121-2021-GAVI-RFQ-Senior Manager Vaccine Innovation Prioritisation Strategy – vaccine microarray patches

Background and Introduction

Gavi Alliance’s (“**Gavi**”) mission is to save children’s lives and protect people’s health by increasing access to immunisation in poor countries.

Gavi is a unique organisation that aligns public and private resources in a global effort to create greater access to the benefits of immunisation. It does this with precision and in creative, innovative ways to ensure that donor contributions efficiently save lives and help build self-sufficiency in the world’s poorest communities and regions.

For more information, please visit the Gavi website: http://www.gavi.org/about/mission

Background of the team and purpose of the role

In the 2016-2020 Supply and Procurement Strategy, the Alliance upheld innovation as one of three priorities in shaping markets to the benefit of the countries that Gavi supports, aiming to pursue a common agenda on driving product innovation to better meet country needs and support Alliance goals on immunisation coverage and equity. The Vaccine Innovation Prioritisation Strategy (VIPS) was formed in 2017 by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and led by the Market Shaping Projects Hub, and is a partnership between Gavi, the World Health Organization (WHO), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and PATH. In 2020, the VIPS initiative prioritised three innovations:

· Microarray patches (MAPs)

· Heat stable and Controlled Temperature Chain (CTC) qualified vaccines

· Barcodes on primary packaging.

Vaccine MAPs have significant potential to improve equitable coverage of vaccines, due to their innovative product attributes and anticipated ease of use. However, to date, only a limited number of clinical trials have been completed; most of these have been with influenza MAPs. An end-to-end strategic Action Plan has been developed to accelerate vaccine MAPs advancement for use in LMICs[1]. The action plan comprises of a total of 21 activities, and one of these activities is described in the VIPS MAP Action Plan as to develop Full Vaccine Value Assessments (FVVAs) for at least two vaccine MAPs.

The Market Shaping team is recruiting a Senior Manager (consultant), Vaccine Innovation Prioritisation Strategy – vaccine microarray patches to ensure the day-to-day coordination of the sub-activities to develop a FVVA for MAPs delivering typhoid conjugate vaccines (TCV-MAPs), deliver several workstreams (as described in the Main duties/ responsibilities section) and support the Project Manager as required as various workstreams will be delivered by different consultancies and partners organisations.**

Background on FVVAs

LMIC markets can be defined to a large extent as markets with low vaccine price-points for a product to be regarded as affordable. It is key therefore to demonstrate the full value a vaccine product innovation could offer, in terms of broader public health and socio-economic gains as a justification for increased price, from the perspectives of countries and funders. **

FVVAs can include a range of parameters to evaluate impact of a vaccine innovation on, e.g., vaccine coverage gaps, health and socioeconomic inequity, reaching zero dose children, improving healthcare systems utilisation, reducing antimicrobial resistance, the environment, etc. This assessment of impact can then be used to determine the potential use cases and demand, preferred product characteristics based on use cases as well as country willingness-to-adopt and -to-pay.

FVVAs review existing data and develop new knowledge, pulling together modules of analysis into a coherent assessment. A template for FVVAs has been developed by WHO for vaccines and vaccine-related innovations for use in LMICs. Existing methodologies to inform these FVVAs, especially in terms of total system effectiveness to evaluate broader additional public health benefits and economic analyses to evaluate socio-economic gains have to date been lacking or are insufficient. They are however critical for product innovations expected to come to market with an increased price.

A FVVA for a vaccine MAP will serve as a tool to support the dialogue and align with stakeholders – in particular country-level stakeholders. One focus is the potential public health need for a vaccine MAP, its programmatic impact and socio-economic benefit. A FVVA will also be useful to inform decision-making by policy makers, funders/procurers and countries. A FVVA, and any underlying new knowledge, can also provide additional clarity for MAP developers (MDs) and vaccine manufacturers (VMs), especially about LMIC-demand for and preferred/critical characteristics of vaccine MAPs. As such, a FVVA can help de-risk investments and provide incentives for funding to advance vaccine MAPs.

Building on a project led by UNICEF to develop an FVVA for MR-MAP**, the VIPS Alliance will develop an FVVA for TCV-MAP**. If the proposed FVVA demonstrates high value for TCV MAPs, it could accelerate TCV-MAP development and preparation for uptake in countries. If it is more difficult to identify high value, resources could be diverted to other innovations with more easily identifiable value.

In that context, the VIPS Alliance will conduct a project organised in several workstreams to:

· Review, and/or develop, best-practice processes and methodologies for the different elements that are needed to inform a FVVA, using TCV as a ‘test-case’. Identify any shortcomings of the FVVA approach for timely decision making.

