Mathematical Modeller Vaccine-preventable Diseases

Contract length: 5 years (renewable)
Location: Stockholm
Indicative number of candidates to be employed: 1

Is this job for you?   

You will work in the Vaccine‑preventable Diseases and Immunisation (VPI) Section within the Directly transmitted and Vaccine-preventable Diseases Unit (DVD), contributing to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control’s (ECDC’s) scientific work on vaccination and immunisation policies across the EU/EEA.

Reporting to the Head of Section, you will be part of a multidisciplinary team supporting ECDC’s mandate to provide independent, evidence‑based scientific advice to EU/EEA Member States. Your work will directly inform the design, optimisation and evaluation of vaccination programmes, helping to maximise their public health impact and effectiveness. 

In this role, you will apply mathematical modelling to vaccine‑preventable diseases, using surveillance and other epidemiological data, scientific literature, and other existing models, to inform public health policy and decision-making. You will contribute to ECDC outputs addressing questions on the impact of vaccination strategies on disease trends and burden, around the introduction of new vaccines, changes in vaccination schedules, and effective response to outbreaks and the impact of vaccines on vaccine‑preventable diseases trends and burden. 

This position offers a unique opportunity to work at the interface between modelling, epidemiology and public health decision‑making at the European level, including collaboration with an external network of modellers across Europe.

In this position, you will have a wide variety of tasks that will give you the opportunity to:

• Apply mathematical modelling to vaccine-preventable diseases to support evidence based vaccination and immunisation policies in the EU/EEA, in line with ECDC’s strengthened mandate and strategic objectives for 2026–2028;
• Design, develop and implement transmission, impact and scenario models to assess:
  • the introduction of new vaccines and immunisation strategies,
  • changes in vaccination schedules across the life course,
  • the public health impact of declining coverage and immunity gaps,
  • and the potential effects of alternative policy options under uncertainty;
• Support preparedness and response activities by providing modelling input during outbreaks or public health events involving vaccine-preventable diseases, including short term projections and scenario analyses to inform timely decision making;
• Work closely with experts across ECDC (epidemiology, surveillance, statistics, epidemic intelligence and disease programmes) to:
  • identify relevant data sources,
  • support model parameterisation and calibration,
  • and ensure consistency with European surveillance standards and practices;
• Contribute to ECDC’s support to EU/EEA National Immunisation Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs) by developing and adapting modelling analyses that inform national immunisation policy questions, including assessments of disease burden, transmission dynamics and potential public health impact;
• Ensure transparent, reproducible and well documented modelling workflows, including appropriate version control, quality assurance and clear communication of assumptions, limitations and uncertainty to both technical and non-technical audiences, in line with ECDC scientific standards;
• Contribute to the drafting of ECDC scientific outputs (technical reports, guidance documents and peer reviewed publications) by translating modelling results into policy relevant insights for EU institutions and Member States;
• Engage with external experts, academic institutions and modelling networks to strengthen collaboration and methodological exchange in the area of vaccination and immunisation modelling, supporting ECDC’s role as a European knowledge hub;
• Implement nowcasting and forecasting methods for infectious diseases;
• Develop medium- to long-term scenario analyses to inform preparedness and strategic planning;
• Communicate modelling results, uncertainties, assumptions, and limitations clearly to technical and non-technical audiences;
• Contribute to other activities of ECDC as required, within your field of competence.

What are we looking for?

Formal requirements

For your application to be considered eligible you must fulfil all the following requirements by the application deadline:

• A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma[1]; 
• Thorough knowledge of one of the official EU languages and a satisfactory knowledge of another official EU language to the extent necessary for the performance of your duties[2];
• Nationality of one of the EU Member States or of Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and to be entitled to your full rights as a citizen;
• To have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the applicable laws on military service;
• Meet the character requirements for the duties involved[3]; and
• Be physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post.

You will need to provide appropriate documents to show that you meet all of the above criteria.

Selection criteria

For your application to be evaluated further, you will also need:

• At least 3 years, (following the award of the diploma) of professional experience acquired in positions relevant to the job description (i.e. applied experience in modelling infectious diseases, preferably in the field of vaccine-preventable diseases);
• Experience in translating and communicating complex modelling results, assumptions and uncertainty into policy-relevant insights to inform immunisation policy decisions;
• Proficiency in the R statistical language and possibly additional programming skills in C++, Python or the Linux environment; and preferably including experience of computer code architecture, collaborative code development on shared platforms such as GitHub or DevOps;
• Ability to communicate modelling results, assumptions and uncertainty to both epidemiologists and public health policy makers;
• Experience in coordinating modelling projects involving multiple disciplines and stakeholders;
• Excellent command of English, both written and spoken.

