Vaccine Supply-Chain Lead

Opian is an Ethiopian health-technology and innovation company building decision infrastructure for stronger health systems. We combine deep knowledge of how care and supply chains operate, human-centred product design, data engineering and responsible artificial intelligence. Our work helps health workers, managers and public institutions turn fragmented data into timely decisions—so essential medicines, vaccines and services are available where and when people need them.

Our philosophy

We believe useful innovation is not novelty for its own sake. It is the disciplined work of understanding a real problem, challenging assumptions, building and testing a better response, measuring what changes, and strengthening the institutions that must sustain the result. Technology is valuable only when it improves a decision, a workflow or an outcome in the real operating environment.

· Start with reality: design around the health workers, workloads, incentives, infrastructure and constraints that actually exist—not an imported ideal workflow.

· Build with people, not for them: government counterparts and frontline users are co-designers, decision-makers and eventual owners, not passive recipients.

· Strengthen the system, not a standalone application: connect workflows, data, institutions and incentives so information can lead to action across every level.

· Push boundaries responsibly: make ambitious but testable bets, protect safety and privacy, and change direction quickly when evidence contradicts the original idea.

· Make capability local and durable: transfer knowledge, product ownership and operational responsibility so progress continues without permanent dependence on an external project team.

· Be honest about impact: distinguish deployment from adoption and activity from results; make claims specific, measurable and open to verification.

What this means for candidates

Opian is looking for accomplished specialists who are also builders. Candidates should bring exceptional depth in their discipline, intellectual courage, practical judgment and the humility to learn from users and evidence. We value people who can move from ambiguity to a testable approach, from a workshop to an operating routine, and from a promising pilot to an institutionally owned system. The standard is simple: show not only what you know, but what you personally built, changed, tested, learned and left stronger.

· Work across public health, supply chain, policy, product, technology and field implementation boundaries.

· Turn expertise into usable products, processes, decisions and measurable improvements—not reports alone.

· Operate with urgency while preserving quality, public trust, data protection, service continuity and government ownership.

Recruitment under this vacancy is subject to donor approval.

Vacancy Summary

Role purpose

Provide authoritative technical leadership on vaccine forecasting, allocation, storage, distribution, cold chain, wastage, accountability and the connection between vaccine availability and immunization service delivery.

Key responsibilities

· Map vaccine flows, decision rights, information flows and performance bottlenecks from national level to service-delivery points.

· Define functional requirements for vaccine receipts, issues, adjustments, stock counts, batch and expiry tracking, temperature events and outreach allocation.

· Ensure that digital workflows support forecasting, replenishment, redistribution, new vaccine introduction and immunization microplanning.

· Specify indicators and business rules for stock availability, wastage, expiry, cold-chain excursions, emergency resupply and session readiness.

· Work with product and technical teams to validate data models, workflows, alerts and decision-support logic.

· Support pilot-site selection, baseline assessment, training, supportive supervision and performance reviews.

· Facilitate coordination among EPI, supply-chain agencies, cold-chain functions, regional bureaus, woredas and facilities.

· Document and test SOPs and accountability mechanisms for responding to vaccine-supply risks.

· Support evaluation, interpretation of findings, national learning and scale-up recommendations.

Expected results

· Validated vaccine supply-chain workflows and digital requirements.

· Improved visibility of vaccine stock, batch, expiry, wastage and cold-chain risks in pilot areas.

· Documented evidence that data are used for allocation, replenishment, redistribution and service planning.

· Vaccine-management SOPs and competency-development materials integrated into routine practice.