Chief Executive Officer

About CEPI

Innovating for impact

Since its inception in 2017, CEPI has catalysed action from product and platform development to enabling sciences and manufacturing innovations, overseeing progress and scientific breakthroughs that would have been impossible without CEPI’s intervention.

It has invested in over 70 vaccine candidates or platform technologies and contributed to scientific breakthroughs that bring the prospect of protection against a host of viral threats closer than ever before. These include the first-ever licensed Chikungunya vaccine and the first-ever Lassa, MERS and Nipah vaccines into Phase II trials. Through this progress, CEPI is generating crucial data and knowledge about vaccines for many of the most dangerous viral families that will help the world to face down a future Disease X.

CEPI’s network of Global South vaccine manufacturing partners on three continents is helping to boost sustainable vaccine production and outbreak response manufacturing capacity, and its global networks of preclinical facilities and laboratories are ready to rapidly respond to outbreaks close to the source.

CEPI’s work during COVID-19 helped to set the agenda. It conceptualized and co-led COVAX – which delivered around 2 billion doses to 146 countries, saving an estimated 2\.7 million lives - and supported the development of one of the world’s largest portfolios of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, seven of which have been approved for domestic or global use.

The 100 Days Mission

Central to CEPI’s pandemic-busting plan is the 100 Days Mission: a goal spearheaded by CEPI and embraced by the G7, G20 and industry leaders, to accelerate the time taken to develop safe, effective, globally accessible vaccines against new threats to just 100 days. Through its investments, partnerships and advocacy, CEPI is building the critical capabilities needed to deliver the 100 Days Mission and galvanizing support for this goal which, today, is embedded into health security strategies around the world. Independent modelling shows in the starkest terms why the world needs to be prepared to move faster and more equitably. A successful 100 Days Mission in response to COVID-19 could have averted over 8 million deaths, 1\.4 billion infections and 27 million hospitalisations with the greatest benefits felt in the Global South.

About the role

CEPI seeks its next Chief Executive Officer. The need for CEPI is greater now than ever before. Epidemic and pandemic threats are growing more complex and unpredictable. The world is increasingly fragmented — and more vulnerable — than it has been in decades. Yet, paradoxically, our capacity to respond has never been stronger. Science and technology now give us tools previous generations could only imagine.

CEPI is working to take many of the most menacing epidemic and pandemic threats off the table by investing in preparedness, innovation and equity now to develop life-saving vaccines against known threats like Lassa fever and Nipah and to dramatically reduce the future risk of pandemics through the 100 Days Mission, making the world a safer place for all. Founded in 2017, the organization is a Coalition of vaccine developers, manufacturers, sovereign governments, philanthropies, civil society and global health organizations. It receives financial support from over 30 countries and philanthropies.

Compelling candidates will be able to demonstrate their track record of success as a CEO or senior leader of a significant organization, and ability to navigate a highly complex, ambiguous world, with multiple stakeholders and partners. They will be familiar with vaccines, public health, and epidemic preparedness, and understand the global health architecture. Candidates should also be able to demonstrate success in leading a high-performance, healthy institution, with respect to financial management, people \& culture, and the delivery of results. Finally, candidates should be compelling communicators in English, and experienced in working in a multicultural environment, with a deep respect for others, from all nations and all walks of life.

The CEO is appointed on a five-year term, renewable once (maximum of ten years).

Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency advisor to the CEPI on this appointment. For further information about the role, including details about how to apply, please visit roles.saxbam.com using reference NBYCA. Alternatively email [email protected]. Applications should be received by midday UK time on Tuesday 5 May.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• The CEO reports directly to the CEPI board, and is primarily responsible for the successful leadership of the priorities established in the CEPI 3\.0 strategy.
• Maintain and enhance the power of CEPI’s alliances positioning CEPI as a highly capable, distinctive contributor to vaccines R\&D and biological countermeasures at a system level. This includes understanding systemic gaps that CEPI must strengthen, and understanding the complementary role of other national and international institutions, to avoid duplication.
• Position CEPI to deliver upon opportunities, as a fast-moving, foresightful organization.
• Effectively evaluate and manage risks across a highly complex portfolio of activity.
• Ensure the highest levels of confidence among investors, partners, and governments in CEPI’s mission and performance.

Organizational Performance

• Ensure a high-performance organization through the development of people, processes and technology.
• Shape organizational structure, culture, leadership and capabilities, with robust management of performance.
• Lead CEPI’s internal management committees, as a mechanism to direct implementation, and harmonize diverse expertise and areas of focus across the organization.
• Ensure the robust management of significant resources, including ensuring the value of CEPI’s investments, accountability for maximizing the impact and value of investor resources, and highly effective accounting for performance \& fiduciary responsibility.

Partners \& Stakeholders

• The CEO is the primary representative of CEPI’s management with the board, and with its other key coordinating mechanisms. Lead effective reporting to the board on all operational, administrative and financial aspects of CEPI’s performance, including the timely and transparent reporting of challenges and risks.
• Represent CEPI at the highest levels nationally and internationally, ensuring that the contribution of CEPI to the global health architecture and to matters of national security are well understood, through direct engagement of policy-makers, international organizations, partner organizations, and the execution of a strategic communications strategy.
• Build and maintain alliances and operational partnerships across a wide array of partnerships, extending across industry, R\&D organizations of all types, manufacturers, United Nations entities, governments of implementing countries, bilateral donors, philanthropies, and partner international organizations in the global health sector.
• Play a key leadership role in the ongoing fundraising effort to support CEPI 3\.0\.

Delivery \& Results

• Ensure a highly results-focused organization, anchored in key principles of rapid execution, innovation, and – above all – epidemic preparedness.
• Ensure effective monitoring and evaluation of programs, investments, and portfolio-level impact. Develop a sophisticated understanding of success and performance, including appraising milestones towards achieving CEPI’s five-year goals, relative to its resources.
• Ensure that alliances and operational partnerships are deeply embedded in CEPI’s working practices, that partnerships are operational, durable, and bear results.

Education, Experience and Competence

Knowledge, skills and experience

• Compelling candidates for the role will be able to demonstrate their:
• Track record of success as a CEO or senior leader of a significant organization.
• Track record of success in navigating a highly complex, ambiguous world, with multiple stakeholders and partners.
• Familiarity with vaccines, public health, and epidemic preparedness.
• Success in leading a high-performing, healthy institution, with respect to financial management, people \& culture, and delivery of results.
• Understanding of the global health architecture.
• Fluency in English, and experience of working in a multicultural environment.
• Candidates should also be able to demonstrate a combination of some of the desirable experience in the following areas:
• Strategic vision, capacity to inspire, and set direction.
• Leadership on key questions of epidemic preparedness and health innovation at a global level.
• Leadership on relevant R\&D and/or manufacturing.
• Leadership in a highly diverse, international context.
• Experience of leading successful fundraising campaigns.

Personal qualities

• The highest standards of ethics and integrity.
• A keen intellect, with sound judgement and rigor in decision-making.
• An exceptional strategic thinker, with a sophisticated understanding of system-level impact and collaboration.
• Results-driven leadership, measuring performance in outcomes.
• Humility in their relationships with others, and willingness to learn and grow.
• Respect for others, from all nations and all walks of life.

Travel and Location Requirements

• This role is based in Oslo, London, or Washington, D.C.

Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency advisor to the CEPI on this appointment. For further information about the role, including details about how to apply, please visit roles.saxbam.com using reference NBYCA. Alternatively email [email protected].

Applications should be received by midday UK time on Tuesday 5 May.