155-2021-GAVI-RFQ – Senior Legal Adviser (Consultant), COVAX Facility At GAVI Alliance

1. 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

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 developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organization, 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 nearly 822 million children and the prevention of more than 14 million future deaths. At the Global Vaccine Summit in June 2020, world leaders pledged more than US$ 8.8bn to ensure Gavi can immunise another 300 million children by 2025.

Furthermore, through the ground-breaking COVAX Facility and the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC), Gavi is working with the international community to take urgent action in accelerating a COVID-19 vaccine and ensure it becomes available to populations no matter where they live. To achieve this, Gavi is engaging manufacturers globally for supply of suitable vaccines, and Vaccine Pillar partners and countries on potential vaccination demand scenarios and needs.

2. Background of the team and purpose of the role

The legal consultant will report to the Lead, Legal- COVAX and be part of the Gavi Legal team, which provides legal risk analyses, proposes effective mitigation strategies, and supports the Gavi Secretariat on all legal matters. The Legal team helps develop effective and efficient structures for Gavi projects and negotiates and drafts all agreements for the Gavi Alliance and Gavi affiliated entities as appropriate including agreements with donors, Alliance partners, vendors, and consultants.

Main Duties & Responsibilities:

The scope of responsibilities will include the following:

· reviewing and negotiating commitment and donor agreements with countries interested in participating in the COVAX Facility.

· drafting and negotiating dose sharing agreements with countries interested in sharing excess doses, as well as manufacturers, whose doses are being shared.

· drafting and negotiating financing agreements with multilateral development banks and other financiers for the support of the COVAX Facility.

· drafting and negotiating agreements with COVAX Facility partner organisations such as the WHO and UNICEF.

· drafting and negotiating volume guarantee agreements with COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers, and

· advising on general legal questions that may arise in the development and implementation of the Facility.

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.**

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

4. Qualifications and work experience required:

Academic

· A law degree from a leading university; for candidates from civil law jurisdictions, a post graduate law degree from a common law jurisdiction would be preferred.

· Admission to practice law in at least one jurisdiction and preferably professional experience in both civil and common law.

Work Experience

· Minimum of 8 years of post-qualification and progressively responsible experience as a finance or commercial contracts lawyer.

· Minimum of 5 years of post-qualification and progressively responsible experience in a law firm.

· Experience with commercial contracts in the healthcare and/or pharmaceutical industry would be highly advantageous.

Skills/competencies

· Experience with commercial contracts and cross border transactions is essential.

· Excellent command of English language, including a demonstrated skill to draft and negotiate legal documents in English; ability to work in French is an asset.

· Interest in public international law and/or health related development.

· Ability to communicate effectively to a wide variety of audiences both within and outside of Gavi.

· Ability to work both independently and as part of a small team.

· Good team player with strong interpersonal skills.

· Ability to handle pressure and work to challenging deadlines.

· Good organisational and multi-tasking skills.

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

5. Duration of Assignment: 12 months.**

6. 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.