PATH is a global nonprofit dedicated to achieving health equity. With more than 40 years of experience forging multisector partnerships, and with expertise in science, economics, technology, advocacy, and dozens of other specialties, PATH develops and scales up innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing health challenges.
PATH is currently recruiting for a Senior Program Assistant (SPA) to provide wide and varied administrative and organizational support to a portfolio of projects in the Center for Vaccine Innovation and Access (CVIA) division as an integral member of the Portfolio, Project and Knowledge Management area. As a member of the Integrated Portfolio and Financial management Functional Area (IPFM), the SPA, provides administrative, scheduling and knowledge management tasks to support efficient progress of project teams.
PATH’s Center for Vaccine Innovation and Access spans every stage of the complex process of vaccine research, development, and introduction to make lifesaving vaccines widely available to women, children, and communities across the world. CVIA’s current portfolio encompasses more than two dozen vaccines either in development or already in use to protect against 18 different diseases, including diarrheal disease, malaria, meningitis, pneumonia, polio, and COVID. We work in partnership with national health ministries, pharmaceutical manufacturers, donors, international financing and regulatory organizations, and many others. PATH has led numerous global partnerships, including the award-winning Meningitis Vaccine Project and the Malaria Vaccine Initiative, which helped develop the world’s first malaria vaccine recently recommended by the WHO. PATH’s work on vaccine development and introduction encompasses activities including discovery, preclinical development, clinical research and development, process development and manufacturing, regulatory and vaccine introduction. Over 25 candidates and vaccines are currently in our portfolio in the following disease areas – Malaria, Enteric and Diarrheal Diseases, Polio, Respiratory Tract Infections and Meningitis, HPV and Vector-borne viral diseases (e.g., Japanese Encephalitis, Yellow Fever) – and in the cross-cutting areas of Maternal Immunization and Immunization Systems Strengthening.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Manage scheduling and planning of meetings, including compiling, and organizing relevant background materials; finalize, format, and distribute meeting minutes; assist with drafting and distributing agendas; and monitoring follow-up activities such as decisions, action items and other tasks as requested.
- Ensure that logistics for meetings, workshops, and other events are arranged. This includes preparing meeting materials, arranging web conferences using appropriate platforms, making catering arrangements, making room reservations, maintaining participant lists, and assisting with guest arrangements.
- Assist with completion of administrative forms as required, including travel forms, check requests, meal conference forms, etc. Coordinate and manage travel arrangements for team members and consultants.
- Ensure that project team communication and information systems, including SharePoint, BOX, Smartsheet, and any other electronic and paper filing systems, are appropriately stored and are regularly maintained in knowledge management systems. Serve as the primary point of contact to assist team members with filing and locating key project documents.
- Provide administrative support in the proofreading, formatting, and document management of proposals, reports, work plans, and other documents. Facilitate CVIA leadership review of documents as required. Compile reference lists for manuscripts and other externally facing documents, adhering to reference formatting requirements.
- Facilitate timely communication and dissemination of materials to support project team workflow and project activities. May include supporting team member responses to partner and stakeholder communications including calls, email, and other communication platforms.
- Organize and collate project information to support development of project reports to funders and facilitate report submission according to funder requirements.
- Assist team members with project-related administrative tasks as requested.
- Support IPFM Team members to drive project team operations that maintain project progress by proactively anticipating and providing administrative and operational support.
- Assist team members with support in using various software programs.
- Serve as member of the CVIA’s administrative team to ensure smooth coordination of team schedule and project activities among the different offices. Provide back up for other CVIA Program Assistants.
Required Skills
- Strong interpersonal and organizational skills, and a proactive nature to engage in problem solving and creating solutions.
- Extremely detail-oriented, with flexibility to support efficient team operations.
- Articulate communicator, excellent English oral and written communication skills. Proven success drafting, proofreading, and editing documents.
- Collaborative team member with an ability to adjust to a variety of working styles and effectively interact with people across cultures and geographies.
- Proven effectiveness prioritizing competing demands while remaining flexible and adaptable to changing priorities.
- Ability to multi-task and manage competing priorities and deadlines while balancing the administrative needs of project teams.
- Ability to work independently to support the operational aspects of project teams and/or Functional/Disease Areas.
- Demonstrated skills in developing and maintaining administrative processes and systems that result in enhanced efficiency in team operations.
- Aptitude for learning new software and supporting its adoption across teams.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a multi-site organization and a team-based structure.
Required Experience
- Associate degree (AA), Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent and minimum of four years of directly related administrative experience; or equivalent combination of experience and education.
- Prior experience working in a complex, matrixed organization a plus.
- Proficiency in the application of Microsoft Office Suite with an emphasis on proficiency in Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Experience with Smartsheet preferred.
- Must have legal authorization to work in the United States.
- Studies or experience with science-related terminology and concepts strongly desired.
REMOTE WORK:
PATH continues to evolve to support our employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, most of PATH’s US based positions are temporarily 100% remote, within commuting distance to our PATH offices. When PATH transitions more broadly to in-person work, we will operate with a hybrid workplace model. Hybrid employees must reside within commuting distance to one of our PATH offices. PATH’s US offices are in Seattle, WA and Washington, D.C.
COVID-19 VACCINE REQUIREMENT:
PATH has instituted a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all employees, interns, consultants, and temporary staff based in the United States. Individuals selected for job opportunities in the United States must be fully vaccinated, and show proof of vaccination status, upon hire. Individuals are considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as Pfizer or Moderna, or 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson. Individuals with medical issues or sincerely held religious beliefs that prevent them from getting the vaccine may request an exemption from the vaccine requirement.
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PATH is dedicated to building an inclusive workforce where diversity is valued.
PATH is an equal opportunity employer. Every qualified applicant will be considered for employment. PATH does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or orientation, genetic information, age, national origin, marital status, disability status, political ideology, military or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.