Senior Future Supplier Base Manager

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership committed to saving children's lives and protecting people's health by increasing equitable use of vaccines in lower-income countries. The Vaccine Alliance brings together implementing country and donor governments, the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry, technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private sector partners. Gavi uses innovative finance mechanisms, including co-financing by recipient countries, to secure sustainable funding and adequate supply of quality vaccines. Since 2000, Gavi has contributed to the immunisation of more than 1 billion children and the prevention of more than 16.2 million future deaths.

Guided by the ‘Gavi Market Shaping Strategy for 2021-25’, the market shaping team contributes to achieving Gavi’s mission by working to improve the health of markets for vaccines and other immunisation products, thereby making these life-saving commodities more accessible and affordable for lower-income countries. The team develops and coordinates implementation of evidence-based market-specific strategies to address the needs of Gavi countries.

Three overarching objectives include:
 
•    Ensure sustainable, healthy market dynamics for vaccines and immunisation-related products at affordable prices,
•    Incentivise innovation for the development of suitable vaccines,
•    Scale up innovative immunisation-related products.

Gavi’s market shaping mandate is focused on 74 lower-income countries, with an objective to ensure a solid base of healthy market dynamics, to strengthen market resources and to support country self-sustainability after transition in terms of supply and procurement outcomes.

Background

Local/Regional vaccine manufacturing, in the wake of the pandemic, taken on an unprecedented amplitude within the global vaccine environment, especially as it relates to Africa. This momentum presents opportunities for Gavi, but it also presents fundamental risks to Gavi. 

Although this momentum has been accelerated by the experience of the COVID pandemic, the implications are not only on pandemic preparedness or COVID-19 vaccines, but importantly on routine vaccines (current and future pipeline vaccines) as the regional / local manufacturing investments will need to consider producing a range of vaccines in order to ensure sustainability and be operationally ready for an eventual pandemic (i.e. ‘pandemic preparedness’). 

Therefore, Gavi will need to approach regional manufacturing strategically to make it a success, helping orient ongoing efforts through clear signals and help ensure the initiatives are sustainable and contribute to healthy markets for COVID-19 vaccines and other key routine vaccines supported by Gavi core model. Regional manufacturing and pooled regional procurement will have implications and would need to be adapted into Gavi’s core model, including on its financing and operating model, and will need to be assessed accordingly.

THE ROLE

Is part of the Gavi Secretariat’s Market Shaping team led by the Director, Market Shaping within the remit of the Managing Director, Vaccine Markets and Health Security. 

The individual assumes market shaping responsibility under the guidance of the Sr Specialist, within a major project involving multiple Gavi teams internally, and a cross-section of influential stakeholders (including partners and donors) externally. 

This role will contribute to co-developing strategies, identify opportunities and risks, as well as engage and build new stakeholder relationships, support the cross-cutting efforts of Resource Mobilisation, Government and Policy, Monitoring and Evaluation, Design and Operations and Alliance partners in this fast-moving area and in the context of a strengthened Alliance role in Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response (PPPR).
The initiative will also impact the Market Shaping 5.0/6.0 strategies on Future Supplier Base and have critical implications on goals of affordability and market health as it is expected that meaningful production from new African suppliers will impact the incumbent markets; Gavi needs to ensure that market health, affordability goals and ultimately uninterrupted access to quality vaccines are not compromised. 

Key functions and deliverables:

The individual will bring their knowledge of the current and future vaccine market landscape to inform Gavi’s strategies, and work with Market Shaping and cross-cutting colleagues and Alliance Partners to simultaneously manage strategic and programmatic implications for Gavi’s established supplier base, including adapting the Gavi 5.0 “Future Supplier Base” strategy to reflect this critical development.

•    Support the senior specialist in reviewing and advising on the opportunities and the risks for Gavi to support new manufacturing initiatives are in coordination with procurement by Gavi and other mechanisms; as a “pull” market mechanism that give the requisite de-risks for new manufacturers to achieve a sustainable commercial footing in the initial years; 
•    Engage externally and within Gavi and build trust and credibility with senior country stakeholders, Alliance partners and senior Gavi Country Support colleagues; 
•    Integrate any proposed solutions with regards to regional manufacturing into Gavi 5.0/6.0 strategies and the full spectrum of Gavi’s of activities, as the implications cut to the heart of Gavi’s model itself; 
•    Under supervision of the Senior Specialist, review and draft Gavi’s Future Supplier Base strategy, which is one of the key pillars of the Gavi Market Shaping Strategy 5.0 (MSS5.0), taking into account current, emerging and the new regional manufacturers, while ensuring affordability and market health goals for range of antigens and suppliers will be met; 
•    Act as Gavi’s focal point and coordinate all external engagements across the Market Shaping team for vaccine manufacturers networks and stakeholders, ie. DCVMN, IFPMA.

