Analyst, Innovation & Technology

Description

Country 

United States

City 

Boston

Type 

Regular – Full Time (eligible for benefits)

Business Unit 

Access Programs - Global Markets Team

Additional Location Description 

Toronto, Canada

More information about this job:

Overview:

The Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to strengthening integrated health systems in the developing world and expanding access to preventative health interventions such as vaccines, as well as care and treatment for HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. Based on the premise that business-oriented strategies can facilitate solutions to global health challenges, CHAI acts as a catalyst to mobilize new resources and optimize the impact of these resources to save lives, via improved organization of commodity markets and more effective national and sub-national level management. Currently, CHAI partners with governments in more than 25 countries, while more than 70 countries directly benefit from the low-priced drugs, diagnostic tests, and vaccines agreements that CHAI has negotiated.

There is an unprecedented wave of new vaccines expected to become available within the next decade that could transform the global burden of disease, and CHAI is applying the techniques it has used successfully to improve access to HIV/AIDS and malaria treatment in developing countries to achieve the same for essential vaccines and vaccine cold chain equipment. In order to increase vaccine cold chain capacity to accommodate these new vaccines, national governments and donors expect to spend up to $1.7 billion to purchase and operate vaccine cold chain equipment over the next 10 years.

CHAI has already begun to work with key partners to negotiate price reductions for major vaccines. This work has resulted in a reduction in the price of rotavirus vaccine by two-thirds, resulting in savings of over USD$600M for global donors and governments over 5 years. Efforts on other antigens and cold chain equipment are currently underway. By working with key stakeholders, the CHAI Global Vaccine Markets program aims to support the achievement of affordable yet sustainable vaccine and cold chain equipment prices, thereby increasing value for money and enabling accelerated introduction of new vaccines in developing countries.

To support this work, CHAI is looking to hire an Innovation & Technology Analyst. Candidates with more experience than specified in the Qualifications section (see below) may be considered for an Associate role. As part of the Global Vaccines Markets team, this Analyst will contribute to the ongoing effort to achieve affordable yet commercially sustainable global vaccine cold chain equipment prices. Additionally, the Analyst will support CHAI’s vaccines country teams and Ministries of Health in four countries (Ethiopia, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Tanzania) with technical insights and proposed evidence driven solutions on the most viable cold chain equipment choices and systems for their respective usage contexts.

Responsibilities:

We are seeking a highly motivated individual with outstanding analytical ability, communication skills, and academic credentials. The successful candidate will adhere to the core CHAI values of resourcefulness, entrepreneurialism, flexibility, independence, humility, and work ethic. The Innovation & Technology Analyst’s role includes but is not limited to the following responsibilities:

• Support the building of relationships with cold chain equipment manufacturer partners by assisting these partners with value-adding knowledge exchanges. These exchanges may consist of, among other things, insights into cold chain equipment usage conditions in the field and regular feedback to manufacturers on country experiences with cold chain equipment and unmet country needs that may inform future product design.
• Lead the development of comprehensive and robust study protocols for the field evaluation of new cold chain technology, especially vaccine refrigerators and remote temperature monitoring devices, in Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Mozambique; collaborate intensively with the CHAI Country teams in these countries in this process.
• Assist the Vaccine Markets team in procurements of cold chain equipment for these CHAI Country teams; understand the Country teams’ work plans for procurements and testing and also the usage conditions in the field; work with the Country teams to identify suitable refrigerator and temperature monitoring technology for evaluation by the Country teams.
• Prepare rigorous scientific reports on the findings from the aforementioned cold chain equipment field evaluations; disseminate these effectively within CHAI and its Country teams as well as to external partners, including manufacturers, Ministries of Health, and global agencies (WHO, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, GAVI, etc.), to help inform country cold chain equipment selection.
• Any other duties as required by the Innovation & Technology Associate, Vaccines Markets.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications: 

• Minimum 2 years of work experience (full-time or internships) with organizations engaged in technical fields: product design and development, manufacturing, etc.; an ability to quickly understand and evaluate new technology as well as the complexities in its design, manufacturing, and operation are a must for this position. (Candidates with more experience may be considered for a more senior Associate level role).
• A Bachelor’s in Engineering or other technical disciplines or fields related to product design and development; a basic understanding of the business behind technology is desirable.
• Exceptional analytical, research, and presentation skills for both qualitative and quantitative data.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills; the ability to explain complex technical jargon in more efficient English that is easily understandable across multiple countries and cultures.
• Ability to stay motivated and work independently in a dynamic environment with a steep learning curve and multiple priorities.
• Cross-cultural empathy and sensitivity; an awareness of developing world concerns; the genuine desire to build close and productive working relationships with people from different business cultures and geographies.
• Entrepreneurial mindset to define the nuts and bolts of the position; a desire to constantly learn and grow.
• Ability to travel approximately 30% of the time to CHAI program countries in Africa and to manufacturer partners primarily in North America and Europe.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in product design for low income settings. 
• Master's degree in Engineering or other technical disciplines or fields related to product design and development.
• Experience working and communicating with government officials and multilateral organizations
• Experience travelling and/or working in developing countries (e.g. with Engineers Without Borders).
• Experience in vaccines and/or global healthcare systems.

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