Charting a Visionary Course: Seeking WHGI’s Next Director

Jan 12, 2024

Overview

The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health invites applications for the Director of the William H. Gates Sr. Institute for Population and Reproductive Health, formerly the Bill & Melinda Gates Institute for Population and Reproductive Health.

The Institute, founded in 1999 with the mission of “Scholarship and Science for Social Change,” is a trailblazer for innovation in the field of family planning, reproductive health, and population dynamics. The Institute uses transformative approaches to accelerate locally led progress in sexual and reproductive health and rights, population dynamics, gender equity, and equitable development. The Institute is based at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health (PFRH). The Institute, Department and School support a diverse and inclusive community.

William H. Gates Sr. was a philanthropist, lawyer, and humanitarian who championed causes related to global equity and campaigns to address vaccine- preventable diseases, reduce infant mortality, promote reproductive health, and build schools. His investment in the vision that created the Bill & Melinda Gates Institute for Population and Reproductive Health (now William H. Gates Sr. Institute), followed by additional investments from the Gates Foundation and other philanthropic organizations and individuals, has allowed members of the Institute to engage in groundbreaking research, lead innovative programs, and make “positive disruptions” to increase family planning access and improve reproductive health for all individuals, communities, and countries across the world.

Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health

PFRH is one of 10 academic departments at the Bloomberg School which is home to more than 870 full-time faculty and 3,600 graduate-level students. The School has been ranked the #1 school of public health by U.S. News & World Report since rankings began in 1994. The main campus, where the Institute is located, is in East Baltimore. Both the East Baltimore campus and the broader University, including a campus in Washington DC, support a collaborative and highly interactive environment with a superb research and practice infrastructure.

The Johns Hopkins University

The Johns Hopkins University is committed to equal opportunity for its faculty, staff, and students. To that end, the University does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, military status, immigration status, or other legally protected characteristic. The University is committed to providing qualified individuals access to all academic and employment programs, benefits, and activities on the basis of demonstrated ability, performance, and merit without regard to personal factors that are irrelevant to the program involved.

Qualifications

The successful applicant will have an outstanding record of research and/or practice accomplishments, be highly effective at program building, understand the sexual and reproductive health landscape and future directions, appreciate the international development field and funding mechanisms, a robust track record of resource mobilization and donor relationship management, possess a strong equity lens, and articulate a compelling vision for the Institute.  While leadership in research is not a required characteristic of the next Director, appreciation of the importance of, and advocacy for, basic as well as applied research and the value of evidence-based interventions and practice is essential. All candidates should have a passion for translating evidence to impact.

The future Director is expected to develop a shared vision and goals focusing on leading the International Conference on Family Planning, the cross-cutting program on global gender equity, and the 5 core areas of the Institute. The core areas include: 1) research, measurement and data monitoring; 2) policy, advocacy, and community-building; 3) scaling best practices; 4) identifying Next Generation Leaders; and 5) projections of climate and population to champion sustainable growth. The candidate must also demonstrate the ability to align strategy and direction with diverse funder priorities while maintaining focus on the overall vision of the Institute.

Applicants should have demonstrated leadership in running a global health organization or division of a larger entity with responsibility for leading large, multidisciplinary teams. In addition, the ideal candidate will evince a commitment to fostering the careers of others and training the next generation of leaders in areas consistent with the Institute’s mission. Given the rich opportunities within the Bloomberg School and the Johns Hopkins University, a willingness to collaborate and advance the mission of these larger entities is strongly desired.  The successful candidate will participate fully as senior faculty in PFRH with faculty rank commensurate with experience. Doctoral degree preferred.

Application Instructions

Applications should include: 1) curriculum vitae; 2) statement of interest and vision of leadership; and 3) statement of demonstrated commitment to the principles of inclusion, diversity, anti-racism, and equity in scholarship, teaching, research and practice, and ways to continue to promote and advance these principles in their leadership of the Institute.

Review of candidates will begin in December, 2023. Please direct all questions to Colleen Komeyli at recruitment@broderickhaightconsulting.com and submit applications to apply.interfolio.com/136291 .

Related Content

FPNN at NFPC 2024: Empowering Voices, Amplifying Impact

FPNN at NFPC 2024: Empowering Voices, Amplifying Impact

PMA Ethiopia’s Dr. Linnea Zimmerman Discusses the Global Gag Rule on NPR

PMA Ethiopia’s Dr. Linnea Zimmerman Discusses the Global Gag Rule on NPR

Dr. Philip Anglewicz Promoted to Full Professor at the Bloomberg School

Dr. Philip Anglewicz Promoted to Full Professor at the Bloomberg School

Community Reporting from WHGI: FPNN at the Forefront

Community Reporting from WHGI: FPNN at the Forefront

FPNN Reporters Spotlight Critical Stories in Malawi: Impact and Recognition on the Global Stage

FPNN Reporters Spotlight Critical Stories in Malawi: Impact and Recognition on the Global Stage