Senior Program Manager – Infectious Disease Surveillance & Research

SOKIFY JOB LISTING Position: Senior Program Manager – Infectious Disease Surveillance & Research Employer: Goldbelt, Inc. ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY This position is contingent upon successful contract award currently under bid. Goldbelt Apex, part of our Healthcare Technology Transformation Group, champions data-driven solutions and operational excellence across healthcare systems. As specialized healthcare IT professionals, we design and deploy systems that enable seamless communication and data exchange among healthcare organizations, systems, and medical devices. We are actively seeking an experienced Senior Program Manager to lead a comprehensive international infectious disease surveillance and biomedical research initiative spanning the U.S. Africa Command region. You will direct scientific, technical, operational, financial, regulatory, and administrative functions supporting disease surveillance, outbreak response, and research activities in collaboration with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR)-Africa. In this role, you will serve as the principal liaison with Government leadership, ensuring flawless execution of a sophisticated multinational program that combines infectious disease surveillance, human subjects research, laboratory management, and strategic international partnerships. CORE RESPONSIBILITIES You will oversee the full execution of a large-scale international infectious disease surveillance and research support program while managing Country Program Managers and specialized teams across multiple African nations. Your duties will include directing program budgets, timelines, staffing levels, quality standards, and measurable outcomes across all operational areas. Your coordination efforts will engage Government officials, National Ministries of Health and Defense, military medical entities, academic institutions, and research organizations to advance surveillance and biomedical research initiatives. These initiatives encompass antimicrobial resistance monitoring, respiratory infection tracking, vector-borne disease surveillance, wastewater-based biosurveillance, and emerging infectious disease response. You will ensure full adherence to Department of Defense policies, Defense Health Agency requirements, WRAIR standards, FDA regulations, Good Clinical Practice protocols, Human Subjects Protection guidelines, Institutional Review Board mandates, biosafety standards, and all applicable host nation regulations. Additional responsibilities include directing protocol execution, submitting regulatory documentation, managing surveillance reporting systems, developing staffing strategies, coordinating risk management, overseeing logistics operations, and implementing quality assurance measures. You will champion proposal creation, manage grant submissions, design research initiatives, and support geographic expansion into new countries while delivering executive briefings, monthly progress reports, financial management, and performance metrics to leadership. You will also coordinate emergency staffing mobilization and outbreak response as operational needs shift. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE You must hold a bachelor's degree in Public Health, Biological Sciences, Life Sciences, Healthcare Administration, Program Management, or a closely related discipline. You will bring minimum five years of hands-on experience managing Department of Defense initiatives, federal healthcare programs, biomedical research efforts, or infectious disease surveillance operations. Essential experience includes leading cross-functional teams managing international or geographically distributed operations, overseeing complex programs involving scientific research, laboratory management, surveillance systems, or clinical research activities, and managing program finances, personnel, project schedules, and contract deliverables. You must demonstrate exceptional written and verbal communication capabilities, with proven ability to engage senior-level Government stakeholders effectively. You will need to successfully complete a Tier 1 National Agency Check with Inquiries (NACI) or equivalent host-nation security clearance during onboarding. This position requires frequent travel throughout the AFRICOM Area of Responsibility, including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, Somalia, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and other designated locations. You must be fully prepared for multinational and multicultural work environments, including occasional operations in resource-limited settings. PREFERRED BACKGROUND Priority consideration goes to candidates with prior experience supporting WRAIR, WRAIR-Africa, U.S. Army Medical Research Directorate-Africa, Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Global Emerging Infections Surveillance programs, Defense Health Agency initiatives, or U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command operations. Additional preferred experience includes international infectious disease surveillance, human subjects research, clinical research operations management, and Africa-based biomedical research programs. Prior work with organizations including Kenya Medical Research Institute, Makerere University Walter Reed Project, Sokoine University of Agriculture, National Ministries of Health, or National Ministries of Defense is highly valued. Desired technical competencies include infectious disease surveillance systems, biomedical research methodology, clinical research operations, epidemiological analysis, laboratory management, program administration, regulatory compliance frameworks, human subjects protection protocols, Good Clinical Practice implementation, biosafety protocols, international program direction, proposal creation, and Government contracting expertise. COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS PACKAGE Goldbelt recognizes and rewards employee dedication and achievement. We provide competitive base salary aligned with your background and professional