Senior Program Officer, Vaccine Forecasting & Financing

The Foundation

We are the largest nonprofit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. Founded on a simple premise: people everywhere, regardless of identity or circumstances, should have the chance to live healthy, productive lives. We believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve. We provide an exceptional benefits package to employees and their families which include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums, generous paid time off, paid family leave, foundation-paid retirement contribution, regional holidays, and opportunities to engage in several employee communities. As a workplace, we’re committed to creating an environment for you to thrive both personally and professionally.

The Team

The Global Development (GD) Division includes a diverse range of programming areas focused on finding creative ways to ensure solutions and products get into the hands of people in low-income countries. We focus on areas with the potential for high-impact, sustainable solutions that can reach millions of people. Our strategies include Emergency Response, Immunization, and Polio Eradication. A common theme across these programs is focus on innovative delivery, including an emphasis on strengthening primary health care systems. Our teams work in close partnership with our Country Office Teams to align the foundation’s health and development equity agenda with the government’s broader priorities.

Vaccines are a core priority of the Gates Foundation and can save millions of lives a year when delivered effectively. The mission of our Immunization Program Strategy Team (PST) is to urgently reach children, adolescents, and adults -- no matter where they live -- with the vaccines they need. Our goal is a world free of vaccine-preventable diseases, and we do this by working with countries, development partners, and civil society organizations, to make sure that vaccines and immunization are effectively prioritized and delivered. Robust and resilient immunization programs are critical to achieving the promise of vaccination and are a cornerstone of primary health care, and we work to ensure that there are sufficient, affordable supplies to meet demand. We seek to bring new perspectives to challenging problems as we focus on results that can be delivered at scale. All our work on vaccines and immunization contributes to ia2030, which is a vision and commitment by the global community to extend the full benefits of immunization to all by 2030.

Your Role

As the Senior Program Officer, Vaccine Forecasting & Financing, you will lead the design, implementation, and improvement of vaccine forecasting processes and systems, and financing approaches that strengthen immunization sustainability in low- and middle-income countries. The role will support countries, Gavi, UNICEF, and other partners to strengthen forecasting and budgeting processes, improve vaccine prefinancing and co-financing mechanisms, increase domestic financing for immunization, and develop innovative financing approaches that accelerate equitable vaccine access. You will serve as connection between the team’s wider access-oriented efforts across an important continuum of topics (upstream market shaping efforts, procurement system strengthening, and downstream supply chain performance optimization). You’ll work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders including the Gavi Alliance partners, vaccine financiers and country immunization programs.

What You’ll Do

Improve Global Vaccine Forecasting and Planning Systems

• Collaborating with Gavi and UNICEF to drive continued improvements in forecasting, supply planning, and allocation processes.
• Strengthen global and country-level demand forecasting, budgeting, and funding source identification.
• Work across partners to improve forecasting accuracy, transparency, and decision-making.
• Lead analysis and process improvements to address systemic forecasting challenges affecting vaccine availability and financing.

Optimize Financing Solutions to unlock Vaccine Procurement

• Support efficient utilization of vaccine procurement and pre-financing mechanisms.
• Monitor and strengthen Gavi co-financing performance and tracking systems.
• Design and evaluate financing solutions for campaigns, cold chain equipment, and other immunization investments.

• Explore financing mechanisms for novel vaccines and other priority immunization products.

Strengthen Domestic Financing for Immunization

• Collaborate across country offices, regional (ARO) and global teams (DPAF, PAC, SIF) to maintain and increase financing for immunization
• Coordinate efforts with Gavi and UNICEF as well as other DFI partners
• Influence and inform Gavi co-financing policies and implementation.
• Supply efforts to strengthen national forecasting, supply planning, and budgeting processes for vaccine-related commodities.

• Support priority countries to increase and sustain domestic resources for vaccines and immunization programs.

Advance Innovative Financing for Immunization

• Collaborate with country offices, regional and global teams, and partners to explore and implement innovative financing mechanisms where appropriate.
• Assess opportunities for innovative financing approaches, including debt swaps, vaccine bonds, MDB multiplier mechanisms, and blended finance models.
• Collaborate with financing specialists and partners to identify scalable mechanisms that can increase resources for immunization.

Your Experience

The ideal candidate will have:

• a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in global health/development
• deep expertise in global immunization program design/operations, health financing, vaccine procurement, or development finance
• strong analytical skills in forecasting, budgeting, and financial modeling
• experience working with governments, global health institutions, and donor-funded programs
• a proven ability to influence policy and drive cross-functional collaboration across technical and financing stakeholders
• demonstrated ability to translate complex financing challenges into practical solutions that improve immunization outcomes
• strong strategic problem solver using evidence based strategic or operational plans as well as shaping and leading sustainable and scalable ventures

Other Attributes

• Expected to undertake up to 25% international and domestic travel including in low resource, fragile or conflict settings in sub-Saharan Africa or Southeast Asia.
• French language proficiency is desired but not required.
• Demonstrates strong personal initiative and the ability to work independently, while also being a collaborative team member.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex issues clearly and simply, and to listen attentively.

*Must have unrestricted work authorization in the country where this position is located.

The Foundation does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role. This includes direct company sponsorship and any work authorization requiring a written submission or other immigration support from the company (eg: H-1B, O-1, L-1, E, OPT, STEM-OPT, CPT, TN, J-1, etc.).

The salary range for this role is $173,000 to $259,600 USD. We recognize high-wage market differences in Seattle and Washington D.C., where our offices are located. The range for this role in these locations is $190,300 to $285,500 USD. As a mission-driven organization, we strive to balance competitive pay with our mission. New hires salaries are typically between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint. Actual placement in the range will depend on a candidate’s job-related skills, experience, and expertise, as evaluated during the interview process.

Hiring Requirements

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Candidate Accommodations

We’re committed to providing an inclusive and accessible hiring experience for all candidates. If you have a disability or medical condition and need an accommodation at any stage of the application or interview process—such as an ASL interpreter, alternative interview format, or physical accessibility support—we’re happy to help. Please contact HR@gatesfoundation.org with the position number and a brief description of your accommodation needs. Requests will be handled confidentially.

Inclusion Statement

We are dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We strive for a global and cultural workplace that supports ever greater diversity, equity, and inclusion — of voices, ideas, and approaches — and we support this diversity through all our employment practices.

All applicants and employees who are drawn to serve our mission will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to race, color, age, religion, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and prior protected activity.