Role purpose

The Vice President of Program Innovation will lead GH Labs’ efforts in integrating effective healthcare technologies from the three core areas of our emphasis – primary healthcare (PHC) equipment; Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health (MNCH) tools/technologies; and Diagnostics for triage, treatment and care delivery- into a cohesive portfolio of solutions that together address challenges impacting front line healthcare in LMIC settings… They will be responsible for bringing to life a range of new innovations; demonstrate the value of those innovations in primary healthcare systems across several LMICs; and partner to show how innovation-led  health care can transform the lives of individuals in underserved communities. The VP will partner closely with a range of external innovators and health experts in this role, working in partnership  with colleagues at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).

The VP will report to GH Labs’ CEO and serve as a member of the GH Labs Leadership Team, which is accountable to set and deliver the strategic vision for the organization, ensuring operational effectiveness in allocation of resources and capabilities. They will work closely alongside the leaders in Research & Product Development, and Strategy & Planning to develop and implement GH Labs’ innovation mandate.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Role Responsibilities

• Develop the innovation roadmap for GH Lab’s primary healthcare portfolio, with partnership and support from GH Labs’ Strategy & Planning team  
• Provide clinical medicine insight and guidance across the complete GH Labs portfolio of projects as needed
• Build and provide managerial leadership of the Program team, which includes expertise in product development, clinical science, and implementation field studies….  
• Drive external relationships in close partnership with BMGF colleagues and other partners, to identify impactful healthcare innovation opportunities:

• Identify a portfolio of innovations (including those potentially developed at other organizations) to improve primary healthcare in LMICs
• Identify appropriate partners where “demonstration sites” can be developed, which will collectively:

• Represent the range of LMIC healthcare settings from extremely sparse to relatively advanced
• Inform the portfolio elements of innovation appropriate for each context
• Understand what non-technology improvements are needed to complement technology innovations
• Inspire key decisionmakers (e.g., ministries of health) to invest in such models of innovation-led healthcare

• Effectively build partnerships, working collaboratively across a complex, multi-stakeholder environment to meet shared objectives by

• Serving as primary relationship manager with key members of BMGF leadership and program teams
• Managing relationships with key stakeholders in regions of interest
• Developing and managing partnerships with other organizations that can support or complement GH Labs’ capabilities and efforts

 Partner with GH Labs’ Research & Product Development and Product Management teams to develop and evaluate high-impact innovations from GH Labs.

Leadership Responsibilities

People Manager: The VP of Program Innovation sets clear expectations aligned to organization objectives, manages performance, supports development, and creates an environment for success. Provides feedback and re-prioritization to enable individual potential for the highest organization impact.

Team Leader: The VP of Program Innovation is a thought leader and visionary for a function/team. They translate strategy to inspire team(s) to work collaboratively and effectively toward clear goals and objectives. They set clear expectations aligned to organization objectives, manages performance, supports development, and creates an environment for success. Provides feedback and re-prioritization to enable individual potential for the highest organization impact.

Required Skills & Experience

Education

• Medical doctor or advanced biomedical degree with significant experience in healthcare innovation with an emphasis on primary care (see below)

Experience

• 15+ years of progressive, relevant experience in Global Health product development
• Significant experience in LMICs, in the form of lived or professional experience, including first-hand experience successfully developing innovation-led primary care systems in LMICs
• Demonstrated success with implementation / action plans and objectives where analysis of situations or data requires in-depth knowledge of organization, competitive environment, technology and economic or social implications of organization activities.
• Track record of successfully managing complex, ideally multi-country partnerships
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in positions requiring communication with a broad audience representing diverse cultures
• Willingness and ability to conduct significant business travel between Seattle, and various LMIC settings (e.g., India and parts of Africa)
• Passion for—and long-term track record of working in—social impact

Required Competencies

GH Labs Success Factors

We believe there are a few prioritized key capabilities and behaviors that are critical to success for all roles at GH Labs.

They are:

• Demonstrates Collaboration actively listens and works with others openly and transparently to create an environment where diverse viewpoints are valued, and information is shared for the purposes of solving problems and achieving collective goals. Seeks collaborative solutions as the best path to sustainable change.
• Accelerates Impact takes risks, proves/disproves concepts quickly and with a growth mindset, solves creatively, and partners strategically to achieve results and deliver impact on GH Labs mission.
• Promotes Accountability holds self and others accountable so that success is celebrated, and failure is understood and addressed.
• Establishes Trust interacts, shares, and receives information and feedback in a way that builds trust and gains the confidence of others.

Role-Specific Success Factors

• Builds Partnerships works collaboratively in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment, to meet shared objectives.
• Decision Quality: has experience using data to drive decision-making, project planning, progress measurement, and the achievement of results.
• Cultivates Innovation creates new and better ways for the organization to be successful.
• Global Perspective: takes a broad view when approaching issues, using a global lens and accounting for cultural sensitivities.
• Nimble Learner: actively learns through experimentation when tackling new challenges, using both successes and failures as learning fodder.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

GH Labs is committed to being an inclusive, equitable and positive workplace, where all employees thrive personally and professionally.

We believe our workforce should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we work to serve.

We also believe in the research that demonstrates diverse groups – including groups diverse in experience and opinion – are more innovative than homogenous ones.

As such, diversity is a key pillar of our employment practices, and every applicant and employee drawn to serve the mission of GH Labs will be welcomed and will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to race, gender identity, color, gender expression, age, national origin, religion, genetic information, pregnancy status, veteran status, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, prior protected activity, disability, and any other basis protected by law.

Eligibility:

Upon hire, new employees must present proof of 1) eligibility to legally work in the U.S.; and 2) COVID-19 vaccination status. Currently, GH Labs requires a primary COVID-19 vaccination series and booster for all employees, unless there is an approved medical or religious accommodation. Questions regarding accommodations should be directed to [email protected].

Export Controls:

This role may include access to technology and/or software source code that is subject to U.S. export control requirements under the ITAR or the EAR.

How to Apply

If you wish to be considered for this position, please complete the Application Form below on or before 4 April 2023. In addition, we encourage you to please attach a copy of the most recent English version of your CV.

All information will be treated in the strictest confidence.

If you have an initial query rather than an application, kindly email us at [email protected].

SRI Executive is exclusively retained by GH Labs to undertake this assignment.