Switzerland: Research and Policy Officer, HIV Programmes and Advocacy

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 Research and Policy Officer, HIV Programmes and Advocacy will be based in Geneva, Switzerland and report to the Director, HIV Programmes and Advocacy. The position is open-ended and full-time to start as soon as possible.

Purpose of the Position:

The incumbent will be responsible for the management of the Industry Liaison Forum (ILF), the coordination of priority project areas, and monitoring, evaluation and learning for the HIV Programmes and Advocacy department. This will include interactions with a large variety of external partners from both industry and non-industry organizations and work across a range of thematic priority areas for the IAS including HIV cure and the integration of HIV with other co-infections and co-morbidities.

Main Responsibilities:

Management of the ILF

• Implement the ILF strategy, identify clear advocacy deliverables and manage work plans to meet those deliverables
• Develop activities with the ILF Advisory Group and other relevant stakeholders
• Manage annual budgets and operational plans for the ILF
• Build sustainable relations with key stakeholders and recruit new partners
• Ensure funding of the ILF, in collaboration with the IAS Development and Performance team
• Support the IAS Development and Performance team in managing the ILF Corporate Partnership Programme
• Facilitate and guide discussion among advisory group members and other partners
• Report on ILF activities and progress through newsletters, conference calls, reports (including the annual report), and other tools
• Write documents (briefings, reports, white papers, scientific articles) as needed
• Promote the ILF work, in collaboration with the IAS Communications team
• Represent the ILF at relevant conferences and meetings.

Monitoring, evaluation and learning

• Implement the monitoring of the success measures for the department and contribute to the key performance measures of the IAS
• Contribute to the development and operationalization of results based frameworks across IAS programmes and advocacy campaigns
• Contribute towards fostering a culture of learning, reflection, action and improvement within the department.

Programme coordination and scientific contribution

• Coordinate the Towards an HIV Cure Initiative including liaison with the Advisory Board, coordinating with the co-chairs of the Industry Cure Group (ICG), developing work plans, project plans and associate budgets for programme activities and managing related grants and contracts related to implementation of activities and partnership agreements
• Contribute towards the implementation of the portfolio of activities in relation to HIV, co-infections and co-morbidities, through resource mobilization and grant writing, partnership building and coordinating the production of advocacy briefs with colleagues, consultants and an external review group
• Provide strategic, scientific and industry input to IAS staff
• Supervise interns and associates; and work with consultants, when necessary.

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

Academic Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or PhD in biomedical sciences, health sciences, law, public health or other relevant fields aligned with IAS priorities.

Work Experience:

• At least 3 to 5 years’ experience at a similar position working in HIV, and/or global public health
• Experience in organizing and facilitating events, roundtables etc
• Experience in managing complex project budgets and work plans
• Experience working with a diversity of stakeholders, including industry
• Experience in monitoring and evaluation, and organizational learning
• Experience in scientific research and academic writing and publishing
• Experience in managing contracts and writing legal documents.

Skills/Competencies:

• Strong stakeholder management and service-oriented approach
• Excellent communication, organizational, multi-tasking, problem-solving and project management skills, with the ability to maintain quality under pressure
• Ability to work independently and as part of a very diverse team
• Meticulous attention to details
• Broad understanding of scientific research
• Good knowledge of HIV, co-infections and/or co-morbidities (including the industry landscape) in a global health context
• Good knowledge of human rights, and links between scientific evidence and links to global health policy making processes.

Languages:

• Advanced level English. Knowledge of other languages is an asset.

Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV and a cover letter, in English and by email only, torecruitment@iasociety.orgby Monday, 27 January 2020. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Only candidates from Switzerland, from an EU/EFTA country or candidates already having a valid Swiss working permit to work full-time will be considered.

IAS employees are evidence-based, human rights-focused, inclusive and accountable partners in the HIV response. Candidates should display genuine commitment to IAS values (learn more here).

The IAS is committed to recruiting and sustaining a skilled, effective, diverse and gender-balanced secretariat, and to the greater involvement of people living with HIV (GIPA) in all aspects of its work. People living with HIV are strongly encouraged to apply.