Project Manager, Capacity Building

About the IAS:

The International AIDS Society (IAS) leads collective action on every front of the global HIV response through its membership base, scientific authority and convening power. Founded in 1988, the IAS is the world’s largest association of HIV professionals, with members in more than 170 countries. Working with its members, the IAS advocates and drives urgent action to reduce the impact of HIV. The IAS is also the steward of the world’s most prestigious HIV conferences: the International AIDS Conference, the IAS Conference on HIV Science, and the HIV Research for Prevention Conference.

The IAS promotes and invests in HIV advocacy and research on key issue areas through our strategic programmes, initiatives, and campaigns that advocate for urgent action to reduce the global impact of HIV, including increased investment in HIV cure research; optimizing treatment and care for infants, children and adolescents with HIV in resource-limited settings; preventing and treating HIV-related co-infections; and expanding access to prevention, treatment and care for key populations vulnerable to HIV acquisition – such as men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, sex workers and transgender people – including protecting their human rights by combatting punitive laws and discriminatory policies.

More information on IAS can be found at www.iasociety.org.

Details of Employment:

The Project Manager, Capacity Building will be based in Geneva, Switzerland and report to the Deputy Director, HIV Programmes and Advocacy. The position is open-ended and full-time to start as soon as possible.

Purpose of the Position

The Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise (the Enterprise) unites stakeholders to share knowledge, foster collaboration, enable solutions and expand support critical to the development of effective HIV prevention and especially the development of an HIV vaccine.

An important objective of the Enterprise is to lead, working in partnerships, on the establishment of a sustainable initiative, to be known as the African HIV Prevention Research and Development Network to ensure that research sectors in different African countries can contribute to the development of safe and effective prevention, especially an HIV vaccine.

Under the direction of the Deputy Director, HIV Programmes and Advocacy, the Project Manager, Capacity Building will provide a range of project innovation and coordination, research and education content development services to support the initiation, implementation and delivery of a research support network and capacity-building initiative.

Main Responsibilities

Programme development

• Identify needs for capacity-building actions through needs collection and analysis
• Build and sustain effective working relationships with a network of internal and external contacts to facilitate communication and support project objectives
• Manage the design process of the capacity-building strategy
• Develop grant proposals in collaboration with the Deputy Director and the Development and Performance department
• Identify and contribute to the design of tools and actions (e.g., national training seminars, academies), including preparatory meetings with selected service providers.

Programme management

• Coordinate of a group of experts working on strategic aspects of capacity building
• Lead collaborative sessions to develop innovative frameworks and design capacity-building activities
• Identify and coordinate activities with external technical experts, consulting firms and other partners
• Coordinate the organization and delivery of the capacity-building actions (e.g., organizing training for service providers, active participation in coordination meetings and groups in charge of steering the design and implementation of the capacity-building actions)
• Undertake research, analyse results, investigate options and provide recommended solutions to project-related issues
• Monitor and review progress on the implementation of capacity-building activities, including design of evaluation frameworks (whether internal or outsourced), conducting evaluations with beneficiaries and participation in capacity-building activities.

Programme promotion and growth

• Write reports, policy briefs, briefing notes and other documents for internal and external audiences
• Represent the IAS at appropriate expert fora on capacity development and research opportunities in Africa.

Perform any additional tasks assigned by the Deputy Director, HIV Programmes and Advocacy and the Director, HIV Programmes and Advocacy.

Academic Qualifications

• An MSc in a relevant scientific area or an advanced degree in public health, social science, innovation or other relevant discipline and with proven experience in, and knowledge of, basic and clinical HIV prevention research and development.

Work Experience

• At least five years’ experience in a similar role, working in HIV, public health and/or the not-for-profit sector
• Experience with capacity-building initiatives, e.g., designing or implementing efforts to strengthen an organization’s ability to perform functions, solve problems and achieve objectives
• Experience in developing and implementing a new project or programme of work
• Experience in grant writing or management, e.g., proposal development, implementing proposed projects and/or reporting back to donors, especially in a research context
• Experience in managing complex, multicentre, international projects
• Experience in working with diverse stakeholders and decision makers at different levels of seniority
• Experience in working with international conferences, seminars, workshops, meetings, committees or events.

Skills/Competencies

• Entrepreneurship, creativity and influencing skills to develop and implement a new programme of work
• Strong understanding of current issues in capacity building, especially in low- and middle-income countries
• Knowledge of HIV research and development and the HIV prevention field
• Knowledge and understanding of tools and technologies applied to training, including e-learning and/or stakeholder management
• Strong research background, including quantitative and/or qualitative data analysis
• Strong writing skills, as evidenced by experience writing materials for external audiences, such as grant proposals, reports, blogs or summaries
• Strong project management skills
• Highly organized and systematic, with meticulous attention to detail
• Excellent time management skills
• Ability to work independently and an aptitude for multi-tasking
• Ability to work under pressure in an international and multi-cultural context
• Advanced computer skills in the Windows environment (MS Office, Outlook)
• Ability to travel for work.

Languages

• Fluency in English (oral and written) is required. Working knowledge of French (oral and written) is beneficial.