Additionally, we will assess the following competencies:

• Analytical judgement and rigour;
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deliver under tight timelines;
• Ability to work collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural team and build strong working relationships;
• Flexibility and adaptability in rapidly changing situations;
• Commitment to quality.

Depending on the number of applications received, the selection committee may apply stricter requirements within the aforementioned selection criteria.

Why ECDC?

You will play an active role in making a tangible difference in public health. 

At ECDC you will join a team of more than 400 colleagues with diverse backgrounds and professions who work together for the common goal of helping countries prevent and respond to outbreaks and public health threats. Every position at ECDC plays an important part, and we cooperate closely for our collective goals. 

ECDC is an equal opportunities employer and encourages applications from all suitably qualified candidates without any distinction on grounds of age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, ethnic or social origin, religion, or belief.

As an ECDC staff member, you will have the chance to own or support initiatives impacting the health and well-being of people in Europe. You will have access to the latest European-level surveillance data and dedicated expertise in your field, collaborate with various experts and organisations across Europe and beyond, and you will be part of public health-relevant infectious disease networks. 

You will be joining ECDC at interesting times. In October 2022, the European Parliament endorsed an extended mandate that will allow ECDC to adopt a stronger role in supporting EU Member States in the prevention and control of infectious disease threats and improve European preparedness and response. This includes real-time surveillance systems, mobilising an EU Health Task Force to assist local responses in Member States and building a network of EU reference laboratories. 

What can we offer you?

We offer a competitive salary and a range of benefits, including health insurance, learning opportunities and flexible work arrangements such as flexible working hours and teleworking in the Stockholm area for part of the week. Additionally, you can work up to 10 days a year from outside the Stockholm area.

Depending on your experience, the monthly basic salary usually starts at € 4 449.31 and may be supplemented by various allowances including, as applicable, expatriation and/or generous family allowances. Salary is exempt from national tax and instead an Agency tax is deducted. We also provide financial support when relocating to Stockholm.

Our benefits package is designed to support a healthy work-life balance and we are committed to creating a supportive and inclusive work environment that values the well-being of our employees. 

Learn more about the benefits of joining ECDC

How does our selection process work?

Our selection process takes, on average, three months from the application deadline. All selection processes include a remote written test and a video conference interview; some selection processes may include additional steps.

After a candidate has been selected for the position, additional shortlisted candidates can be placed on a reserve list. The reserve list may be used when ECDC needs to fill similar positions at the same level in the future. The reserve list is valid until 31 December 2027 and may be extended.

See an overview of the different steps in the selection process and see the ECDC-candidate-guide.pdf (europa.eu) for a detailed explanation of the selection and recruitment process. 

When starting a new contract under the EU staff regulations, all new staff must successfully complete a probationary period of nine months.

How do you apply?

To apply for this vacancy, please create/ log in to your ECDC e-recruitment user account.

See detailed instructions on how to apply.

Please submit your application well ahead of the deadline in case of technical issues and/or heavy traffic on the website. After submitting your application, you will receive an automatic email message confirming receipt of your application. Ensure that the email address you provide for your applicant account is correct and that you check your email regularly. If you require any technical support please send an email to recruitmentecdc [dot] europa [dot] eu (recruitment[at]ecdc[dot]europa[dot]eu).

ECDC does not accept applications submitted after the deadline or applications submitted by email, mail or any other means.

Only candidates selected for interviews will be notified. You can see the progress of the selection process from within your e-recruitment account. 

Translations of this vacancy notice in all EU languages can be obtained by using the automatic translation function on this website.

Note: 

While this vacancy notice can be translated into all official EU languages from its English original, the language of day-to-day operations in the Agency is generally English. ECDC therefore prefers to receive the application in English.

Disclaimer: Please note that in the event of any differences in meaning or interpretation between the original English version of this content and a translation, the original English version takes precedence

We welcome your application!

Footnotes:

1. Only diplomas and certificates that have been awarded in EU member states or that are the subject of equivalence certificates issued by authorities in the said Member States shall be taken into consideration
2. Candidates with a non-official EU language or English as their mother tongue must provide proof of their level of a second language with a certificate (B1 or more). 
   In addition, in order to be eligible for a promotion through an annual promotion exercise the staff members have to have a working knowledge of a third EU language, as described in the applicable Staff Regulations and Implementing Rules. 

3. Prior to the appointment, the successful candidate will be asked to provide a certificate from the police file to the effect of non-existing criminal record.