EGMVI Malaria Vaccine Project Specialist 2, Silver Spring, Maryland

Background

MCDI has been funded by Marathon Oil, AMPCO, Noble Energy and the Government of Equatorial Guinea to lead the implementation of the Equatorial Guinea Malaria Vaccine Initiative (EGMVI). Implementing partners are Sanaria, Inc., the company developing a Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite (PfSPZ) malaria vaccine, the Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) of Tanzania, and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOHSW) of Equatorial Guinea (EG).

The goal of the EGMVI is to eliminate malaria from Bioko Island by combining the mass vaccination of Bioko's population based on a licensed PfSPZ vaccine with standard control measures implemented by the Bioko Island Malaria Control Project (BIMCP). The BIMCP, which is also implemented under the management of MCDI, works in close consultation with the National Malaria Control Program to deliver indoor residual spraying, long lasting insecticide treated nets, focal larval control, passive and active malaria diagnosis and treatment, behavior change communications and extensive monitoring and evaluation. The EGMVI will seek to carry out a series of scale-escalating and age-expanding vaccine trials and then, subject to the availability of a licensed and highly effective transmission blocking PfSPZ vaccine, to implement an Island-wide mass vaccination campaign aimed at eliminating malaria from the Island.

The first clinical trial with the PfSPZ vaccine in Bioko will be conducted in 2014, following a protocol that will be based on a similar trial conducted in Tanzania at the Ifakara Health Institute. IHI will provide technical assistance to the EGMVI to conduct the first clinical trial, supplying the Principal Investigator and other key clinical staff, and will work with the operational support of MCDI along with a team of Equatoguinean nationals to implement the trial. MCDI, with technical guidance from Sanaria and IHI and with technical support of WHO-AFRO, will be responsible for working with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to ensure that the conditions precedent for the first trial are put in place. These conditions includes, inter alia, establishing an Ethical Committee (EC) and National Regulatory Authority (NRA) in Equatorial Guinea to review and approve trial protocols and authorize the importation of clinical trial material.

In addition to setting up the appropriate ethics and regulatory authorities, the EGMVI is training Equatoguinean nationals to participate in the first clinical trial in Bioko Island. This team has participated in a training course at the IHI in Bagamoyo, Tanzania, to learn how clinical trials are conducted and managed, how Good Clinical Practice is adhered to, and how results are monitored. During the first trial, these individuals will be part of the Vaccine Implementation Team, along with four team members from IHI.. The objective is to prepare the Equatoguineans to take on direct roles in subsequent trials.

Subject to the successful implementation of the first trial, a series of age-expanding and scale-escalating trials are planned between 2014 and 2018. If, at the end of this process, the PfSPZ vaccine proves to be

This is initial version of the Scope of Work for the position; it may change slightly. highly effective and is licensed by the USFDA and is approved for use in Equatorial Guinea by the National Regulatory Authority, the EGMVI will be extended to carry out an Island-wide malaria vaccination campaign that will seek to eliminate malaria from the Island.

Qualifications

• PhD in immunology, biochemistry, microbiology or related field
• 10-15 years of experience in overseeing clinical trials and vaccination campaigns, (such as a WHO EPI campaign), in Africa or other developing country context
• Experience in malaria vaccine development a plus
• Previous project management experience essential
• Demonstrated training/mentoring skills and capacity building experience in a developing country setting
• Excellent writer with demonstrated ability to generate clear, coherent reports, proposals and other documents
• Authorship of, or contributions to, peer-reviewed publications on subjects related to vaccine development and/or vaccination campaigns
• Fluency in spoken and written English.
• Proficiency in Spanish desirable; Willingness to learn Spanish essential.
• Strong computer skills, including use of MS Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Project)
• Willingness to travel to Equatorial Guinea and other destinations, up to 25% time

Roles and Responsibilities

• The roles and responsibilities of the Malaria Vaccine Project Specialist will include, inter alia:

Management

• Day-to-day management of MCDI's home office involvement in the EGMVI, providing technical and operational support to the field office to support the series of scale and age escalating malaria vaccine trials culminating in a mass vaccination campaign and boostering campaigns.
• Providing technical support for planning EGMVI activities, including trials, mass vaccination campaigns, and boostering.
• Assisting in the preparation of project work plans
• Monitoring project work plans and deliverable schedules
• Assisting in the preparation of budgets and monitoring expenditures against budgets
• Preparing and monitoring contracts with sub-contractors (Sanaria, IHI, STPH, etc.)
• Supporting Sanaria, IHI and the field team to draft, review and edit protocols and SOPs, data collection forms, informed consent documents and ethics submissions.
• Supporting capacity building for national clinical research and vaccination management and implementation staff
• Assisting in procurement and supplies management, interfacing with the Procurement Unit at MCDI, to ensure the timely delivery of supplies, equipment, etc.
• Overseeing the writing of quarterly and other project reports
• Representing MCDI home office in meetings with Sanaria, IHI and other EGMVI partners.
• Representing the EGMVI at international, regional and national meetings
• Contributing to technical publications based on field implementation activities

Coordination

• Coordinating and managing relations with technical staff of the cooperating partners (Sanaria, Ifakara, MOH) and with the Marathon Corporate Social Responsibility Manager
• Coordinating with staff from the Bioko Island Malaria Control Project (BIMCP) to secure support as required
• Assisting the field team in maintaining effective working relationship with the Ethics Committee of the GoEG
• If necessary, providing direct support to the lead partners when meeting deliverable schedules

Monitoring/evaluation

• Monitoring project implementation and deliverables
• Providing technical and management support to the development and implementation of a vaccination Campaign Information Management System (CIMS) based on tablet and cell-phone technologies.
• Supporting clinical trial monitoring and data management in collaboration with IHI and Sanaria.
• Assisting in analyzing data and drafting study reports and articles for publication.
• Guiding the development and operationalization of a surveillance system for malaria elimination

Planning for subsequent stages

• Assisting in planning for scale-escalating and age-expanding vaccine trials
• Assisting in planning the implementation of a multi-dose mass vaccination campaign of all residents of Bioko starting in 2019
• Assisting in planning booster campaigns
• Assisting in planning routine vaccination for newly arrived or previously unvaccinated residents (including young children)

Line of Authority

• The position will report to the BIMCP/EGMVI Project Director.

Location

• The position is based at MCDI Home Office in Silver Spring, MD, but entails significant travel (up to 25%) to the field.

To apply

Qualified interested parties should submit their CV detailing relevant experience, a 1420 biodata sheet, and the names and contact information for at least three references familiar with the applicant's skills and work (preferably individuals who are or have been supervisors) to: mcdjobs@mcd.org

The Subject line should read EGMVI Malaria Vaccine Project Specialist