· Consolidate the workstreams into a FVVA for TCV-MAP. Identify any shortcomings of the assessment, including the need to revise the FVVA as new data become available.

· Identify any additional research and data-gathering needs to enable the on-going development of a FVVA and support the decision-making of various key stakeholders.

The project is organised in 11 workstreams, including project planning and initial assessment, use case and demand forecasting, cost-of-goods-sold assessment, economic and willingness-to-pay analyses, development of an Implementation Research Plan, development of the FVVA, creation on the FVVA, country/ regional, global stakeholder and PDVAC, IVIRAC and SAGE consultations.

Main Duties & Responsibilities:

Responsible Senior Manager Vaccine Innovation Prioritisation Strategy – vaccine microarray patches. Specific duties include:**

· Be responsible for the development and monitoring of a detailed project plan for all activities and workstreams, mapping interdependencies;

· Support VIPS project management as needed;

· Conduct a short initial assessment to identify existing processes, methodologies and initiatives relevant for this project and assess their relevance to determine the best approach for the different components of the TCV-MAP FVVA;

· Develop the FVVA for TCV-MAP by:

• Identifying the key stakeholders to inform the FVVA;

• Building FVVA components or analyses not covered by existing workstreams such as e.g., development costs or cost-of-illness study;

• Consolidating key outcomes from all workstreams and additional components;

· Draft the terms of reference and identify potential members for the Advisory Committee that will offer independent, expert advice across the multiple workstreams of the project and schedule and prepare meetings;

· Prepare and analyse country consultations on willingness-to-pay;

· Prepare global stakeholder and WHO PDVAC, IVIRAC and SAGE consultations;

· Develop an Implementation Research Plan based on all consultations to further inform the TCV-MAP FVVA (and potentially other vaccine-MAP FVVAs), policy recommendations and introduction;

*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.

Location: Gavi Alliance HQ, Geneva, Switzerland or remote (subject to discussion)**

Qualifications and work experience required:

Academic

· Advanced Degree in business, economics, epidemiology, health economics, health sciences or a related field.

Work Experience

· Minimum of 8 years experience working in pharmaceutical industry, global health, or management consulting including:

o Experience in economic and market shaping analyses, preferably in health, and preferably related to immunisation;

o Familiarity with programmatic and institutional realities in developing country settings required;

Familiarity with innovative vaccine delivery methodologies (like vaccine delivery devices, delivery technologies and/or novel vaccine presentations) preferred.

Skills/competencies

· Knowledge of global health issues, vaccines and immunisation (including e.g., product development, implementation research and pharmaco-economic research);

· Experience working with international public health agencies;

· Experience in health economics or health technology assessments;

· Shows initiative, has excellent planning and project management skills and a pro-active work attitude;

· Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills; a logical thinker with intellectual curiosity and the ability to think and deliver strategically;

· Critical thinking and the ability to analyse and assess work from external parties from a range of disciplines;

· Experience managing external partners and consultants with different expertise;

· Excellent written (and oral) communication skills, with demonstrated ability to deliver high quality work within tight deadlines;

· Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively with colleagues from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds;

· Ability to work in a multicultural environment;

· Excellent presentation skills;

· Ability to document, synthetise and communicate analyses results;

· Excellent information technology skills (e.g. MS Excel, MS PowerPoint);

· Ability to work independently, under pressure, demonstrating flexibility.

Note: short-listed candidates may be asked to complete a timed test to demonstrate their data management, analysis and communication skills.

Languages:**

· Written and spoken fluency in English.

· Other languages (particularly French) a plus.

Duration of Assignment:

From September 2021 to December 2023.

Selection Process and expected timelines

· Interested parties should respond by completing Annex One and returning their application before midnight on the Closing Date;

· Gavi will shortlist and invite for written tests and/or interviews (1-2 weeks)

· Contract negotiation and signature (1-2 weeks)

We are committed to fostering a just, equitable and diverse culture free from racism and discrimination in which all staff, partners and stakeholders feel empowered, safe and heard.

[1] https://www.gavi.org/sites/default/files/about/market-shaping/VIPS-Alliance-Action-Plan-for-MAPS_Public-Summary.pdf

How to apply

If you wish to apply, please visit our Careers webpage and apply by sending your application to procurement@gavi.org with the title 121-2021-GAVI-RFQ – ” Senior Manager, Vaccine Innovation Prioritisation Strategy – vaccine microarray patches ” before the closing date.

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