Unit Chief, Quality and Regulation of Medicines and Health Technologies

Contract

This is a P-5 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 10 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 188,699 USD and 236,483 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.

OBJECTIVE OF THE OFFICE/DEPARTMENT

This requisition is for employment at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO)

The Innovation, Access to Medicines and Health Technologies Department (IMT) is responsible for promoting, coordinating, and implementing the Organization’s technical cooperation in access to and rational use of quality medicines and other health technologies. IMT works across all categories of medicines and health technologies, including medicines, vaccines, diagnostics, medical equipment, blood products, and organs for transplantation. IMT supports countries in addressing barriers to access, addressing challenges across the medical product full life cycle, strengthening regulatory capacity and supporting evidence-based decision making and rational use through health technology assessment. IMT consolidates action in the development of pharmaceutical and other health technology related services and leads efforts in innovation through the regional platform to advance the manufacturing of vaccines and other health technologies, increasing regional capacity in the research and development of priority health products, and supporting the generation of ecosystems to enable development, production and access to medicines and other health technologies.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Under the general supervision of the Assistant Director (AD), and the direct supervision of the Director, Innovation, Access to Medicines and Health Technologies (IMT), the incumbent is responsible for, but not necessarily limited to, the following assigned duties:

1. Provide technical, policy and strategic advice for the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the regional program of work in the areas of quality and regulation of medicines and other health technologies (pharmaceuticals; medical devices and equipment; blood, organs and tissues; biological products; radiological health), in accordance with relevant mandates and the PAHO Strategic Plan;

2. Provide programmatic and policy guidance to Member States and senior officials in the organization to implement the PAHO Resolution and Policy document (CSP30.R12, CSP30/11), for regulatory systems strengthening of pharmaceutical products and other health technologies, fostering the coordination of actions at country, subregional and regional level and the improvement of regulatory efficiencies through the practice of regulatory reliance and convergence;

3. Provide leadership and coordinate the delivery of technical cooperation in policies relating to quality, safety and efficacy of medicines and health technologies in countries and at regional level, promoting the integration of actions across functional areas, and product life cycle;

4. Foster relationships and lead resource mobilization with key partners in the development of regional strategies and initiatives impacting regulatory systems and quality of medicines and other health technologies; champion the development of expert networks and platforms within the Region (for example, the Pan American Network for Drug Regulatory Harmonization, PRAIS, among others) and the development of corresponding strategic partnerships. Strengthen the network of collaborating centers that support the implementation of the program of work;

5. Provide technical leadership to National Regulatory Authorities (NRA) on regulatory systems strengthening, including helping them advance their Institutional Development Plans, the implementation of the WHO Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT) and their transition pathway into the WLA (WHO Listed Authorities);

6. Coordinate programmatic technical activities with the PAHO Regional Revolving Funds and other relevant organizational procurement initiatives for the development and application of processes and procedures to ensure that medicines and other health technologies procured through the Funds, and relevant initiatives, meet PAHO/WHO quality standards; g) Collaborate in PAHO's response to emergency situations; provide technical expertise in order to facilitate timely response as required, and coordinate the action of the technical unit in support of the emergency;

7. Develop, define and establish the objectives, strategy, plan and budget of the Unit; ensure a wide approach, strategies and objectives that are aligned with the PAHO and IMT’s mission, vision, values, policies, strategies, business needs and priorities. Ensure that the results are aligned with the Unit’s and Departments biennial and multi-year plans;

8. Formulate and recommend policies, plans, strategies, and budgets, in support of the Governing Bodies’ mandates related to the program of work; develop and establish guidelines, norms, practices and procedures to improve the Unit’s effectiveness and efficiency; report to Governing Bodies, through executive presentations and reports, on the status or results of the program of work;

9. Collaborate and guide the preparation of the Unit’s Biennial Work Plan (BWP) and HR Plan; administer, allocate and monitor the Unit’s financial, logistical and HR; prepare and justify the Unit’s program and budget proposals;

10. Provide leadership, guidance and monitoring of supervised staff by setting clear work objectives, ensuring timely and effective use of performance reviews and feedback mechanisms, engaging in regular communications, and solving interpersonal or technical conflicts; establish and support a learning environment, to include staff development in PAHO’s fundamentals, managerial competencies and technical expertise;

11. Coordinate and collaborate with national and international partners in the medicines field both from the private and public sector including educational, professional organizations, industry and NGOs;

12. Perform other related duties, as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education****:

Essential: A university degree in a health-related profession, and a master’s degree in regulatory or policy science or in any other field related to the functions of the position from a recognized institution.

Desirable: Training in public administration /management would be an asset.

If 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) / UNESCO. The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. PAHO will also use the databases of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation http://www.chea.org and College Navigator, found on the website of the National Centre for Educational Statistics, https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator to support the validation process.

Experience****:

Essential: Thirteen years of combined national and international experience in regulatory program development for medicines and other health technologies, regulatory systems strengthening, pharmacovigilance, quality assurance management, planning and evaluation in areas related to the responsibilities of the post description. Experience should also include resource mobilization and implementation of international development projects, preferably in an international organization.

SKILLS****:

PAHO Competencies:

· Overall attitude at work: Maintains integrity and takes a clear ethical approach and stance; demonstrates commitment to PAHO’s mandate and promotes the values of the Organization in daily work and behavior; is accountable for work carried out in line with own role and responsibilities; is respectful towards, and trusted by, colleagues and counterparts.

· Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences: Relates well to diversity in others and capitalizes on such diversity - Treats all people with dignity and respect. Relates well to people with different cultures, gender, orientations, backgrounds and/or positions; examines own behavior to avoid stereotypical responses; considers issues from the perspective of others and values their diversity.

· Teamwork: Advocates for collaboration across the Organization - Creates and encourages a climate of team- working and collaboration across the Organization; sees cooperation as a key Organizational priority and creates collaborative systems and processes to achieve Organizational goals. Actively identifies and tackles disagreements between internal and external counterparts that compromise the PAHO’s goals and mandate; diplomatically facilitates the resolution of conflicts between others and ensures strategic partnerships with a range of key stakeholders; maintains and extends an effective collaborative network of individuals inside and outside the Organization.

· Communication: Share knowledge - Articulates the Organization’s strategic objectives when formulating and delivering information and presentations and adapts presentation methodology to address the needs of different audiences. Shares decisions and directives of senior management and communicates them in a manner that ensures both understanding and acceptance; shares knowledge and best practice at the three Organizational levels (country, regional and global), as necessary.

· Creating an empowering and motivating environment: Provide direction/Support, motivate and empower others - Oversees and provides teams and departments with clear managerial directions which are translated from Organizational strategy. Builds a performance culture; contributes to setting Organizational performance goals and standards; monitors Organizational performance against milestones and strategic goals; identifies and nurtures talent as appropriate. Promotes autonomy and empowerment throughout the Organization; inspires enthusiasm and a positive attitude in people towards their work and contribution to the Organization’s success.

· Ensuring effective use of resources: Strategize and set clear objectives/Monitor progress and use resources well - Sets specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely objectives for own team and/or the Organization; systematically analyses and anticipates priority projects for own team and allocates necessary resources to achieve them; identifies the cross-Organizational resources needed for large- scale projects in line with key Organizational objectives. Anticipates foreseeable changes and adapts own and team’s projects in the face of unforeseen circumstances and/ or challenges; creates measures and criteria to monitor progress of overall projects against key Organizational objectives; creates cost-effective solutions for the Organization.

· Driving the Organization to a successful future: Constructive leadership style/ Set the vision and build commitment - Leads and develops a road map for successfully achieving real progress in the Organization’s mandate, including consultation with key stakeholders; demonstrates respectful, trustworthy, transparent and accountable behavior to develop a reliable and coherent identity for the Organization. Creates a coherent Organizational vision of shared and successful goals; fosters a culture of vision and long- term goals, recognizing and rewarding efforts to maximize the Organization’s value.

Technical Expertise:

· Technical: Extensive expertise at a senior decision-making level in public policy in areas of quality and rational use of medicines, including considerable familiarity with other fields relevant to the IMT’s responsibilities in managing complex health programs/health systems at both national and international levels. Wide and varied knowledge of public health problems and health management processes, including monitoring and performance assessment in the health or social sector, and disciplines related to strategic planning.

· Managerial: Extensive expertise in senior, progressively responsible positions in the management of a large public or private administration of administrative and technical matters requiring sensitive negotiation, and high-level intervention. Demonstrated ability to provide professional leadership to strategic, organizational, managerial and analytic work in health; resourcefulness, initiative, highly developed judgment and interpersonal skills to deal with difficult situations and sensitive areas. Must further possess a recognized capacity to lead, strategize and supervise by persuasion and through consensus building. Courtesy, tact, sensitivity to manage confidential information, and ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with people of different professional levels, discipline, nationalities, and cultural background.

· Administrative: Skills in resource mobilization (including fundraising and partner collaboration) and financial management for the delivery of expected results.

Languages:

Very good knowledge of English or Spanish with a working knowledge of the other language. Knowledge of French and/or Portuguese would be an asset.

IT Skills:

Demonstrated ability to effectively use current technology and software, spreadsheets and presentations, as well as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and management information systems. Other IT skills and knowledge of software programs such as Microsoft Excel, Outlook, OneDrive, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint, and Word are considered essential.

REMUNERATION

Annual Salary****: (Net of taxes)

USD $92,731.00 post adjustment

Post Adjustment****: 63.5% of the above figure(s). This percentage is to be considered as indicative since variations may occur each month either upwards or downwards due to currency exchange rate fluctuations or inflation.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

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

Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to PAHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and e-Manual.

For information on PAHO please visit: http://www.paho.org

PAHO/WHO is an ethical organization that maintains high standards of integrity and accountability. People joining PAHO are required to maintain these standards both in their professional work and personal activities.

PAHO/WHO also promotes a work environment that is free from harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and other types of abusive behavior. PAHO conducts background checks and will not hire anyone who has a substantiated history of abusive conduct.

PAHO/WHO personnel interact frequently with people in the communities we serve. To protect these people, PAHO has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse. People who commit serious wrongdoing will be terminated and may also face criminal prosecution.

PAHO/WHO is committed to workforce diversity. PAHO/WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

PAHO/WHO offers an attractive compensation package including an annual net salary and post adjustment, which reflects the cost of living in a particular duty station and exchange rates (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance). Other benefits include: 30 days annual leave, dependency benefits, pension plan and health insurance scheme. Benefits for internationally recruited staff may include home leave, travel and removal expenses on appointment and separation, education grant for dependent children, assignment grant and rental subsidy.

Candidates appointed to an international post with PAHO are subject to mobility and may be assigned to any activity or duty station of the Organization throughout the world.

Candidates will be contacted if considered. A written test and interview will be held. PD is the official documentation.