Senior Manager, Vaccine Forecasting

Job Description

Position title: Senior Manager, Vaccine Forecasting

Contract type / duration
: 5-year fixed-term contract

Location: Geneva

Department
:
Vaccine Programmes & Markets (VPM)

Team: Vaccine Forecasting and Supply Management (VFSM)

Reports To: Head, Vaccine Forecasting

N° of positions supervised (if applicable): 0

Career Step: 4

The Senior Manager, Vaccine Forecasting sits within the Vaccine Forecasting and Supply Management team in the Vaccine Programmes & Markets department. The role works closely with Market Shaping, Vaccine Programmes, Finance, and country delivery colleagues, and engages externally with UNICEF Supply Division and other partners involved in Gavi-supported vaccine programmes. Its core purpose is to lead forecasting for an assigned portfolio of vaccine programmes so that demand, supply, price, and cost projections support clear, timely, and well-informed operational and strategic decision-making.

• Lead forecasting for a designated portfolio of vaccine programmes, producing demand, supply, price, and cost projections that inform operational planning and strategic decisions.
• Contribute to selected cross-cutting forecasting activities across Gavi’s vaccine portfolio that require specialised modelling, analysis, and coordination.
• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve vaccine forecasting models and supporting documentation to ensure forecasts are transparent, robust, and fit for decision-making.
• Coordinate the collection, validation, and integration of programme inputs into forecast updates, ensuring consistency across vaccine-specific forecasts and overall Gavi forecasting deliverables.
• Maintain linkages with related activities in other teams and organizations, coordinating forecasting support needs as appropriate.
• Generate and analyse forecast scenarios, communicate results, and respond to analysis requests from internal and external stakeholders to support timely decisions.
• Monitor actuals against forecasts for selected vaccines, providing updates on forecast accuracy, key risks, and issues that may affect programme performance, supply continuity, or financial planning.
• Advise on vaccine-specific factors in forecasting and dose quantification considerations relevant to individual country planning and grant approval processes.
• Support vaccine working groups with forecasting expertise in the problem-solving of relevant issues that emerge, for example, in supply and demand imbalances and manufacturer disruptions.
• Contribute to in continuous improvement efforts in processes, methodologies, tools, and systems used in forecasting vaccine dose requirements, serving as focal point on designated topics.
• Contribute to core team enablement areas, including providing regular updates on forecast activities, developing standard operating procedures, updating KPIs and supporting continuity across the sub-team, including backup support as required.

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.

• Typically 8- 12 years of relevant experience in forecasting, supply planning, or demand planning roles within pharmaceutical (vaccine preferred), global public health, or FMCG environments.
• Experience in building and maintaining forecast models, with significant exposure to addressing both short and long-term projection needs.
• Background in the design, implementation, and improvement of individual forecasting tools, with additional experience in multiuser forecasting systems preferable.
• Background in functions working with programmatic, operational, and financial information from multiple sources,…