agency (EPSA), primarily to support EPSA in the delivery of Covid-19 vaccines by ensuring adequate supply chain capacity, implementation of logistics and supply chain planning activities in coordination with Ministry of Health and other key stakeholders. 

As part of our new Africa Vaccine Programme, (AVP), we are seeking talented and dedicated individuals that can provide flexible and responsive support to government’s changing needs. This will include advice using TBI’s advisory toolkit and framework and may span donor and, government coordination, data analysis, management and presentation, resource mobilisation, strategic communications, stakeholder management, spotting opportunities and solving problems.

Postholders must be able to support assessment of the current vaccine supply chain challenges, support the development of improved processes and reccommend best practices in cold chain, inventory, distribution and fleet management that will result in efficient and improved access to covid vaccines.   Enhancement of the overall vaccine supply chain will involve development of improved database and product categorizing systems to facilitate vaccine tracking and supply management.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop coordination mechanisms to coordinate multiple supply chain actors involved in COVID vaccine delivery - ministries, UN agencies and other partners beyond the health sector for timely, accurate and safe delivery of potent vaccines and consumables
• Support COVAX demand forecasting to inform cold chain equipment (CCE) capacity requirements, and CCE selection, procurement, installation, and asset management, according to the country’s COVID vaccine delivery strategy, to be in place to ensure the availability, reliability and cost-effective functioning of cold chain equipment, both for vaccine storage and transportation
• Support the placement of improved digital supply chain systems and adapt them to country-contexts to ensure wide distribution, equitable and time sensitive vaccine distribution. Follow-up on the progress of offshore and/or domestic procurement activities and take necessary action to ensure timely customs clearance of supplies entering the country
• Support different inter-sectoral working groups and specifically, EPSA logistics sub-committee to build out timelines of activities and rollout plans, and to ensure alignment among all logistics partners in planning, implementation – with well-established roles and responsibilities
• Support the development of new or the amendment of existing regulations to ensure policy and regulatory coherence, environmental and social sustainability
• Contribute to institutional capacity enhancement at EPSA specifically on cold chain logistics management for Covid-19 vaccine administration by identifying key bottlenecks and recommending applicable learnings from best practices
• Work closely with EPSA team, FMOH and immunization supply and logistics working groups to review preparedness and adequacy during new vaccine introduction, supplementary immunization activity (SIA) and emergency response
• Develop and maintain key relationships: with EPSA hubs and regional health bureaus, as well as with other key stakeholders - government and development partners
• Develop risk management and backup strategies to ensure continuity of supply in emergency scenarios (e.g., missed supplies and distributions etc.)

Person Specification

Key Competencies:

• Strong oral and written communications skills
• Planning and organization skills
• Analytical and technical skills
• Problem solving and results orientation skill
• Team building and team player skills
• Creative and innovative problem solving skills
• Technology savvy

Education (Qualifications) Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in pharmacy, public health and/or other related field
• Strong knowledge of cold chain equipment and supply chain management practices for immunization (desired)
• Fluent in English & Amharic (additional Ethiopian languages desirable)
• Computer literacy: Proficient in use of key Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Power point)

Required Experience:

• 6 + years’ experience in either government, government advisory, management consulting focused on public health programs (in developing countries)
• At least 3 years of work experience in the management and implementation of supply chain solutions (specific experience on supply chains for immunization programs preferred)
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain working relationships with senior-level officials, particularly interacting productively, proactively, and comfortably with government agencies and succeed in political environments
• Demonstrated experience on data management, data analysis on warehousing, inventory, distribution, and fleet management Ability to identify policy and operational constraints and support problem solving and improvements in policy and implementation
• Possesses a strategic mindset and experience in adaptive management, ex. Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation
• Ability to work independently, think strategically and translate strategies to concrete and implementable plans with an attention to detail be able to deliver results in complex and challenging environments
• Ability to manage projects, set realistic priorities, and plan for the successful implementation of activities

About The Institute

The Tony Blair Institute (TBI) is a mission-driven not for profit organisation. We exist to equip political leaders and governments to build open, inclusive and prosperous societies. We work hard, every day, to make a difference. When governments work well they are able to create economic and social change in a way that promotes fairness, social justice and opportunity. We work relentlessly to support leader and governments with the challenges they face. Giving them practical solutions and actionable insights, that once implemented, can be transformative for their people  

We do this within two connected divisions: 

 Government Advisory 

Our Advisory Practice works directly with political leaders and governments around the world to implement reforms that improve the lives of their citizens. It has both non-profit partners and a client base and its outputs cover a range of disciplines and projects across countries in Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and South Asia. We are currently in a rapid expansion phase from c. 18 countries at present, to 30 by December 2022.

 Policy Futures 

Our Policy Futures work encompasses three broad areas: 

• Renewing the Centre: developing a bold and innovative domestic policy programme to help renew the centre ground of British politics; 
• Tech and Public Policy: exploring the policy challenges and opportunities presented by the technological revolution; and 
• Extremism Policy Unit: creating solutions designed to tackle the threat of extremist ideologies in the UK and around the world. 

As an organisation, the core beliefs we all embrace are: 

• Open and Progressive: you’ll believe in the value of teamwork 
• Bold and Pragmatic: you’ll approach everything you do with integrity and authenticity 
• Optimistic Changemaker: you’ll be focused on results 

TBI believes embracing diversity and inclusion make us a better place to work.  It’s our goal to reflect everyone in society and we actively welcome applications from individuals and groups who are under-represented in the workplace. We celebrate difference be it ethnicity, religion, age, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation or disability. We will only ever assess you on your abilities and fit for a role. We’re happy to discuss any adjustments you need to ensure a level playing field during recruitment and, if you\'re successful, discuss any adjustments you might need to thrive in your role.