Health Products and Regulatory Systems Specialist – Central Africa and West Africa

Contract

This is a P-4 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 7 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 141,549 USD and 182,499 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The overall objective of the MIM Programme is to support Member States in the WHO African Region to improve the availability of, and equitable access to, quality-assured and affordable medicines, health products, and health technologies, health infrastructure and equipment towards the attainment of Universal Health Coverage. The Programme achieves this by developing implementing, and monitoring evidence-based policies, strategies and plans to ensure sustainable access by Member States to essential health technologies, blood safety and organ transplants, traditional medicine, health infrastructure and equipment, prioritizing cost-effective best practices.

It strengthens the capacity of Member States, through guidance and specialized technical assistance, to: (i) strengthen regulatory systems for quality-assured medicines, vaccines and other health technologies, blood safety and organ transplant services, products, traditional medicine, health infrastructure and medical equipment, including market surveillance for quality, safety and performance; (ii) In collaboration with the Assistant Regional Directors’ cluster, conduct coordinated research in line with public health priorities for the improvement of access to health technologies, including efficient management of intellectual property rights; and (iii) address antimicrobial resistance by strengthening surveillance systems, laboratory capacity, infection prevention and control, awareness-raising and evidence-based policies and practices in collaboration with the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) Unit and other disease control programmes. The Programme also advocates and strengthens partnerships for increased resource mobilization, investments and coordinated support for actions towards improved access to medicines and other health technologies, blood safety and organ transplant services, traditional medicine, health infrastructure and medical equipment, including enhancing regional and sub-regional mechanisms and structures such as the African Medicines Agency. The goal is to enable countries in the WHO African Region to ensure evidence-based policies and strategies are in place to achieve universal access to high-quality, integrated, health services, increase the coverage and quality of effective interventions, and to create mechanisms to measure the impact of those strategies and interventions.

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

Within the overall framework of the Medicines Supply, Health Infrastructure, Equipment Maintenance including Health Technologies, Medicines and Traditional Medicine (MIM) Programme, Inter-country Support Team for Central and West Africa the purpose of this position is to lead and coordinate WHO’s work on health products and regulatory systems in the Eastern and Southern Africa sub-regions and across the different levels of WHO and among partners, while ensuring their integration in strengthened and resilient health systems. This contributes to improving the availability of, and equitable access to, quality-assured and affordable medicines and health technologies, health infrastructure and equipment towards the attainment of Universal Health Coverage. Activities include regulatory systems strengthening, facilitating the adoption of WHO norms, standards and guidance, while supporting regional networks for medical products regulations including on pharmacovigilance, medical devices and the fight against substandard and falsified medical products. S/he also evaluates regulatory systems and functions’ capacity and performance and provides advice on medical products legislation and regulation, while documenting, disseminating, and sharing experiences, best practices and regional analytics as well as provides recommendations for strengthening capacity, performance based on institutional development.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

• Evaluate the capacity and performance of regulatory systems and functions including legislation, governance, human and financial resources, strategic priorities and planning, enforcement, and implementation using the WHO Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT);
• Develop recommendations for strengthening capacity and performance and establishing institutional development plans (IDP) for the national regulatory authorities;
• Provide technical support for IDP implementation to address regulatory capacity gaps and monitor its progress;
• Promote collaboration, convergence, reliance, and work-sharing among regulatory authorities at the sub-regional (RECs), regional, continental levels and beyond;
• Facilitate the adoption of WHO norms, standards, and guidance;
• Facilitate the uptake of WHO regulatory products, including global and regional goods;
• Promote experience-sharing and twinning; and document and disseminate best practices and regional analytics;
• Support the transition to streamlined organizational models to achieve sustainable efficiency of the regulatory systems;
• Facilitate regional networks for pharmacovigilance, medical devices, and the fight against substandard and falsified medical products;
• Provide technical support and advice on medical products legislation and regulation;
• Perform other related responsibilities as assigned, including replacing and backstopping for management and other colleagues as required.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: A degree in Pharmacy, Medicine, Chemistry, Microbiology or related sciences, with an advanced qualification in the same or in Public Health. Desirable: Post graduate training or specialization in Medicines Regulation, Pharmaceutics, Healthcare Management, Good Pharmaceutical Practices (GXP), complemented by knowledge and sound understanding of health systems

Experience

Essential: A minimum of seven years’ relevant experience in pharmaceutical regulatory affairs at the national, regional and international levels, in resource-limited countries, complemented by experience in benchmarking and capacity building of regulatory systems.

Desirable: Familiarity with, quality management principles and project management as well as experience in analysis, and development of training tools and databases for monitoring and evaluation purpose.

Skills

1. Demonstrated ability to evaluate regulatory systems and individual regulatory functions using the WHO Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT) complemented by a proven track record of technical support for adaption, adoption and implementation of norms and standards, and participation participate in advocacy and resource mobilization activities
2. Proven interpersonal skills with ability to promote consensus, communicate progress and results, and resolve issues in a proactive manner, while ensuring effective work practices and ethics: diplomacy, tact, and courtesy.

WHO Competencies

1. Producing results

2. Fostering integration and teamwork

3. Communicating in a credible and effective way

4. Driving the Organization to a successful future

5. Respecting individual and cultural differences

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Proficient knowledge of English and/or French with good working knowledge of the other.

Desirable: Knowledge of Portuguese will be an asset.

REMUNERATION

WHO offers staff in the Professional Category an attractive remuneration package, which for the above position includes an annual net base salary starting at 75,602 US Dollars (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable) and 30 days of annual leave.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

·This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level

· Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

· A written test may be used as a form of screening.

· In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.

· Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual.

· For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.

· WHO is committed to workforce diversity.

· WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

· WHO has a mobility policy which can be found at the following link: http://www.who.int/employment/en/. Candidates appointed to an international post with WHO are subject to mobility and may be assigned to any activity or duty station of the Organization throughout the world.

· Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.