Consultant, Measles & Rubella Country Platform, International Senior Advisor – Rubella Vaccine Introduction, M&R Program Implementation

Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian network, with 191 member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. IFRC uses the Triple R – response, resilience and respect – to deliver on Strategy 2030. IFRC responds to disasters and crises, ensuring timely, coordinated and locally led humanitarian action. IFRC supports its members in building community resilience in the areas of climate and environment, health and wellbeing, and migration and displacement. IFRC promotes respect for our fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality, including in our work on values, power and inclusion. The IFRC focuses throughout on our core mandate – our raison d’être – of strategic and operational coordination, humanitarian diplomacy, National Society development, and accountability.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General and has its Headquarters in Geneva and five regional offices in Africa (Nairobi); the Americas (Panama); Asia Pacific (Kuala Lumpur); Europe (Budapest); and MENA (Beirut) as well as representation offices, service centres and delegations across the globe.

The IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.

A partnership between the IFRC and the Measles and Rubella Partnership (M&RP) seeks to establish a Measles & Rubella Country Platform (M&R Country Platform), which serves to advance the goals of the Immunization Agenda 2030 and is committed to reducing measles and rubella morbidity and mortality by supporting countries to implement the Measles and Rubella Strategic Framework 2021- 2030.

With declining global resources for immunization and persistent gaps in rubella-containing vaccine (RCV) introduction across priority countries, there is a critical need for senior-level strategic leadership to guide countries, partners, and global stakeholders toward coordinated, evidence-based, and timely RCV introduction to ensure progress towards global and regional rubella elimination goals.

Alignment to the IFRC’s objectives and strategy

The M&R Country Platform aligns to the Federation’s Strategy 2030 as it supports the achievement of Global Aims:

Global Aim 1: People anticipate, respond to and quickly recover from crisis.

Global Aim 2: People lead safe, health and dignified lives and have opportunities to thrive.

Job Purpose

This consultancy aims to provide high-level technical and strategic leadership to accelerate rubella-containing vaccine (RCV) introduction across priority countries in Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean Region. The role focuses on strategic advisory support, policy translation, and the alignment of epidemiological evidence, modelling outputs, and financing pathways for rubella vaccine introduction, while facilitating consensus across partners.

The Senior Advisor will ensure that rubella considerations are fully integrated across key programmatic Measles and Rubella (MR) platforms, including program implementation, surveillance and outbreak response, and routine immunization strengthening. Achieve vaccination coverage of 95% or higher with two doses of the vaccine in at least 80% of municipalities.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Desired outcomes of the Consultancy

• Accelerated RCV introduction decisions in remaining countries.
• Integration of epidemiological, modeling data and financing evidence for decision-making process.
• Stronger global coordination and partner alignment on technical assistance and support provided to countries.
• Enhanced country ownership over the measles rubella program and the pathways and strategies to achieving elimination.

Specific terms of reference for consultancy

The selected consultants will support in the following activities:

1. Strategic Leadership & Policy Guidance

• Provide high-level strategic direction to the Measles and Rubella Partnership (American Red Cross, CDC, Gates Foundation, Gavi, and WHO), Ministries of Health, National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs), and other partners on optimal approaches to RCV introduction, ensuring alignment with global and regional elimination goals and country-specific contexts.
• Lead the development and refinement of policy-relevant frameworks to guide decision-making on MR introduction, including sequencing, target age groups, and integration with existing immunization platforms.
• Facilitate global and regional policy discussions, ensuring that country perspectives, implementation realities, and equity considerations are reflected in strategic guidance.
• Advise on the translation and operationalization of global recommendations (e.g., WHO/SAGE) into actionable country strategies.
• Contribute to global and regional workstream on measles and rubella elimination.

2. Evidence Synthesis, Modelling Interpretation & Strategic Translation

• Provide senior-level interpretation of epidemiological, surveillance, and modelling data, synthesizing multiple evidence streams into clear, actionable insights for decision-makers.
• Guide the development and dissemination of decision-making evidence-based packages, ensuring clarity, consistency, and relevance for senior stakeholders (Ministry of Health leadership, donors, and partners).
• Assess and clearly articulate risk profiles, including outbreak risk, CRS burden estimates and projections, and the implications of delayed or suboptimal introduction.
• Identify critical data gaps (e.g., subnational immunity gaps, seroprevalence, surveillance limitations) and propose pragmatic approaches to strengthen the evidence base for decision-making.