Functional Scope 
•    Represent the vaccine market and supply side of Pandemic preparedness (end-to-end work contributing to other teams working on this across Gavi); 
•    Lead the operationalisation of Gavi’s African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA), with UNICEF Supply Division, and in close collaboration with the Legal and Finance departments,
•    Lead the rollout of Gavi’s Market Intelligence Dashboard, in collaboration with the Knowledge Management & Technology Solutions within Gavi;
•    For VIS vaccines candidates:
o    Contribute to the design and implement market shaping strategies, in collaboration with other colleagues within the Market Shaping team;
o    Be the interface with current and new manufacturers as it pertains to their overall portfolio, and whether their strategies involve entering new vaccine space.
•    Other duties will be assigned consistent with the team’s needs.

Note: The essential functions listed in this section are not exhaustive of the job responsibilities; other duties may be assigned consistently with the department needs.

•    Minimum of 8 years of professional work experience:
o    Vaccine, pharmaceuticals, or biologicals industry (commercial, BD, technical, etc), 
o    Life Sciences management consulting, financing, investment etc. 
•    Demonstrated operational track record of excellence in achieving results;
•    Multilateral partner experience, including at senior levels;
•    Developing country experience an advantage.

•    Drive for results: 
o    Entrepreneurial: takes ownership and initiative, and makes things happen; 
o    Execution and delivery-oriented; meets deadlines; 
o    Commits to organisational goals. 
•    Analytical: 
o    Excellent quantitative analysis skills; 
o    High level usage of Excel to build appropriate models. 
•    Strategic:
o    Proven ability to develop strategic approaches and follow through to implementation with diverse collaborators.
•    Collaboration:
o    Demonstrated ability to work across institutional or team boundaries, establish harmonious working relationships, and utilise expertise of colleagues in a productive way; 
o    Ability to facilitate workshops and find common ground when leading large groups with competing priorities. 
•    Communication and stakeholder management: 
o    High level of persuasive communication and presentation skills, including sophisticated PowerPoint and storyboarding skills; 
o    Demonstrated ability to structure and communicate effectively complex information; 
o    Ability to manage stakeholders at all levels, including senior level stakeholders. 
•    Industry expertise preferred: 
o    Preferably good understanding of underlying economics, business models and financial basis of vaccine industry, as well as of the biological and production / supply chain basis of the vaccine industry.

•    Fluent English is required;
•    French is an asset.

•    Life science, public health, business administration or economics related degree;
•    Masters, doctorate, MPH, MBA or similar business qualification an advantage.

•    Gavi Secretariat; 
•    Vaccine and Pharmaceuticals Industry; 
•    World Health Organisation; 
•    The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations;
•    The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; 
•    UNICEF; 
•    Clinton Health Access Initiative;
•    African Union/Africa CDC/AVATT;
•    The World Bank; 
•    PATH;
•    Linksbridge.

If you wish to apply, please provide a cover letter and resume through our Careers webpage and apply by clicking on “Senior Manager, Future Supplier Base Strategy”. Deadline for applications is 28 November 2023. 

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In support of Gavi’s commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion, we hire globally and welcome applications regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, national origin, family status, sex, gender identity or expression, physical characteristics, race, religion, spirituality or sexual orientation. Gavi has zero tolerance towards sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse as well as any form of discrimination or harassment. Everyone at Gavi is expected to conduct themselves with integrity and respect towards each other. Gavi is committed to creating a work environment that is safe and professional, therefore all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference checks. Read more here.

Gavi brings together the public and private sectors to save lives and protect people’s health by increasing equitable and sustainable use of vaccines against 18 infectious diseases. You will be joining an organisation at the centre of the international COVID-19 response, at the most critical time in global health in a lifetime. You will work in a culturally diverse environment with over 70 nationalities. You will collaborate with partners such as WHO, UNICEF, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank – and from business, civil society and government. And you will work in the first global health organisation to receive equal gender salary certification. Your unique experience, skills and talents can help us achieve our vision of leaving no one behind without the life-saving power of vaccines.