Opportunity for M.Pharm, M.Sc as Technical Officer at World Health Organization

WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends.

Post : Technical Officer (Medical Products Regulation)

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME
Access to quality medical products (medicines, vaccines, medical devices and diagnostics) is crucial for achieving universal health coverage (UHC) and in attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 2030). The goal of the Department of Health System Development is to support advances in UHC in SEAR Member States, to improve people's access to needed services and medical products without suffering financial hardship. Medical products regulatory agencies are tasked to ensure the safety, quality and efficacy of all medical products, medicines, vaccines, medical devices and diagnostics, enforcement of legal procedures related to drug development and manufacturing, monitoring and ensuring compliance with statutory obligations. The regulatory agencies play an essential role in all aspects of pharmaceutical regulations related to drug product registration, manufacturing, distribution, price control, marketing, research and development, and intellectual property protection. Regulators face a number of challenges today and these are related to the wide variety of medical products that they must deal with (medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and medical devices). Newer products are coming into the market and the role of the regulator is challenging to ensure safe, efficacious and affordable products for their populations. Through SEARN, by increasing collaboration, Member states in the Region have agreed to

1. enhance the ability of national regulatory authorities to ensure safety and quality of medical products;
2. develop more streamlined work sharing arrangements together to accelerate access to medical products;The result is people across the Region will have access to safer and better-quality medical products.

This is a priority within the WHO's new General Programme of Work.The South-East Asia Region has five priorities for improving access to quality medical products: collaboration in regulation; greater capacity to work within intellectual property and trade rules and use TRIPS flexibilities; collaboration on pricing and procurement; more rational use of medicines with a focus on antibiotics, and improved monitoring of access to medical products.

Description of Duties
Summary of Assigned Duties (Describe what the incumbent has to do to achieve main objectives; include main achievements expected):Under the overall guidance of Director, HSD and direct supervision of Regional Adviser, Intellectual Property Rights, Trade and Health (IPT), the incumbent will perform the following duties:
1. Support activities and deliverables of the South-East Asia Regulatory Network (SEARN), including ways to expedite approval of new and existing priority products through inter-country collaboration and support for quality control laboratory network.
2. Provide technical and managerial support for medical products (medicines, vaccines, medical devices and diagnostics) on regulation and regulatory system strengthening in the countries in the region
3. Provides policy and technical support to Member countries in all aspects of vaccine supply management quality control and safety within the scope of Expanded Programmes on Immunization (EPI) and ensures technical quality of Vaccine Supply and Quality (VSQ) team activities.
4. Facilitate the organization of country self- and joint assessments of regulatory capacity, including supporting institutional development plans.
5. Promote engagement for defining roles and responsibilities for external partners supporting national regulatory system strengthening, to align with national regulatory agency priorities and institutional development plans.
6. Support post-marketing surveillance and vigilance activities for medical products in the SEARN network
7. Develop and contribute to publications on access to medical products.
8. To perform any other relevant duties assigned by Director HSD or supervisor.

Candidate Profile
Education
Essential: Master's level university degree in pharmacy, medicine, biochemistry, microbiology, biological sciences, public health or other health science-related field.
Desirable: Advanced degree or specialization in the manufacture, production or regulation of one or more medical products (medicines, vaccines, diagnostics, devices)
Experience
Essential: At least seven years of experience in medical product regulation, some of which should have been obtained in an international context
Desirable: Experience in working on medical product regulation in a low or middle-income countryExperience in working across multiple agencies and managing their often-diverse objectives.
Skills
Good knowledge of product development, production and control. This includes having worked for a medicines/vaccines manufacturer or a national regulatory authority. Demonstrated ability to work with experts at national and regional levels, and to establish and maintain effective working relationships with people of different national and cultural backgrounds. Excellent organizational skills.

Remuneration
WHO salaries for staff in the Professional category are calculated in US dollars. The remuneration for the above position comprises an annual base salary starting at USD 73,516 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable), a variable post adjustment, which reflects the cost of living in a particular duty station, and currently amounts to USD 2016 per month for the duty station indicated above. Other benefits include 30 days of annual leave, allowances for dependent family members, home leave, and an education grant for dependent children.

Additional Information
• Please note applications should be submitted through WHO's online recruitment portal.
• 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.
• The written test for shortlisted candidates will be tentatively be held in week starting week of 27 July 2020. Candidates are advised to make themselves available during that period
• 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).
• Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual.
• Staff members in other duty stations are encouraged to apply.
• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
• WHO's workforce adheres to the WHO Values Charter and is committed to put the WHO Values into practice.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• 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.

Location : India-New Delhi

Last Date : Jul 8, 2020, 3:29:00 AM