3. Financing & Resource Alignment

• Provide strategic oversight of financing pathways, ensuring alignment between technical recommendations and available funding mechanisms.
• Advise countries and partners on navigating complex immunization financing landscapes, including: Gavi 6.0 planning and country co-financing requirements; Integration of RCV introduction within broader immunization investment plans and (e.g., national immunization strategies and Gavi holistic applications) and opportunities for cost-effective strategies.
• Where needed, support the development of costed introduction scenarios, including vaccine procurement, operational costs for SIAs, and routine immunization strengthening.
• Engage with partners and donors to identify and mobilize catalytic funding, particularly to address gaps not covered by existing mechanisms (e.g., middle-income countries and older age groups in catch-up campaigns).

4. Global & Regional Partner Coordination

• Serve as a senior technical focal point across key global and regional partners, facilitating alignment between global strategies and country-level implementation.

Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)

• Lead or contribute to technical coordination platforms and working groups, ensuring consistent messaging and harmonized approaches to RCV introduction.
• Provide strategic guidance during partner engagements, helping align priorities across stakeholders with differing mandates and funding constraints.
• Elevate and address critical bottlenecks (technical, financial, and operational) through coordinated partner action.

5. Country Engagement & High-Level Advisory Support

• Working through M&RP partners, provide tailored, high-level advisory support to guide Ministries of Health through complex decision-making processes related to MR/RCV introduction.
• Ensure that country strategies are context-specific and aligned with long-term sustainability objectives, including integration with other antigens, routine immunization strengthening, and a focus on the second year of life (2YL).

6. Capacity Strengthening & Technical Leadership

• Provide strategic guidance and technical oversight to MR consultants and partner teams, ensuring consistency and quality of technical assistance.
• Support countries and partners in documenting and disseminating best practices, lessons learned, and innovations related to RCV introduction.
• Foster a culture of continuous learning, collaboration, and knowledge sharing across the platform.

Method of delivery and reasons for selecting that method

Duty station: Home based, with up to 20–30% international travel, depending on program needs.

Support to be provided to the consultant

The consultant will be provided with support from the IFRC for travel, logistics, program management through the M&R Country Platform Officer and Administrative Lead.

Schedule for payment of fees

The consultant will be paid on a monthly schedule based on the receipt of invoices listing days worked at the contracted rate. Relevant travel and operational expenses will be included along with receipts for reimbursement.

Time Allocation, for budget purposes

Currently it is estimated that the consultant will be contracted from July 2026 to June 2027.

40 hours per week over a 12-month period.

Management of consultancy

The consultant will be directly managed by the IFRC M&R Country Platform Officer with overall coordination from the IFRC Immunization Senior Officer, based in Geneva.

Education

Required

• Advanced degree in public health, epidemiology, medicine, or related field (MD, MPH, PhD, or equivalent).
• No links to the pharmaceutical industry.

Preferred

• Knowledge and experience with the use of digital tools for outbreak control in epidemiology and/or public health.
• PhD or Doctoral studies.

Experience

Required

• Minimum of 12–15 years of experience in global immunization programs, with a strong focus on measles and rubella.
• Demonstrated experience in a senior technical leadership role
• Proven experience advising Ministries of Health and NITAGs on vaccine introduction and immunization strategy.
• Experience working with multilateral organizations and global health partners.
• Strong experience in Gavi processes, immunization financing, and SIA implementation.

Preferred

• Scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals and other media.

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Required

• Expertise in:
  • Measles, rubella, and CRS epidemiology
  • Immunization program design and implementation
  • Surveillance systems and outbreak response
  • Interpretation and application of modeling data.
• Strategic leadership and systems thinking.
• High-level stakeholder engagement and diplomacy.
• Excellent communication and writing skills.
• Ability to translate complex data into policy-relevant insights.
• Strong collaboration and partnership-building skills.

Languages

Required

• Excellent level of English proficiency in writing, reading and speaking

Competencies, Values and Comments

Application Instructions

• Please submit your application in English only.
• Please include the below in your application: Notes
  • A cover letter summarizing your experience and suggested approach to the consultancy
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • The consultant will be contracted by the IFRC and the standard contractual terms will apply.
  • Agreed travel expenses will be reimbursed at cost in accordance with the IFRC’s relevant regulations.